The Azd (

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

: أَزْد), or Al-Azd (

: ٱلْأَزْد), is an ancient Arabian tribe. The lands of Azd occupied an area west of Bisha and Al Bahah in what is today

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

Land of Azd

Pre-Islamic Arabia

Pre-Islamic inscriptions, specifically

Sabaic Sabaic, sometimes referred to as Sabaean, was a Old South Arabian, Sayhadic language that was spoken between c. 1000 BC and the 6th century AD by the Sabaeans. It was used as a written language by some other peoples of the ancient civilization of ...

inscriptions from Sha'r Awtar's reign ( 210- 230 CE), indicate that the land of Azd extended west of Bīsha, in the south-western heights of

, stretching between the regions of al-Bāḥa and ʿAsīr.Jérémie Schiettecatte, Mounir Arbach
The political map of Arabia and the Middle East in the 3rd century AD revealed by a Sabaean inscription – a view from the South.
Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, 2016, 27 (2), pp.176-196. 10.1111/aae.12071 . halshs-01388356

Eve of Islam

Al-Azd's land during the eve of

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

was comparable to that of the contemporary Azd Sarāt, stretching from Bīsha to the Tihāma shores, the southern limit being approximately al-Nimāṣ and the northern one the modern town of al-Bāḥa. In ancient times, Al Azd inhabited modern day provinces of 'Asir Province and

Al-Bahah Province Al-Baha Province, also known as Al-Baha Region ( ' ), also spelled as Al-Bahah, is a Provinces of Saudi Arabia, province in Saudi Arabia. It is the smallest province in the country by both area and population. History History of the Province Be ...

in modern-day

, bordering Sabaeans in modern-day

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

. the Azd tribe have always inhabited the Sarawat Mountains in

Hejaz Hejaz is a Historical region, historical region of the Arabian Peninsula that includes the majority of the western region of Saudi Arabia, covering the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, Tabuk, Yanbu, Taif and Al Bahah, Al-B ...

; Azd Shanū’ah ( Zahran & Ghamid)

Bariq Bariq (also Romanization of Arabic, transliterated as Barik or Bareq, ) is a tribe from Bareq in south-west Saudi Arabia. It belongs to the ancient Al-Azd tribe which has many clans linked to it. As far as ancestry goes, Banu Aus, Aws, Khazraj, G ...

inhabited Tihamah; and Azd Mazin ( Al Ansar &

Ghassanids The Ghassanids, also known as the Jafnids, were an Tribes of Arabia, Arab tribe. Originally from South Arabia, they migrated to the Levant in the 3rd century and established what would eventually become a Christian state, Christian kingdom unde ...

) inhabited two different regions, where the Ansaris settled in

Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...

, while the

settled in the far north of the

Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula (, , or , , ) or Arabia, is a peninsula in West Asia, situated north-east of Africa on the Arabian plate. At , comparable in size to India, the Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world. Geographically, the ...

Yemeni Folklore

According to traditional medieval Yemeni folklore, the Azd tribal group originally lived in Yemen, until the collapse of the Ma'rib Dam when they began emigrating to other parts of the

due to the living conditions becoming unfavourable. This large movement out of Yemen has been dated to the late 3rd century CE.

Anthropological and Genetic Background

A genetic haplogroup often associated with Azdite tribes, J-BY74, has been indicated to have originated in Northern Arabia or the

Levant The Levant ( ) is the subregion that borders the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean sea to the west, and forms the core of West Asia and the political term, Middle East, ''Middle East''. In its narrowest sense, which is in use toda ...

Branches

In the 3rd century C.E., the Azd branched into four sub-branches, each led by one of the sons of Muzayqiya.

Imran Bin Amr

Imran bin Amr and the bulk of the tribe went to Oman, where they established the Azdi presence in

Eastern Arabia Eastern Arabia () is a region stretched from Basra to Khasab along the Persian Gulf coast and included parts of modern-day Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia (Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, Eastern Province), and the United Arab ...

. Later they invaded Karaman and Shiraz in Southern

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

, and these came to be known as "Azd Daba". Another branch headed west back to Yemen, and a group went further west all the way to Tihamah on the

Red Sea The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...

. This group was to become known as " Azd Uman" after the emergence of Islam.

Jafna bin Amr

Jafna bin Amr and his family headed for

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

, where he settled and initiated the kingdom of the

. They were so named after a spring of water where they stopped on their way to Syria. This branch was to produce: * The Ghassanid dynasty in Syria * A Roman Emperor ( Philip the Arab, a Ghassanid Arab from Syria, who ruled 244–249 C.E.) * A Byzantine dynasty (the Byzantine Emperor Leo III the Isaurian, also known as the "Syrian", ruled from 717 to 741 C.E.)

Thalabah bin Amr

Thalabah bin Amr left his tribe for the Hijaz, and dwelt between Thalabiyah and Dhi Qar. When he gained strength, he headed for Yathrib, where he stayed. Of his seed are the Aws and Khazraj, sons of Haritha bin Thalabah. These were to be the Muslim Ansar and were to produce the last Arab dynasty in Spain (the Nasrids).

Haritha bin Amr

Haritha bin Amr led a branch of the Azd Qahtani tribes. He wandered with his tribe in the Hijaz until they came to the Tihamah. He had three sons Adi, Afsa and Lahi. Adiy was the father of

, Lahi the father of Khuza'a and Afsa, the father of Aslam.

                              Azd
                                ,                     
                 .--------------+------------.                       
                 ,                            ,                      
               Mazin                     Shahnvah
                 ,                            ,                  
      .----------+----------.       .--------+-----------.          
      ,           ,           ,        ,         ,            , 
      ,           ,           ,        ,         ,            , 
      ,           ,           ,     Samala  (Banu) Daws   Haddan
 Thalabah     Haritha     Jafna
      ,           ,     (Ghassanids/The Ghassinids)
   .--+----.     , 
   ,        ,      , _________________
(Banu) Aws  (Banu) Khuza'a/Khazraj , 
                                   , 
                         .-----+---+----------.
                         ,          ,           , 
                        Adi       Afsa      Lohay
                         ,          ,           , 
                       Bariq     Aslam  (Banu) Khuza'a
                                   ,           , 
                                Salaman   Mustalik

Zahran

The Zahran tribe is an ancient Arabian offshoot of the Azdi tribe.

Azd 'Uman

The Azd 'Uman were the dominant Arab tribe in the eastern realms of the

Caliphate A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...

and were the driving force in the conquest of Fars, Makran and

Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...

. They were the chief merchant group of

Oman Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...

and Al-Ubulla, who organized a trading diaspora with settlements of Persianized Arabians on the coasts of Kirman and Makran, extending into Sindh since the days of Ardashir. They were strongly involved in the western trade with India, and with the expansion of the Muslim conquests, they began to consolidate their commercial and political authority on the eastern frontier. During the early years of the Muslim conquests, the Azdi ports of

Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

and

were staging grounds for Muslim naval fleets headed to Fars (Persia) and Hind (India). From 637 C.E., the conquests of Fars and Makran were dominated by the Azdi and allied tribes from Oman. Between 665 and 683 C.E., the Azdi 'Uman became especially prominent due in Basra on account of favors from Ziyad ibn Abihi, the Governor of

Mu'awiya I Mu'awiya I (–April 680) was the founder and first caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate, ruling from 661 until his death. He became caliph less than thirty years after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and immediately after the four Rashid ...

, and his son Ubaidullah. When a member of their tribe Abu Said Al- Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra became governor their influence and wealth increased as he extended Muslim conquests to Makran and

, where so many other Azdi were settled. After his death in 702, though, they lost their grip on power with the rise of Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf as governor of

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

. Al-Hajjaj pursued a systematic policy of breaking

Umayyad The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a membe ...

power, as a result of which the Azd also suffered. With the death of Hajjaj and under Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik as

Caliph A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...

, their fortunes reversed once again, with the appointment of Yazid ibn al-Muhallab.Wink pg 51-52;"''It is not accident that, among the Arabs, the Tribe of the Azd 'Uman were instrumental in the conquest of Fars, Makran and Sind, and that for some time they became the dominant Arab tribe in the eastern caliphate.''"

Influential people or branches

* The

* The Banu Tanukh * The Banu Tayy ** The Bani Sakher * Banu Ma'an (part of the Tanukhi tribal Confederation) * The Nasrid dynasty of

Al-Andalus Al-Andalus () was the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The name refers to the different Muslim states that controlled these territories at various times between 711 and 1492. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied most o ...

* Al Said dynasty of

* Bani Yas ** Al Nahyan dynasty of

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...

in what is now the U.A.E. ** Al Maktoum dynasty of

Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...

* Abu Dawood, collector of ''a

hadith Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...

'' * Ibn Duraid * Kuthayyir, Arab poet * Jābir ibn Zayd, the co-founder of the Ibadi sect of

* Ghamid * Bani Shehr * Zahran * The Rawadids * Tribe of

Jabir ibn Hayyan Abū Mūsā Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (Arabic: , variously called al-Ṣūfī, al-Azdī, al-Kūfī, or al-Ṭūsī), died 806−816, is the purported author of a large number of works in Arabic, often called the Jabirian corpus. The treatises that ...

(historicity uncertain; may also have been a non-Arab or 'client' of the Azd). still thought the attribution to Jabir of the name al-Azdi to be false, but later sources (from on) assume its authenticity. * Hudhayfah al-Bariqi * Khalil ibn Ahmad * Urwah al-Bariqi * Arfaja al-Bariqi * Humaydah al-Bariqi * Ibn Al-Thahabi * Ibn al-Banna * Jamilah bint Adwan * Asma bint Adiy al-Bariqiyyah * Al Muhallab ibn Abi Suffrah * Mu'aqqir * Fatimah bint Sa'd * Suraqah al-Bariqi * Ibn Al-Thahabi * Banu Khazraj * Billasmar (Al-Asmari) * Jamilah bint Adwan * Bani Amr (Al-Amri) * Amr ibn Khalid * Umm al-Khair * Al- Dawasir * Al- Balush * Al-Tahawi * Al-Fadl ibn Shadhan of

Nishapur Nishapur or Neyshabur (, also ) is a city in the Central District (Nishapur County), Central District of Nishapur County, Razavi Khorasan province, Razavi Khorasan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Ni ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

* Attar (caste), India

References

Sources used

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