An-Nasir al-Hasan bin Ali (died 1615) was a claimant to the
Zaidi state of
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
between 1579 and 1585, in opposition to the
Ottoman Turks, who occupied the Yemeni lands for years.
Anti-Ottoman risings
Al-Hasan bin Ali bin Da'ud was a great-nephew of the
imam al-Hadi Izz ad-Din (d. 1495) who had revived the fortunes of the Zaidi state in the late 15th century. The troops of the Ottoman sultan
Selim II, led by
Sinan Pasha
Koca Sinan Pasha ( tr, Koca Sinan Paşa, "Sinan the Great"; c. 1506 - 3 April 1596) was an Albanian-born Ottoman Grand Vizier, military figure, and statesman. From 1580 until his death he served five times as Grand Vizier. In a Ragusan docume ...
crushed Yemeni resistance in 1570. However, discontent with the occupiers continued, especially in the highlands where people belonged to the
Zaydiyyah
Zaydism (''h'') is a unique branch of Shia Islam that emerged in the eighth century following Zayd ibn Ali‘s unsuccessful rebellion against the Umayyad Caliphate. In contrast to other Shia Muslims of Twelver Shi'ism and Isma'ilism, Zaydis, a ...
in opposition to the
Sunni lowlands. In 1579 al-Hasan proclaimed the
imamate in the Ahnum region under the name an-Nasir al-Hasan, vowing to fight the Turks. His rising was paralleled by a
messianic movement, led by a certain Mansur Himyar in the Anis region, which proclaimed the end of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
.
Defeated by Hasan Pasha
However, the power basis of an-Nasir al-Hasan was quite limited. He was actually attacked by other Zaidi groups, such as the Hamzah sharifs, the sons of the last imam
al-Mutahhar
Al-Mutahhar bin Yahya Sharaf ad-Din (January 3, 1503 – November 9, 1572) was an imam of the Zaidi state of Yemen who ruled from 1547 to 1572. His era marked the temporary end of an autonomous Yemeni polity in the highlands.
The coming of th ...
, and even by his cousins of the Mu'ayyad clan. In 1580, a new and redoubtable Ottoman governor, Hasan Pasha, was appointed by the
Porte
Porte may refer to:
*Sublime Porte, the central government of the Ottoman empire
*Porte, Piedmont, a municipality in the Piedmont region of Italy
*John Cyril Porte, British/Irish aviator
*Richie Porte, Australian professional cyclist who competes ...
. By making use of the inner divisions of the highland groups, Hasan Pasha was able to reinforce the sultan's authority in the regions north of
San'a
Sanaa ( ar, صَنْعَاء, ' , Yemeni Arabic: ; Old South Arabian: 𐩮𐩬𐩲𐩥 ''Ṣnʿw''), also spelled Sana'a or Sana, is the capital and largest city in Yemen and the centre of Sanaa Governorate. The city is not part of the Govern ...
.
Sa'dah
Saada ( ar, صَعْدَة, translit=Ṣaʿda), a city and ancient capital in the northwest of Yemen, is the capital and largest city of the province of the same name, and the county seat of the county of the same name. The city is located in the ...
and
Najran were occupied by the Turks in 1583. An-Nasir al-Hasan kept his stronghold in the inaccessible
Shaharah but was eventually betrayed and captured on 11 September 1585. His captor was the ''ketkhuda'' (deputy) of Hasan Pasha, Emir Sinan.
[Robert W. Stookey, ''Yemen; The Politics of the Yemen Arab Republic''. Boulder 1978, p. 141. His date of capture is also given as 1596/97, which appears to be incorrect.] After having spent one year in prison in San'a, he was brought to
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
where he eventually died in 1615. The torch of resistance was taken over in 1597 by the imam
al-Mansur al-Qasim
Al-Mansur al-Qasim (November 13, 1559 – February 19, 1620), with the cognomen ''al-Kabir'' (the Great), was an Imam of Yemen, who commenced the struggle to liberate Yemen from the Ottoman occupiers. He was the founder of a Zaidi kingdom that e ...
, of another
Sayyid
''Sayyid'' (, ; ar, سيد ; ; meaning 'sir', 'Lord', 'Master'; Arabic plural: ; feminine: ; ) is a surname of people descending from the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali, sons of Muhamma ...
lineage, who founded a new Yemeni state.
See also
*
Imams of Yemen
The Imams of Yemen, later also titled the Kings of Yemen, were religiously consecrated leaders belonging to the Zaidiyyah branch of Shia Islam. They established a blend of religious and temporal-political rule in parts of Yemen from 897. Their i ...
*
Rassids
The Imams of Yemen and later also the Kings of Yemen were religiously consecrated leaders belonging to the Zaidiyyah branch of Shia Islam. They established a blend of religious and political rule in parts of Yemen from 897. Their imamate endured ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nasir Al-Hasan Bin Ali
1615 deaths
Zaydi imams of Yemen
Year of birth unknown
16th-century Arabs