Ghālib ibn Musā‘id ibn Sa‘īd () was a

sharif Sharīf or Sherif (, 'noble', 'highborn'), also spelled shareef, feminine sharīfa (), plural ashrāf (), shurafāʾ (), or (in the Maghreb) shurfāʾ, is a title used to designate a person descended, or claiming to be descended, from the fami ...

who served as Sharif and Emir of Mecca from 1788 to 1813.

Succession to the Emirate

Ghalib was the son of the Emir of Mecca Musa'id ibn Sa'id (r. 1752-1770). After Musa'id's death the Emirate was held by Ghalib's uncle Ahmad ibn Sa'id (r. 1770-1773), then his brother Surur ibn Musa'id (r. 1773-1788). After Surur's death on 18 Rabi al-Thani 1202 AH (c. 27 January 1788), his brother Abd al-Mu'in assumed the Emirate. However, he reigned for only a day or part of a day (or a few days, according to some sources) before abdicating in favor of Ghalib. News of Surur's death reached

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

in mid-Sha'ban (May 1788), and Sultan Abdul Hamid I confirmed Ghalib's appointment. The imperial ''

firman A firman (; ), at the constitutional level, was a royal mandate or decree issued by a sovereign in an Islamic state. During various periods such firmans were collected and applied as traditional bodies of law. The English word ''firman'' co ...

'' (proclamation) and '' khil'ah'' (robe of honor) arrived in Mecca on 29 Dhi al-Qi'dah 1202 AH (c. 1 September 1788).

Conflict with his brothers

On 11 Dhu al-Hijjah 1202 AH (c. 12 September 1788) Ghalib's brother (Bader) came out in opposition against his rule . They left Mecca while stealing his camels and recruited fighters from the Hudhayl tribe to their cause. On 19 Dhu al-Hijjah (c. 20 September 1788) the two sides met in battle near Mecca and Ghalib was victorious. The rebels next attempted to capture

Ta'if Taif (, ) is a city and governorate in Mecca Province in Saudi Arabia. Located at an elevation of in the slopes of the Hijaz Mountains, which themselves are part of the Sarawat Mountains, Sarat Mountains, the city has a population of 563,282 pe ...

but were defeated by Ghalib's deputy. On 8 Rabi al-Awwal 1203 AH (c. 7 December 1788) Ghalib's army defeated them again when they advanced on Mecca. In mid-Jumada al-Awwal (February 1789) they allied with the Thaqif tribe and captured Ta'if from Ghalib's deputy. When Ghalib received word that his brothers were preparing to attack Mecca he sent word to the Bedouin tribes for support. On 19 Jumada al-Awwal (c. 15 February 1789) he amassed his troops at al-Ma'abidah and paid 7 riyals to every Bedouin who joined him. When the rebels learned of the force that Ghalib had assembled they halted their advance and returned to Ta'if. On 24 Jumada al-Awwal (c. 20 February 1789), Ghalib and his brothers negotiated a peace agreement with the mediation of Sayyid Nasir ibn Mastur and several leading

ulama In Islam, the ''ulama'' ( ; also spelled ''ulema''; ; singular ; feminine singular , plural ) are scholars of Islamic doctrine and law. They are considered the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious knowledge in Islam. "Ulama ...

Deposition

He was deposed by Muhammad Ali Pasha in Dhi al-Qi'dah 1228 AH (October/November 1813). Muhammad Ali exiled Ghalib to

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

, but in 1814 the central government arranged for him to be moved along with his family to Selanik (Thessaloniki).

Notes

References

* * * * * * Sharifs of Mecca 18th-century Arab people 19th-century Arab people 18th-century people from the Ottoman Empire 19th-century people from the Ottoman Empire Dhawu Zayd {{Ottoman-bio-stub