Alam al-Malika () (died 1130), was the chief adviser and ''de facto'' prime minister of the

Najahid dynasty The Najahid dynasty (; Banū Najāḥ) was a Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim dynasty of Abyssinian Mamluk, Mamluks that ruled parts of Yemen from 1022-1158 from its capital at Zabid, Zabīd. Najah would obtain the recognition of the Abbasid Caliphate, ...

of Zubayd in

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 ...

in 1111–1123, and its ruler in 1123–1130. She was the slave singer, or '' jarya'', to King Mansur ibn Najah of Zubayd or Zabid (r. 1111–1123), a city principality close to

Sana'a Sanaa, officially the Sanaa Municipality, is the ''de jure'' capital and largest city of Yemen. The city is the capital of the Sanaa Governorate, but is not part of the governorate, as it forms a separate administrative unit. At an elevation ...

in Yemen. He was reportedly so impressed by her intelligence and astuteness that he gave her the title ''

al-hurra Al-hurra or al hurra () was an Arabic title historically often given to, or used to refer to, women who exercised power or had a position of power or high status. In a harem, the title al-hurra was often used to refer to a legal wife of aristocr ...

'', placed her in charge of state affairs and "made no decision concerning it without consulting her".Guida Myrl Jackson-Laufer, ''Women Rulers Throughout the Ages: An Illustrated Guide'' In 1123, Mansur ibn Najah was poisoned by his

vizier A vizier (; ; ) is a high-ranking political advisor or Minister (government), minister in the Near East. The Abbasids, Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was at first merely a help ...

Mann Allah, but Alam al-Malika remained in charge of the state of Zubayd. Though she was not allowed to have the ''

khutba ''Khutbah'' (, ''khuṭbah''; , ''khotbeh''; ) serves as the primary formal occasion for public preaching in the Islamic tradition. Such sermons occur regularly, as prescribed by the teachings of all legal schools. The Islamic tradition can be ...

'' proclaimed in her name and thus not given full recognition as monarch, she was the '' de facto'' ruler, and it was said of her that "she discharged her task with distinction".

References

{{Reflist 12th-century women rulers 1130 deaths Slaves of the medieval Islamic world 12th-century women singers 12th-century singers 12th century in Yemen Yemeni women singers 12th-century slaves Medieval Arabic-language singers