The tribe of Shammar () is a tribal
Arab
Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world.
Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...
Qahtanite confederation, descended from the
Tayy, which migrated into the northern
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula (, , or , , ) or Arabia, is a peninsula in West Asia, situated north-east of Africa on the Arabian plate. At , comparable in size to India, the Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world.
Geographically, the ...
from Yemen in the second century. It is the largest branch of the Tayy, and one of the largest and most influential Arab tribes. The historical and traditional seat of the tribe's leadership is in the city of
Ḥaʼil; where most of the people of the tribe of Shammar are found, in what was the
Emirate of Jabal Shammar in what is now
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 ...
. In its "golden age", around the 1850s, the Shammar ruled much of central and northern Arabia from
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...
to the frontiers of
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
and the vast area of
Upper Mesopotamia
Upper Mesopotamia constitutes the Upland and lowland, uplands and great outwash plain of northwestern Iraq, northeastern Syria and southeastern Turkey, in the northern Middle East. Since the early Muslim conquests of the mid-7th century, the regio ...
().
One of the early famous figures from the tribe was the legendary
Hatim Al-Ta'i (Hatim of Tayy; died 578), a
Christian Arab renowned for generosity and hospitality who figured in the ''
One Thousand and One Nights
''One Thousand and One Nights'' (, ), is a collection of Middle Eastern folktales compiled in the Arabic language during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights'', from the first English-language edition ( ...
''. The early Islamic historical sources report that his son,
Adi ibn Hatim, whom they sometimes refer to as the "king" of Tayy, converted to
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
before
Muhammad
Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
's death. Another figure from Tayy during this period was
Zayd al-Khayr, 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: Abdah, Al-Aslam, and Sinjarah. The earliest non-Arab sources refer to Arabs as Taits, thought of as referring to the Tayy, as
Iyas ibn Qabisah al-Ta'i, a governor of
al-Hirah
Al-Hira ( Middle Persian: ''Hērt'' ) was an ancient Lakhmid Arabic city in Mesopotamia located south of what is now Kufa in south-central Iraq.
The Sasanian Empire, Sasanian government established the Lakhmid state (Al-Hirah) on the edge of the ...
in
Lower Mesopotamia
Lower Mesopotamia is a historical region of Mesopotamia. It is located in the alluvial plain of Iraq from the Hamrin Mountains to the Faw Peninsula near the Persian Gulf.
In the Middle Ages it was also known as the '' Sawad'' and al-Jazira al-s ...
in the
Lakhmid kingdom, had contact with both the
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...
and
Sasanian
The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranians"), was an Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, the length of the Sasanian dynasty's reign ...
Empires. Since some sections of Tayy, and most of the
Ghassanids
The Ghassanids, also known as the Jafnids, were an Tribes of Arabia, Arab tribe. Originally from South Arabia, they migrated to the Levant in the 3rd century and established what would eventually become a Christian state, Christian kingdom unde ...
and Lakhmids, were present in
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...
and the
Levant
The Levant ( ) is the subregion that borders the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean sea to the west, and forms the core of West Asia and the political term, Middle East, ''Middle East''. In its narrowest sense, which is in use toda ...
prior to Muhammad's preaching of Islam in the early
7th century. In the
Namara inscription
The Namara inscription ( ') is a 4th century inscription in the Arabic language, making it one of the earliest. It has also been interpreted as a late version of the Nabataean script in its transition to Arabic script. It has been described by ...
(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
Himyar was a polity in the southern highlands of Yemen, as well as the name of the region which it claimed. Until 110 BCE, it was integrated into the Qataban, Qatabanian kingdom, afterwards being recognized as an independent kingdom. According ...
King
Shammar Yahri'sh lived,
Radda District (located about from
Dhamar, an ancient historic site). Since King Shammar Yahri'sh ruled during the last decade of the third century, it could be referring to the city he lived in or one named after him. It could also be referring to the city of Ha'il, although there is no evidence that
Imru Al-Qays fought the Tayy.
Led by Usma bin Luai, the Tayy invaded the mountains of AjÄ and
Salma from
Banu Assad and
Banu Tamim 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
Najd
Najd is a Historical region, historical region of the Arabian Peninsula that includes most of the central region of Saudi Arabia. It is roughly bounded by the Hejaz region to the west, the Nafud desert in Al-Jawf Province, al-Jawf to the north, ...
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-Hira ( Middle Persian: ''Hērt'' ) was an ancient Lakhmid Arabic city in Mesopotamia located south of what is now Kufa in south-central Iraq.
The Sasanian Empire, Sasanian government established the Lakhmid state (Al-Hirah) on the edge of the ...
. The area of the two mountains subsequently came to be known as "
Jabal Shammar" ("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 is a Historical region, historical region of the Arabian Peninsula that includes most of the central region of Saudi Arabia. It is roughly bounded by the Hejaz region to the west, the Nafud desert in Al-Jawf Province, al-Jawf to the north, ...
, or
agriculturist
An agriculturist, agriculturalist, agrologist, or agronomist (abbreviated as agr.) is a professional in the Agricultural science, science, practice, and management of Farming, agriculture and agribusiness. It is a regulated profession in Canada, ...
s in the countryside outside Ha'il or in the surrounding desert
oases. 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-Hira ( Middle Persian: ''Hērt'' ) was an ancient Lakhmid Arabic city in Mesopotamia located south of what is now Kufa in south-central Iraq.
The Sasanian government established the Lakhmid state (Al-Hirah) on the edge of the Arabian Desert ...
, 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 ( ; , , ; ; ; ) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. It is the second largest city in Iraq overall after the capital Baghdad. Situated on the banks of Tigris, the city encloses the ruins of the ...
, their current stronghold. The Shammar are currently one of Iraq's largest tribes and are divided into two
geographical
Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...
, as opposed to
genealogical, subsections. The northern branch, known as Shammar al-Jarba, is mainly
Sunni
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...
, while the southern branch, Shammar Toga, converted to
Shia Islam
Shia Islam is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political Succession to Muhammad, successor (caliph) and as the spiritual le ...
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 ( ''BÄdiyat Ash-ShÄm''), also known as the North Arabian Desert, the Jordanian steppe, or the Badiya, is a region of desert, semi-desert, and steppe, covering about of West Asia, including parts of northern Saudi Arabia, ea ...
. 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 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, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...
. The
Bedouin
The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu ( ; , singular ) are pastorally nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia (Iraq). The Bedouin originated in the Sy ...
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 (; 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'', ...
and his
Wahhabi forces when his campaign to restore his family's rule in the
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula (, , or , , ) or Arabia, is a peninsula in West Asia, situated north-east of Africa on the Arabian plate. At , comparable in size to India, the Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world.
Geographically, the ...
culminated in the
Conquest of Ha'il 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 is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...
. Ibn Saud also married a daughter of one of the Shammari chiefs, who bore him one Saudi King,
Abdullah. 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, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
and
Jordan
Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
. 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 ( ) 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), and his brothers, though the ruling ...
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
Hajj (; ; also spelled Hadj, Haj or Haji) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for capable Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetim ...
. The Al Rashid derived their name from the grandfather of
Abdullah, the first Rashidi amir of Ha'il, who was named Ibn Rashid. The Rashidi
emir
Emir (; ' (), also Romanization of Arabic, transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic language, Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocratic, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person po ...
s cooperated closely with the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
. 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 Kuwait.
Iraq
The Shammar is
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
's largest Arab tribe, along with the
Jubur, 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 ( ; see #Etymology, below) is the eastern 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 Desert, Syrian and Arabia ...
and
Euphrates
The Euphrates ( ; see #Etymology, below) is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of West Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia (). Originati ...
from
Baghdad
Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
to
Mosul
Mosul ( ; , , ; ; ; ) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. It is the second largest city in Iraq overall after the capital Baghdad. Situated on the banks of Tigris, the city encloses the ruins of the ...
. 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 is the capital city of the Najaf Governorate in central Iraq, about 160 km (99 mi) south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2024 is about 1.41 million people. It is widely considered amongst the holiest cities of Shia Islam an ...
.
The Shammar became one of the most powerful Iraqi tribes, owning vast tracts of land and provided strong support of the
Hashemite monarchy. Shammar power was threatened after the overthrow of the monarchy in 1958 by
Abdul-Karim Qassem, and the Shammar welcomed
Ba'athist
Ba'athism, also spelled Baathism, is an Arab nationalist ideology which advocates the establishment of a unified Arab state through the rule of a Ba'athist vanguard party operating under a revolutionary socialist framework. The ideology ...
rule. After the
overthrow of Saddam Hussein,
Ghazi al-Yawar, 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 (LN or LoN; , SdN) 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 (1919–1920), Paris Peace ...
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's
Foreign Broadcast Information Service 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 against a common enemy.
The current leader of the Syrian Shammar is Sheikh
Humaydi Daham al-Hadi.
[ His son Bandar al-Humaydi is military leader of al-Sanadid Forces, a Shammar militia formed in 2013 nominally to protect the tribe's interests from ISIL.]
Timeline
*328 Namar inscription on the tombstone of "Imru Alqais bin Amru King of the Arabs" mentions the "city of Shammar."
*1171–1172: Abda of Shammar tribe joins Saladin
Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub ( – 4 March 1193), commonly known as Saladin, was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. Hailing from a Kurdish family, he was the first sultan of both Egypt and Syria. An important figure of the Third Crusade, h ...
against the crusaders
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding ...
.
*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 () is a city and a governorate in Riyadh 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 around 70,000, while ...
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 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 first Saudi Kingdom, established.
*1749–1762: Shammar raids reach northern Baghdad despite the strong ruler Sulaiman Abu Layla Pasha.
*1750–1760: Wahabi movement 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 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, ruled by the Sharif of Mecca. The Egyptian encyclopedist al-Qalqashandi described it as a Bedouin state, in that being similar to its neighbor and rival in the north the Sharifat ...
to conquer Alsaud.
*1790: Wahabis raid southern Iraq early in the year.[
*1790: Shammar is allied with the Sherif of Mecca against Alasaud.
*1791: Al Saud 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
Muḥammad ibn Ê¿Abd al-WahhÄb ibn SulaymÄn al-TamÄ«mÄ« (1703–1792) was a Sunni Muslim scholar, theologian, preacher, activist, religious leader, jurist, and reformer, who was from Najd in Arabian Peninsula and is considered as the eponymo ...
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 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 is a major city in central Iraq. It is the capital of Karbala Governorate. With an estimated population of 691,100 people in 2024, Karbala is the second largest city in central Iraq, after Baghdad. The city is located about southwest ...
.[
*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 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 Ùهد 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 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 ( ; see #Etymology, below) is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of West Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia (). Originati ...
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.
*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 by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict charact ...
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, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
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 and Shammar, Utaiba is defeated. Utaiba's leaders were Hendi bin Humaid, Terky bin Rubaian and Ghazi bin Mohaya.
*1891: Battle of Mulayda and the end of the second Saudi state
*1895: Almulaida battles against Alquseem.
*1897: Battle of Binban; all of Najd
Najd is a Historical region, historical region of the Arabian Peninsula that includes most of the central region of Saudi Arabia. It is roughly bounded by the Hejaz region to the west, the Nafud desert in Al-Jawf Province, al-Jawf to the north, ...
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, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...
, Muabarak Alkabeer, who lost 9000 men of the 64,000 men he commanded. The coalition included many some which Alsadoun of Al-Muntafiq, Aldeweesh, Bedoor, abalkhail of Qaseem, Bin Mehana Bin hathleen of Ajman
Ajman ( '; Gulf Arabic: عيمان ''Ê¿YmÄn'') is the capital of the emirate of Ajman in the United Arab Emirates. It is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, fifth-largest city in UAE after Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Ain. Loca ...
, Shafi of Hawajer, Alsubaie tribe, Qahtan
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 ...
under Hashr bin wraik، awazem tribe under Mubarak Bin Durai', 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, also known as the battles over 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 by the Saudis and surrender of the Emirate of Jabal Shammar by its Al Rashid ruler 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
The Negev ( ; ) or Naqab (), is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The region's largest city and administrative capital is Beersheba (pop. ), in the north. At its southern end is the Gulf of Aqaba and the resort town, resort city ...
south of Palestine by Israeli forces;
* 16 February 1948: Battle of Zaraa.
* 10 April 1948: Almanara.
* 2004: Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawar becomes the first president of Iraq after the fall of Baghdad
Main sections
Al Aslam
Clans:
*Al Manee' -Twalah, Albu Fradi (Twalah), Fayid, Masud, and Kamel
*Wahab - Qder, Muhammed, Jathel
*Al Sultah - Al Jarba the Sheikhs of Shammar come from this clan
* Aladhadh
*Al Khashman
*Al Wajaan
Abdah
Clans:
*Al Jaafar - rulers of Jabal Shammar come from this clan.
*Al Awad - clan that is from iraq and has large influence and vast history in the south of iraq
*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 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 & Co Ltd, London & New York 1991 (based on a Ph.D. thesis presented to Cambridge University
The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
, 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