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The tribe of Shammar ( ar, شَمَّر, Šammar) is a tribal
Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
Qahtan The terms Qahtanite and Qahtani ( ar, قَحْطَانِي; transliterated: Qaḥṭānī) refer to Arabs who originate from South Arabia. The term "Qahtan" is mentioned in multiple ancient Arabian inscriptions found in Yemen. Arab traditions be ...
confederation, descended from the Yemeni tribe of
Tayy , location = 2nd century CE–10th century: Jabal Tayy and Syrian Desert 10th century–16th century: Jabal Tayy, Syrian Desert, Jibal al-Sharat, al-Balqa, Palmyrene Steppe, Upper Mesopotamia, Northern Hejaz, Najd , parent_tribe = Madh ...
as they originated in Yemen before migrating into present day Saudi Arabia, It is the biggest branch of Tayy tribe. It is one of the largest and most influential Arab tribes. The historical and traditional seat of the tribe's leadership is in the city of Ha'il in what was the Emirate of Jabal Shammar in
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Ara ...
. In its "golden age", around 1850, the tribe ruled much of central and northern Arabia from
Riyadh Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the ...
to the frontiers of Syria and the vast area known as Al Jazira in Northern Iraq. One of the early famous figures from the tribe was the legendary
Hatim Al-Ta'i Hatim al-Tai ( ar, حاتم الطائي, ''Hatim of the Tayy tribe''; died 578), full name Ḥātim bin ʿAbd Allāh bin Saʿd aṭ-Ṭāʾiyy ( ar, حاتم بن عبد الله بن سعد الطائي) was the ruling prince and poet of the T ...
(Hatim of Tayy; died 578), a
Christian Arab Arab Christians ( ar, ﺍَﻟْﻤَﺴِﻴﺤِﻴُّﻮﻥ ﺍﻟْﻌَﺮَﺏ, translit=al-Masīḥīyyūn al-ʿArab) are ethnic Arabs, Arab nationals, or Arabic-speakers who adhere to Christianity. The number of Arab Christians who l ...
renowned for generosity and hospitality who figured in the ''
Arabian Nights ''One Thousand and One Nights'' ( ar, أَلْفُ لَيْلَةٍ وَلَيْلَةٌ, italic=yes, ) is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as the ''Arabian ...
''. The early Islamic historical sources report that his son, Adiyy ibn Hatim, whom they sometimes refer to as the "king" of Tayy, converted to
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
before
Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد;  570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mon ...
's death. Another figure from Tayy during this period was
Zayd al-Khayr Zayd al-Khayr (Arabic: زيد الخير) was a noted, significant companion of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam. Hailing from the tribe of Tayy in northern Nejd. He was originally known as Zayd al-Khayl ("Zayd of the Steeds", a reference to his c ...
, a prominent member of Tayy who is said to have led Tayy's delegation to Muhammad accepting Islam.


Origins

The Shammar are a tribal confederation made up of three main branches: the Abdah, the Aslam, and the Zoba. The tribe of Shammar are descendants of the Tayy tribe 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 north and Oman to the northeast and ...
. The earliest non-Arab sources refer to Arabs as Taits, thought of as referring to the Tayy, as Ayas ibn Quasiba, a ruler of ancient Iraq, had contact with both the
Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
and Persian Empires. Since some sections of Tayy, and most of the
Ghassanids The Ghassanids ( ar, الغساسنة, translit=al-Ġasāsina, also Banu Ghassān (, romanized as: ), also called the Jafnids, were an Arab tribe which founded a kingdom. They emigrated from southern Arabia in the early 3rd century to the Levan ...
and
Muntherids The Lakhmids ( ar, اللخميون, translit=al-Laḫmiyyūn) referred to in Arabic as al-Manādhirah (, romanized as: ) or Banu Lakhm (, romanized as: ) was an Arab kingdom in Southern Iraq and Eastern Arabia, with al-Hirah as their capital ...
, were present in
Mesopotamia Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the ...
and the
Levant The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is ...
prior to Muhammad's preaching of Islam in the early
7th century The 7th century is the period from 601 (DCI) through 700 ( DCC) in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Common Era. The spread of Islam and the Muslim conquests began with the unification of Arabia by Muhammad starting in 622. After Muham ...
. In the Namārah Inscription (the second oldest pre-Islamic Arabic inscription, dating from 328 CE), the name "Shammar" is believed to refer to a city in Yemen, though it may refer to the city where the
Himyarite The Himyarite Kingdom ( ar, مملكة حِمْيَر, Mamlakat Ḥimyar, he, ממלכת חִמְיָר), or Himyar ( ar, حِمْيَر, ''Ḥimyar'', / 𐩹𐩧𐩺𐩵𐩬) (fl. 110 BCE–520s CE), historically referred to as the Homerite ...
King Shammar Yahri'sh lived, the present-day
Rada The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the S ...
(located about from Dhamar, an ancient historic site). Since King Shammar Yahri'sh ruled during the last decade of the 3rd century AD, it could be referring to the city he lived in or one named after him. It could also be referring to the city of Hayel, although there is no evidence that Imru Al-Qays fought the Tayy. Led by Usma bin Luai the Tayy invaded the mountains of Ajā and Salma from
Banu Assad Banu Asad ibn Khuzaymah ( ar, ابن أسد بن خزيمة ) is an Arab tribe. They are Adnanite Arabs, powerful and one of the most famous tribes. They are widely respected by many Arab tribes, respected by Shia Muslims because they have burie ...
and
Banu Tamim Banū Tamīm ( ar, بَنُو تَمِيم) is an Arab tribe that originated in Najd in the Arabian Peninsula. It is mainly present in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Algeria, and has a strong presence in Morocco, Palestine, Tuni ...
in northern Arabia in their exodus from Yemen in 115 CE. These mountains are now known as the Shammar. The Tayy became nomadic camel-herders and horse-breeders in northern Nejd for centuries. Because of their strength and blood relations with the Yemenite dynasties that came to rule Syria (The Ghassanids) and Iraq (The Lakhmids), the Tayy expanded north into Iraq all the way to the capital at the time,
Al-Hirah Al-Hirah ( ar, الحيرة, translit=al-Ḥīra Middle Persian: ''Hērt'' ) was an ancient city in Mesopotamia located south of what is now Kufa in south-central Iraq. History Kingdom of the Lakhmids Al-Hirah was a significant city in pre ...
. The area of the two mountains subsequently came to be known as "
Jabal Shammar The Emirate of Jabal Shammar ( ar, إِمَارَة جَبَل شَمَّر), also known as the Emirate of Haʾil () or the Rashidi Emirate (), was a state in the northern part of the Arabian Peninsula, including Najd, existing from the mid-nin ...
" ("Shammar's Mountain") from the 14th century, the first time that the Shammar as a tribe were noted in literature.


History

Led by Usma bin Luai, the Tayy invaded the mountains of Ajaa and Salma from Banu Assad and Banu Tamim in northern Arabia in their exodus from Yemen in 115 CE. These mountains were renamed to ''Jabal Tayy'' (Tayy's Mountain), and then again in the 14th century, after the tribe changed their name, to ''Jabal Shammar''. There, Tayy, later Shammar, became either city-dwellers in the city of Ha'il, nomadic pastoralists, camel-herders and horse-breeders in northern
Najd Najd ( ar, نَجْدٌ, ), or the Nejd, forms the geographic center of Saudi Arabia, accounting for about a third of the country's modern population and, since the Emirate of Diriyah, acting as the base for all unification campaigns by the ...
, or
agriculturist An agriculturist, agriculturalist, agrologist, or agronomist (abbreviated as agr.), is a professional in the science, practice, and management of agriculture and agribusiness. It is a regulated profession in Canada, India, the Philippines, the U ...
s in the countryside outside Ha'il or in the surrounding desert
oases In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.” The location of oases has been of critical im ...
. These divisions were based on profession, personal interest and skill, and not family or blood-line stratifications within the tribe. It is common for the same nuclear family to have members living each of the three different lifestyles. Because of their strength and blood relations with the Yemenite dynasties that came to rule Syria (Ghassanids) and Iraq (Muntherids), the Tayy expanded north into Iraq all the way to
al-Hira Al-Hirah ( ar, الحيرة, translit=al-Ḥīra Middle Persian: ''Hērt'' ) was an ancient city in Mesopotamia located south of what is now Kufa in south-central Iraq. History Kingdom of the Lakhmids Al-Hirah was a significant city in pre ...
, the capital at the time. Oral tradition mentions that the first chiefs of the Shammar tribe, Arar and Omair, were of the 'Abda family of Dhaigham, who ruled Shammar from Jabal Shammar. In the 17th century, a large section of the Shammar left Jabal Shammar under the leadership of the Al Jarba and settled in Iraq, reaching as far as the northern city of
Mosul Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second larg ...
, their current stronghold. The Shammar are currently one of Iraq's largest tribes and are divided into two
geographical Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and ...
, as opposed to
genealogical Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kin ...
, subsections. The northern branch, known as Shammar al-Jarba, is mainly
Sunni Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a dis ...
, while the southern branch, Shammar Toga, converted to
Shia Islam Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, mos ...
around the 19th century after settling in southern Iraq. The Shammar that remained in Arabia had tribal territories extending from the city of Ha'il northwards to the frontiers of the
Syrian Desert The Syrian Desert ( ar, بادية الشام ''Bādiyat Ash-Shām''), also known as the North Arabian Desert, the Jordanian steppe, or the Badiya, is a region of desert, semi-desert and steppe covering of the Middle East, including parts of so ...
. The Shammar had a long traditional rivalry with the confederation of 'Anizzah, who inhabited the same area. The city of Ha'il became the heart of the Jabal Shammar region and was inhabited largely by settled members of Shammar and their clients. Two clans succeeded each other in ruling the city in the 19th century. The first clan, the Al Ali, were replaced by the Al Rashid. During the civil war that tore apart the
Second Saudi State The Emirate of Nejd or Imamate of Nejd was the Second Saudi State, existing between 1824 and 1891 in Nejd, the regions of Riyadh and Ha'il of what is now Saudi Arabia. Saudi rule was restored to central and eastern Arabia after the Emirate of ...
in the late 19th century, the emirs of Ha'il, from the house of Al Rashid, intervened and gradually took control of much of the Saudi realm, finally taking the Saudi capital Riyadh in 1895 and expelling the Saudi leaders to
Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Ku ...
. The
Bedouin The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu (; , singular ) are nomadic Arabs, Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia. The Bedouin originated in the Syrian Desert ...
Shammari tribesmen provided the majority of the Al Rashid's military support. Later, in the first two decades of the 20th century, Al Rashid were defeated by
Ibn Saud Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud ( ar, عبد العزيز بن عبد الرحمن آل سعود, ʿAbd al ʿAzīz bin ʿAbd ar Raḥman Āl Suʿūd; 15 January 1875Ibn Saud's birth year has been a source of debate. It is generally accepted ...
and his
Wahhabi Wahhabism ( ar, ٱلْوَهَّابِيَةُ, translit=al-Wahhābiyyah) is a Sunni Islamic revivalist and fundamentalist movement associated with the reformist doctrines of the 18th-century Arabian Islamic scholar, theologian, preacher, an ...
forces when his campaign to restore his family's rule in the
Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plat ...
culminated in the
Conquest of Ha'il Conquest of Ha'il also referred as the Second Saudi–Rashidi War, was engaged by the Saudi forces, which received British military assistance and its ally Ikhwan tribesmen upon the Emirate of Jabal Shammar, under the last Rashidi ruler. On N ...
in 1921. Following Al Rashid's defeat many Shammar fled to Syria and Iraq. Eventually the clan of their uncles, Al Sabhan pledged allegiance to Ibn Saud in
Riyadh Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the ...
. Ibn Saud also married a daughter of one of the Shammari chiefs, who bore him one Saudi King,
Abdullah Abdullah may refer to: * Abdullah (name), a list of people with the given name or surname * Abdullah, Kargı, Turkey, a village * ''Abdullah'' (film), a 1980 Bollywood film directed by Sanjay Khan * '' Abdullah: The Final Witness'', a 2015 Pakis ...
. After the establishment of modern borders, most Bedouins gradually left their nomadic lifestyle. Today, most members of the Shammar live modern, urbanized lifestyles in Saudi Arabia and Iraq, and some sections settled in
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
and
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
. Despite this, the vast majority of Shammar continue to retain a strong tribal identity and loyalty to their tribe. Many also participate in Cultural Festivals to learn about their ancient lifestyles, and to take part in traditional activities such as folk dancing.


House of Rashid

The House of Rashid (Rasheed) were a historic Shammar dynasty on the Arabian Peninsula. They were the most formidable enemies of the
House of Saud The House of Saud ( ar, آل سُعُود, ʾĀl Suʿūd ) is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is composed of the descendants of Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the Emirate of Diriyah, known as the First Saudi state (1727–1818), ...
in Nejd. They were centered in Ha'il, a city in northern Nejd that derived its wealth from being on the route of the
Hajj The Hajj (; ar, حَجّ '; sometimes also spelled Hadj, Hadji or Haj in English) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried o ...
. The Al Rashid derived their name from the grandfather of
Abdullah Abdullah may refer to: * Abdullah (name), a list of people with the given name or surname * Abdullah, Kargı, Turkey, a village * ''Abdullah'' (film), a 1980 Bollywood film directed by Sanjay Khan * '' Abdullah: The Final Witness'', a 2015 Pakis ...
, the first Rashidi amir of Ha'il, who was named Ibn Rashid. The Rashidi
emir Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cer ...
s cooperated closely with 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 ...
. However, this cooperation became problematic as the Ottomans lost popularity. As with many Arab dynasties, the lack of a generally accepted rule of succession was a recurrent problem with Rashidi rule. The internal dispute normally centered on whether succession should be horizontal (i.e. to a brother) or vertical (to a son). These divisions within the family led to bloody infighting. In the last years of the nineteenth century six Rashidi leaders died violently. Nevertheless, The Al Rashid family continued to rule and fight together against Ibn Saud. Saudi Arabia- The first twenty years of the 20th century on the Arabian Peninsula featured a long-running series of wars as the Saudis and their allies sought to unite the peninsula. Some members of the Rasheed family left the country and went into voluntary exile, mostly to Iraq.


Iraq

The Shammar is
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
's largest Arab tribe, along with the
Jubur Jubur ( ar, جبور, also spelled Jebour, Jibour, Jubour, Jabur, Jaburi, Jebouri, and Jabara) is the largest Arab tribe in Iraq that scattered throughout central Iraq. Part of the tribe settled in Hawija and Kirkuk in the eighteenth century. Al- ...
, with more than 1.5 million members. Under the leadership of Banu Mohamad, known as Al Jarba, there was a massive exodus into Iraq. Most of the Shammar in Iraq gave up their nomadic lifestyles to settle in major cities, especially the Jazirah plain, the area between the
Tigris The Tigris () is the easternmost of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian and Arabian Deserts, and empties into the ...
and
Euphrates The Euphrates () is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia ( ''the land between the rivers'') ...
from
Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
to
Mosul Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second larg ...
. Droughts triggered several migrations of Shammar into Iraq, which, according to the Ottoman census upon its annexation, had only 1.5 million inhabitants. The Shammar took over the Jazirah after displacing Al-Ubaid tribe. According to Sheikh Abdullah Humaid Alyawar, the son of the sheikh of Shammar, in Iraq the total population of Shammar is estimated to be more than 1.5 million. The Shammar Al-Sayeh, a tribal confederation of tribes from Shammar, is the branch of Shammar who were independent of Aljraba's authority. Shammar is composed of groups such as Al-Zuhairy and Al-Towej in
Najaf Najaf ( ar, ٱلنَّجَف) or An-Najaf al-Ashraf ( ar, ٱلنَّجَف ٱلْأَشْرَف), also known as Baniqia ( ar, بَانِيقِيَا), is a city in central Iraq about 160 km (100 mi) south of Baghdad. Its estimated popula ...
. The Shammar became one of the most powerful Iraqi tribes, owning vast tracts of land and provided strong support of the
Hashemite monarchy The Hashemites ( ar, الهاشميون, al-Hāshimīyūn), also House of Hashim, are the royal family of Jordan, which they have ruled since 1921, and were the royal family of the kingdoms of Hejaz (1916–1925), Syria (1920), and Iraq (1921 ...
. Shammar power was threatened after the overthrow of the monarchy in 1958 by
Abdul-Karim Qassem Abd al-Karim Qasim Muhammad Bakr al-Fadhli al-Zubaidi ( ar, عبد الكريم قاسم ' ) (21 November 1914 – 9 February 1963) was an Iraqi Army brigadier and nationalist who came to power when the Iraqi monarchy was overthrown d ...
, and the Shammar welcomed
Ba'athist Ba'athism, also stylized as Baathism, (; ar, البعثية ' , from ' , meaning "renaissance" or "resurrection" Hans Wehr''Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic'' (4th ed.), page 80) is an Arab nationalist ideology which promotes the creation ...
rule. After the overthrow of Saddam Hussein,
Ghazi al-Yawar Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawar ( ar, غازي مشعل عجيل الياور, born 1958) is an Iraqi politician. He was the vice president under the Iraqi Transitional Government in 2006, and was interim president of Iraq under the Iraqi Interim Gove ...
, from the Al Jarbah clan, was unanimously chosen as interim president. Ghazi Al-Yawar's uncle is the current Sheikh of Sheikhs of Shammar.


Syria

The Shammar tribe have been present in Syria since at least the 1920s when rivalry between Syrian and Iraqi Shammar culminated in violence reported by the
League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference th ...
in 1926. Syrian Shammar Sheikh Diham al Hadi, the paramount Shammar sheikh in Syria, conducted an attack at the end of March 1926 upon 'Ajil al Yawar, a Sheikh of the Iraqi Shammar. In April 1959 however, the
CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
's
Foreign Broadcast Information Service The Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) was an open source intelligence component of the Central Intelligence Agency's Directorate of Science and Technology. It monitored, translated, and disseminated within the U.S. government openly ...
reported that the Iraqi and Syrian branches of the Shammar were able to bury their differences, both joining an alliance with the
Syrian Baath Party Syrians ( ar, سُورِيُّون, ''Sūriyyīn'') are an Eastern Mediterranean ethnic group indigenous to the Levant. They share common Levantine Semitic roots. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend of both ind ...
against a common enemy. The current leader of the Syrian Shammar is Sheikh
Humaydi Daham al-Hadi Sheikh Humaydi Daham al-Hadi (also Hamidi Daham al-Hadi and Hmeidi Daham al-Jarba; ar, حميدي دهام الهادي الجربا, 1936 – 10 November 2022) was the leader of the Arab tribe of Shammar in Syria. Biography Al-Hadi al-Jarba was ...
. His son Bandar al-Humaydi is military leader of
al-Sanadid Forces The Forces of the Brave ( ar, جيش الصناديد / قوات الصناديد, translit=Quwwāt aṣ-Ṣanādīd / Jayš aṣ-Ṣanādīd), generally called the al-Sanadid Forces, are a militia formed by the Arab Shammar tribe to fight against ...
, a Shammar militia formed in 2013 nominally to protect the tribe's interests from
ISIL An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ...
.


Timeline

*1171–1172: Abda joins
Saladin Yusuf ibn Ayyub ibn Shadi () ( – 4 March 1193), commonly known by the epithet Saladin,, ; ku, سه‌لاحه‌دین, ; was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. Hailing from an ethnic Kurdish family, he was the first of both Egypt an ...
against the
crusaders The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
. *1301: First mention of the tribe Shammar, as a separate tribe in the book ''Masalik Alabsar'' by Ibn Fadhl. *1417: The city of
Al Majma'ah Al Majma'ah ( ar, المجمعة) is a city and a governorate in Ar Riyad Province, Saudi Arabia. It is located at around , and it is the capital of the Sudair region. The city has an area of 30,000 square kilometres. The population of the town is ...
is built by Abdullah ibn Saif Alwibari Alshammari. *1455: IBN Ali Emirate is formed under Ali Alkabeer bin Attya Bin Jaffar after the defeat and exile of former ruler of Jabal Tayy Bhaij Bin Theeban Alzubaidi *1446: The first known battle between Shammar and Anazah is fought by Bin Baqar of Alaslam and Altayyar of Anazah. *1489 Husain Al ali is dubbed Prince of the desert Shamar's Dominion is established in Najd *1517 The Ottoman Empire is established. *c. 1521: the name Shammar becomes prominent. *1522: Shammar backs
Bani Khalid Bani Khalid ( ar, بني خالد) is an Arab tribal confederation mainly inhabiting Eastern Arabia and Najd. The tribe ruled southern Iraq, Kuwait, and Eastern Arabia ( al-Hasa and al-Qatif) from the 15th century to the 18th century, and ag ...
against Aluyonien. *1609: Shammar unites with Bani Khalid against the sharif of Makkah. *1690: First Exodus into Iraq. *1696: Shammar raids Baghdad. *1744: The
Emirate of Diriyah The Emirate of Diriyah (), also known as the First Saudi State, was established in February 1727 (1139 Hijri year, AH). In 1744, the emir of Najdi town called Diriyah Muhammad bin Saud and the religious leader Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab formed a ...
, the first Saudi Kingdom, established. *1749–1762: Shammar raids reach northern Baghdad despite the strong ruler Sulaiman Abu Layla Pasha. *1750–1760:
Wahabi movement Wahhabism ( ar, ٱلْوَهَّابِيَةُ, translit=al-Wahhābiyyah) is a Sunni Islamic revivalist and fundamentalist movement associated with the reformist doctrines of the 18th-century Arabian Islamic scholar, theologian, preacher, and ...
emerges. *1764: Migration of individuals of Alzagareet of Abdah to Southern Iraq under the leadership of Yousef bin Nasr. *1765: ''alaslam'' and ''zaghareet'' between
Hīt Hīt, also spelled ''Heet'' ( ar, هيت), ancient name ''Is'', is an Iraqi city in Al-Anbar province. Hīt lies northwest of Ramadi, the provincial capital. Straddling the Euphrates River, the city of Hīt was originally a small walled town sur ...
and Karabla. *1776: Sheikh Mutlag bin Thanian invades Alhafeer area. *1779: Jabal Shammar falls to Saudi domination. *1781 (or 1791): Battle of Aladwa between Aljarba and Ibn Saud. *1780: Shammar joins Bani Khalid and Muntafig and the
Sharifate of Mecca The Sharifate of Mecca () or Emirate of Mecca was a state, non-sovereign for much of its existence, ruled by the Sharifs of Mecca. A sharif is a descendant of Hasan ibn Ali, Muhammad's grandson. In Western sources, the prince of Mecca was kno ...
to conquer Alsaud. *1790: Wahabis raid southern Iraq early in the year. *1790: Shammar is allied with the Sherif of Mecca against Alasaud. *1791: Alsaud launches a surprise attack on Shammar and wins two battles 70 miles south-east of Hayel. *1791: Late in the year some Shamaris join other Bedouins in an attack against Alsaud; Muslit bin Mutlag is killed. *1791: Mutlag Aljarba takes Shammar to safer places in southern Iraq. *1792: Sheikh
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab ibn Sulayman al-Tamimi ( ar, محمد بن عبد الوهاب بن سليمان , translit=Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb ibn Sulaymān al-Tamīmī; 1703–1792) was an Arabian Islamic scholar, theologian, preacher, ac ...
dies; Wahabi forces raid southern Iraq, defeating Bani Khalid. *1792: Mohamad Bin Abdul mohsin Bin Ali (also believed to be Alsamn Alurabi) becomes Emir of Hail. *1795: Saudi forces attack Shammar near Samawa and Mutlag is killed.Al Rasheed, p. 35. (Some say this occurred in 1797 in the Battle of Alabyadh, and that Mutlag died and Shammar entered
Aljazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazee ...
in the same year.) *1797: Alsaud attacks north of Soug Alshiokh; Faris Bin Mohammad Aljarba takes over; Wahabis are turned back. *1798: A large coalition including Shammar, Alubaid and Ottoman armies – more than 500 strong – goes to Basra; Mutlag dies. *1799: Ali Basha leaves Zuabir with new allies from Almuntafig, Althufair and Bani Khalid; they fight for a year. *1800: Truce is broken and an indecisive battle with the Wahabis takes place near
Karbala Karbala or Kerbala ( ar, كَرْبَلَاء, Karbalāʾ , , also ;) is a city in central Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad, and a few miles east of Lake Milh, also known as Razzaza Lake. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governor ...
. *1800: Incident between Faris al Jarba and Shiekh Alamoud Fayez Ibn Huthayl. *1801: Wahabi pressure on southern Iraq subsides; Shammar migrates to reach Jabal Sinjar in northern Iraq. The Shiite holy city of Karbala is raided by 10,000 men on 6,000 camels; the plunder Hussien's tomb. *1802: Late that year, a campaign against the Yezedi is launched by the Ottomans, Shammar, and Alubaid. *1803: Ottoman seeks Shammar's help in a campaign against the Al Ubaid mutiny, but the campaign fails. *1805: Faris Aljarba decisively defeats Alubaid. *1808–1812: Baghdad comes under Saudi threats. *1809: Anti-Thufair rebellion; Ottoman campaign under Faris Aljarba and Sulaimna Basha Alsaghir, Althufair and Rola Triomph. *1814: Shammar Aljarba raids several Iraqi cities. *1815: Khazaal, Zuabair, and Shammar rebel against Said Basha. Uniza, Alubaid, and Thufair tribes put down the rebellion; Shiekh Banaia is killed in battle. *1818: Shiekh Sfoug bin Faris Aljarba takes over. Mohamad Bin Abdul mohsin Bin Ali is beheaded by Ibrahim Pasha and sent to his father
Mohamad Ali Pasha Muhammad Ali Pasha al-Mas'ud ibn Agha, also known as Muhammad Ali of Egypt and the Sudan ( sq, Mehmet Ali Pasha, ar, محمد علي باشا, ; ota, محمد علی پاشا المسعود بن آغا; ; 4 March 1769 – 2 August 1849), was ...
in Egypt.Hail online Arabic reference. The Saudi capital of Dirayiya is besieged by 2,000 cavalry and 56,000 infantry with 12 guns and falls to the Ottomans. *1820s: Mohamad bin Ali is killed and his brother Saleh becomes ruler of Hail.Al Rasheed. *1820 opposition to Bin Ali formed by Abdulla Bin Rasheed against Ali bin Abdul Mohsen. Attempts to his arrest sends Abdullah Bin Rasheed to Iraq fleeing. *1822 Shk. Sfoug aljarba defeats a 40,000-strong Persian army meant for Baghdad. *1822: Alawajya wars begins. *1823: Village of Anna is bequeathed to Sfoug by the Ottoman Pasha of Baghdad for his role in defeating the Persian invasion. *1824: Uniza raids Shammar and loots their prized Arabian horses. *1830: Adwan bin Twala Shk alaslam and Oqab alawaji Shk of Inn Sulayman of Anazah who lives South of Hail. There had been a long standing conflict between them. They met to stop the Siege of Ras. Ogab challenges the outnumbered Adwan. Adwan captures Ogab during battle and wins. He pardons Ogab and releases him. (كتاب من شيم العرب د فهد المالك) *1831: Shammar aids the Ottoman siege of Baghdad to remove its rebellious Dawood Pasha. *1832: Shammar retaliates against Ali Pasha and declares rebellion. *1832: The Egyptian invasion of Syria forces Uniza to leave the Syrian desert and enter Aljazera with 35,000 men. *1833: Two Pashas join the rebellion and attack the Yazidis in
Sinjar Sinjar ( ar, سنجار, Sinjār; ku, شنگال, translit=Şingal, syr, ܫܝܓܪ, Shingar) is a town in the Sinjar District of the Nineveh Governorate in northern Iraq. It is located about five kilometers south of the Sinjar Mountains. Its p ...
to stop their looting. *July 1833: Shammar besieges Baghdad and intercepts all Ottoman correspondence miles north. Abdullah bin Rashid, the future founder of the emirate of Ha'il is said to have taken part. *1833: Five thousand Ottomans under Mohamed Pasha leave a rebellion near Hilla and attack Shammar; the siege remains active. *1833: Late in the year, Shammar moves north to help Mosul's Pasha; the siege is broken and Ottomans launch a successful surprise attack. *1834: Rogue Sheikh Shlash of Shammar attacks Uniza in support of the Ottomans; Sfoug supports Shlash with 2,000 men; Uniza wins. *1835: Uniza crosses the
Euphrates The Euphrates () is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia ( ''the land between the rivers'') ...
and leaves Aljazeera. *1835: Shammar is at the peak of its power in Aljazeera and Sfoug Aljarba is Soultan Albar. *1835: Rasheed Pasha ambushes Sfoug and his son Farhan and exile both to the Istana. *1835: Shammar retaliates by raiding and destroying the fields of
Tikrit Tikrit ( ar, تِكْرِيت ''Tikrīt'' , Syriac: ܬܲܓܪܝܼܬܼ ''Tagrīṯ'') is a city in Iraq, located northwest of Baghdad and southeast of Mosul on the Tigris River. It is the administrative center of the Saladin Governorate. , it h ...
. *1836: Battles ensue between Shammar and Uniza; Sfoug's brother Faris bin Mohamad rules over 12,000 families; Mohamad Ali Pasha's forces reach Yanbo for a second invasion of Arabia. *1836: Alrashid establishes the Emirate of Jabal Shammar, centered at Ha'il. *1837: Shammar's unity fragments in Iraq. *1838: Abdullah bin Rasheed goes to Iraq. *1840: Shammar Jarba attacks the Egyptians at Orfa. *1841: Anna is taken away from Sfoug. *1842: Shammar jarba retaliates by raiding near Alkhabor; there is some internal splintering. *1842 Baqaa battle at Baqaa 100 km North of Hail. Shk: N'ais Bin Twala joined the commander Sh. Abdullah Bin Rasheed commanding 2000 men against Quseem Coalition Abdul Aziz albrayyan emir of Braida, Qaid bin Mijlad Shk if Dahamsha clan of Unaiza tribe, under the command of yahay bin Sulaim aka. Su'oot almajaneen, he is killed in battle. *1843: Sfoug is reappointed as Shammar's Shiekh. *1844: Shammar Jarba raids Uniza near Harran; it is a famine year. *1844: In summer Uniza brings 20,000 men and raids the area between Baghdad and Mosul. *1844: Shammar, with only 1000 men, allies with the Kurdish cavalry to expel Uniza; Fighting continues in the fall. *1845: Uniza seeks a truce, giving 15,000 sheep, 3,000 camels and 8 horses. *1845: Shammar Jarba defeats Uniza. War spoils were 7,000 sheep; famine strikes Shammar. *1845: The Emirate of Hail is declared. *1846: Farhan becomes the Sheikh of Sheikhs; of the other six brothers, the runner-up is Abdulkareem. *1846?: Abdulkarim declares a revolution against the Ottomans; Naser Alsadoun delivers him to the Ottomans and he is hanged. *1847: Internal fighting between rebellious Shammaris; Sfoug is assassinated and beheaded by Najeeb Pasha (some say 1857). *December 1847: Shammar raids Aljazeera; Najeeb Pasha appoints Oda as Sheikh. *1848: In spring Uniza raids Shammar under Daham Ibn Gaishish and Ibn Hath-thal. *1850–1851: Abdi Pasha stops his Shammar rations: Shammar raids southern Baghdad. 1852: Shammar defeat Anazah and Alqusaim in the Battle of Baqa. *1853-1856: Ottoman control outside of big cities plummets. *1855: Ibn Sulaim raids Hail and kills wild Alaslamya in Ramdhan. *1856: Ibn Rashid kills Ibn Sulaim in Ramdhan as vengeance. *1859: The feast for a wolf by Mukazi Ibn Sayed. *1871: Ubaid Al Rashid dies of old age (according to oral tradition). *1876: Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Rashid capitalizes on internal disputes between Abdullah and Saud bin Faisal and enters Alqaseem. *1882:
siege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characteriz ...
of Aridh ended by Mohamad Ibn adullah bin Rashid. Abdullah ibn Faisal retreats (1299 Hijri) *1887: Mohammed Al Rashid is asked in a poem by Mohammed bin Jasem of
Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
to help against a coalition of other emirates. The coalition is defeated and Barzan Tower is built in Qatar to commemorate the occasion. *1882: Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Rashid and Hassan bin Muhana defend the town of Almujama against Abdulla bin Faisal. *1883: Arwa Battle between
Utaiba The Otaibah (, also spelled Otaiba, Utaybah) is one of the biggest Arab tribes originating in the Arabian Peninsula. Their distribution spans throughout Saudi Arabia, especially in Najd. and the Middle East. The Otaibah are descended from the Bedoui ...
and Shammar, Utaiba is defeated. Utaiba's leaders were Hendi bin Humaid, Terky bin Rubaian and Ghazi bin Mohaya. *1891:
Battle of Mulayda The Battle of Mulayda was the last major battle during the period of the Second Saudi State which occurred on 21 January 1891. Following problems over Zakat and the arrest of the Rashidi leader, Ibn Sabhan, the Rashidis planned to end the Saudi ...
and the end of the
second Saudi state The Emirate of Nejd or Imamate of Nejd was the Second Saudi State, existing between 1824 and 1891 in Nejd, the regions of Riyadh and Ha'il of what is now Saudi Arabia. Saudi rule was restored to central and eastern Arabia after the Emirate of ...
*1895: Almulaida battles against Alquseem. *1897: Battle of Binban; all of
Najd Najd ( ar, نَجْدٌ, ), or the Nejd, forms the geographic center of Saudi Arabia, accounting for about a third of the country's modern population and, since the Emirate of Diriyah, acting as the base for all unification campaigns by the ...
is under Mohammed bin Rasheed. *March 1901: Battle of Alsarif: 1200 Shammaris lost 400 men under Abdul Aziz Almutab Alrashid to defeat an invasion of Hail that is attempted Emir of
Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Ku ...
, Muabarak Alkabeer, who lost 9000 men of the 64,000 men he commanded. The coalition included many some which Alsadoun of
Al-Muntafiq Al-Muntafiq ( ar, المنتفق) was a large Arab tribal confederation of southern Iraq and Kuwait. The confederation's tribes predominantly settled in Iraq's southern provinces and northern Kuwait. The confederation is not homogeneous in ter ...
, Aldeweesh, Bedoor, abalkhail of Qaseem, Bin Mehana Bin hathleen of
Ajman Ajman ( ar, عجمان, '; Gulf Arabic: عيمان ʿymān) is the capital of the emirate of Ajman in the United Arab Emirates. It is the fifth-largest city in UAE after Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Ain. Located along the Persian Gulf, ...
, Shafi of Hawajer, Alsubaie tribe, Qahtan (tribe), Qahtan under Hashr bin wraik، Al-Awazem, awazem tribe under Mubarak Bin Durai', Rashaida people, alrashaida tribe under Mohammed bin Qurainees. *1887-1888 Mohammed Almehhad Emir of Jabal Shammar Emirate, leads an army to respond to Bin Thani's plea for help to face his enemies reprisal for their defeat in Khanour. *1903–07: Saudi–Rashidi War (1903–1907), Saudi–Rashidi War, also known as the battles over Al-Qassim Region, Qasim *1907: Aljanazah is assassinated and Hail is ruled by the sons of Sheikh Humoud bin Ubaid Alrasheed. *1910: Battel of Ajumaima: Saud Abdulaziz bin Rasheed Shammar defeats Alruoula and Anazah. Hail is ruled by Aljanazah under the guardianship of Alsabhan. *March 1910: Battle of Hadya: 500 Shammari horsemen join Alsadoun's forces of 4000 in a battle again Sabah backed by Abdulaziz Alsaud and defeat them. *1914: Zamel Alsabhan is killed. *1915: Battle of Jarrab: Ibn Rasheed is victorious against Ibn Saud; death of a British intelligence officer called Shakespeare. *1916: Battle of Abu Ajaj: Shammar defeats Alshfair and Albudoor. *1917 battle of Yateb: Faisal Bin abdulaziz and his brother Saud defeat Shammar. * 1919: Alshuaibah battle : Faisal Bin abdulaziz and his brother Saud defeat Shammar. *1920: Zuba participates in Iraq's 1920 revolution against the British. *1921:
Conquest of Ha'il Conquest of Ha'il also referred as the Second Saudi–Rashidi War, was engaged by the Saudi forces, which received British military assistance and its ally Ikhwan tribesmen upon the Emirate of Jabal Shammar, under the last Rashidi ruler. On N ...
by the Saudis and surrender of the Emirate of Jabal Shammar by its Al Rashid ruler Muhammad bin Talal Al Rashid, Mohammed Bin Tallal. *1921 Barzan Palace is leveled after Faisal bin Abdulaziz and Saud Bin Abdulaziz lay Siege to Hail for three months. *1926: Syrian Shammar Sheikh Diham al Hadi attack upon 'Ajil al Yawar, a Sheikh of the Iraqi Shammar. *1932: population of Hail is estimated at 20,000; Badu Shammar at 150,000–200,000 of which 30% are Alaslam, 37% Abde, 25% Sinjara, 7.5% Tuman. *1948: Shammar is driven out of the Negev south of Palestine by Israeli forces; * 16 February 1948: Battle of Zaraa. * 10 April 1948: Almanara. * 2004: Ghazi_Mashal_Ajil_al-Yawer, Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawar becomes the first president of Iraq after fall of Baghdad


Main sections


Al Aslam

Clans: *Al Manee' -Twalah (Shekihs of Shammar come from this clan), Fayid, Masud and Kamel *Wahab - Qder, Muhammed, Jathel *Al Sultah - Al Jarba the Sheikhs of Shammar come from this clan *Aladhadh *Al Khashman *Al shemmari


Abdah

Clans: *Al Jaafar - rulers of Jabal Shammar come from this clan. *Al Rubaeya - sub clan of Rubeya Al Webbar, Al Ata, Zagareet, Al Jadi, Al Mohissen *Al Yihya - one of its famous Families are: Al Sleet Albu Salih, Al Nasrallah, Al Mufadal and Al Jundah


Zoba'

Clans: *AlWetaid, leaders of Al Faddaghah. *Zoba' Al Mathlothah. *Al Khrusah, Some Leaders of Shammar Al Jarba family come from this clan. *Sinjarah: *#Al Thabit *#Al Ghafilah *#Al Zameel, sometimes referred to as Al Souid or Al Faddaghah. *#Al Zomail


References

* Aladhadh, Amer; ''A comprehensive history of Shammar'' * Alazzawi, Abbas; ''The Tribes of Iraq'' (Arabic) * Alfudaily''The Days of the Arabs before Islam'' (Arabic ) * Hassan, Hussein D.; ''Tribal Structure, Social, and Political Activities'' Information Research Specialist Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Consultancy Knowledge Services Group (re Iraq) * Madawi Al Rasheed: ''Politics in an Arabian oasis. The Rashidi Tribal Dynasty.'' I.B. Tauris, I.B. Tauris & Co Ltd, London & New York 1991 (based on a Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D. thesis presented to University of Cambridge, Cambridge University, 1988). (English)
Web site for Shammar (Tayy) tribe
*A member of the shammar tribe {{Arab tribes in Iraq Tribes of Arabia Tribes of Syria Tribes of Iraq Tayy Tribes of Saudi Arabia Yemeni tribes Tribes of Kuwait