The Banū 'Asīr (

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 ...

: قبيلة عسير) or the Aseer are a South Arabian tribe that live in the ʽAsir Province of

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 ...

. of

Adnanite The Adnanites () were a tribal confederation of the Ishmaelites, Ishmaelite Arabs who originate from the Hejaz. They trace their lineage back to Ishmael in Islam, Ishmael, son of the Islamic prophet and patriarch Abraham in Islam, Abraham and hi ...

and

Qahtanite The Qahtanites (; ), also known as Banu Qahtan () or by their nickname ''al-Arab al-Ariba'' (), are the Arabs who originate from modern-day Yemen. The term "Qahtan" is mentioned in multiple Ancient South Arabian script, Ancient South Arabian ins ...

descent. The former ruling dynasties of the Al Aidh Emirate and the

Sheikdom of Upper Asir The Sheikdom of Upper Asir was an Arab state which was established in August 1916, after it broke away from the Idrisid Emirate of Asir, possibly with Hejazi aid. It was led by Hasan bin Ali al-Aidh. In 1920, Upper Asir faced revolts from the ...

are descended from this tribe.

Tribal lineage

The tribe is descended from 'Asir ibn Irashah, whose full lineage is given as 'Asir, son of Irashah, son of ʿAnz, son of Waʾil, son of Qasit, son of Hanab, son of Afsa, son of Daʿmi, son of Jadilah, son of Asad, son of Rabiʿah, son of Nizar, son of Ma’ad, son of

Adnan Adnan () is traditionally regarded as the patriarch of the Adnanite Arabs, a major Arab lineage that historically inhabited Northern, Western, Eastern, and Central Arabia. The Adnanites are distinct from the Qahtanite Arabs of Southern Arabia ...

. As their descent is traced back to the patriarch Adnan, they are amongst the

tribes. However, they are also descended from Akk ibn Adnan which indicates that they are also mixed with

descent as with all of Akk's other descendants. Al-Hamdani gives an alternative version of the lineage of 'Asir, which completely rejects the Qahtanite ancestry: 'Asir, son of Shaharah, son of 'Anz, son of Wa'il, son of Qasit, son of Hinb, son of Afsa, son of Du'miyy, son of Jadila, son of Asad, son of Rabi'a, son of Nizar, son of Ma'ad, son of Adnan.

Branches

The branches of the tribe are as follows: * Almaa tribe *Banu Mughaidi *Banu Alkam *Banu Rabi'a wa'l Rifada *Banu Malik

History

Ancient history

In historical inscriptions, the term "Banu 'Asir" was used to refer to an alliance of mainly Qahtanite tribes in southwestern Arabia. The Banu 'Asir may have become Muslims after the 630s CE, as all of the Arab tribes living in the central Arabian Peninsula began to profess Islam around that time.

Contemporary history

The Banu 'Asir would inhabit the southwestern parts of the Arabian Peninsula, such as those bordering . In 1823, the Mughaidi branch of the Banu 'Asir formed the Al Aidh Emirate which ruled the 'Asir Province. The independent Sheikdom of Upper 'Asir was later formed after breaking free from the Ottoman takeover of 'Asir until

Ibn Saud Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud (; 15 January 1875Ibn Saud's birth year has been a source of debate. It is generally accepted as 1876, although a few sources give it as 1880. According to British author Robert Lacey's book ''The Kingdom'', ...

annexed southwestern Arabia, unifying the country into present-day

Notes

References

{{reflist Tribes of Arabia