The Uyunid Emirate () was a historical
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 ...
emirate centered in
al-Hasa that ruled over most of
eastern Arabia
Eastern Arabia () is a region stretched from Basra to Khasab along the Persian Gulf coast and included parts of modern-day Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia (Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, Eastern Province), and the United Arab ...
and
Najd. The
Uyunid dynasty, which belonged to the
Banu Abd al-Qays tribe, ruled the emirate from 1076 until it was overthrown by the
Usfurids in 1238. The emirate was established after the Uyunids took control from the
Qarmatians.
History
Expansion
Under Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Abu'l-Hussin b. Abu Sinan, the territory of the Uyunid Emirate extended from
Najd to the
Syrian desert. Because of the influence of the Uyunid Emirate,
Caliph al-Nasir li-Din Allah gave Muhammad b. Ahmad the authority to protect the pilgrimage route to
Mecca
Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...
. However, Muhammad was later assassinated by a family member at the instigation of his cousin, Gharir b. Shukr b. Ali.
[ ] From 587 to 605, H. Mohammed bin Abi Al-Hussain united Qatif and Al-Hasa.
Geography
The
region known as Bahrain, located in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, included the southern area of
Basra
Basra () is a port city in Iraq, southern Iraq. It is the capital of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the List of largest cities of Iraq, third largest city in Iraq overall, behind Baghdad and Mosul. Located near the Iran–Iraq bor ...
along the coast of the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
. It also included the territories 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 ...
,
al-Hasa,
Qatif,
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 ...
, and the
Awal
AWAL (shortened from Artists Without A Label) is a global recording business that claims to serve as an alternative to the traditional record label, offering deal structures that provide artists with the resources and expertise of a global label ...
Islands, now known as
Bahrain
Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...
, the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...
, and Oman. The territory of the Uyunid Emirate extended from Najd to the Syrian desert. Through the influence of the Uyunid Emirate and the decree of Caliph al-Nasir li-Din Allah, Muhammad b. Ahmad was given the authority to secure the pilgrimage route to Mecca.
The
Uyunid dynasty was an
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 ...
dynasty that ruled the Uyunid Emirate for nearly 200 years, from the 11th to the 13th centuries.
They were the remnants of the Bani
Abdul Qays tribe and seized control of the country from the
Qarmatians between 1077 and 1078 with the military assistance of the
Seljuk Empire.
[C.E. Bosworth, ''The New Islamic Dynasties'', (Columbia University Press, 1996), 94-95.]
Economy
The economy of the Uyunids was based on
pearl diving
Pearl hunting, also known as pearl fishing or pearling, is the activity of recovering or attempting to recover pearls from wild Mollusca, molluscs, usually oysters or mussels, in the sea or freshwater. Pearl hunting was prevalent in India and Jap ...
, which was its main economic activity, along with
trade routes
A trade route is a Logistics, logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. The term can also be used to refer to trade over land or water. Allowing Good (economics and accounting ...
.
Demographics
Language
The Uyunid dynasty is believed to have been the last state in which the population spoke
classical Arabic
Classical Arabic or Quranic Arabic () is the standardized literary form of Arabic used from the 7th century and throughout the Middle Ages, most notably in Umayyad Caliphate, Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphate, Abbasid literary texts such as poetry, e ...
.
Religion
The Uyunid sect claims that they were Shi'ites. According to Nakash, the populations of Bahrain, Hasa, and Qatif may have converted to
Twelver Shi'ism
Twelver Shi'ism (), also known as Imamism () or Ithna Ashari, is the largest branch of Shi'a Islam, comprising about 90% of all Shi'a Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers to its adherents' belief in twelve divinely ordained leaders, known as ...
during this period.
Culture
Literature
Ali bin al-Mugrab al-Uyuni was a poet from
al-Hasa who died in 630 AH (1232 AD). He was one of the last known poets who specialized in hair systems and was eloquent among the people of the Arabian Peninsula before the modern era. Al-Uyuni's lineage can be traced back to Abdul Qays, who ruled Ahsa during that period after it was liberated from the Qarmatians. Al-Uyuni was a poet and his works, along with his explanations, are considered one of the most important sources in the history of this state.
Architecture
The
Khamis Mosque is considered to be the first mosque in
Bahrain
Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...
, built during the reign of the
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a membe ...
Caliph
Umar II. According to ''
Al Wasat'' journalist Kassim Hussain, other sources suggest that it was built later, during the reign of the
Uyunids
The Uyunid dynasty () were an Arab dynasty that ruled Eastern Arabia for 163 years, from the 11th to the 13th centuries. Their sect is disputed; some sources mention they were Shia, others Sunni. They were, like the majority of the people of Ea ...
, with one
minaret
A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...
. The second minaret was added two centuries later, during the reign of the
Usfurids. The identical twin minarets of this ancient Islamic monument make it easy to spot when driving along ''Shaikh Salman Road'' in
Khamis.
The Khamis Mosque is believed to be one of the oldest in the
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
, with some sources claiming that it was founded in 692 AD. However, an inscription found on the site suggests that it was actually founded sometime in the 11th century. The mosque underwent two reconstructions in the 14th and 15th centuries, during which the
minaret
A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...
s were added. Recently, the Khamis Mosque has been partially restored.
''The Middle East, p.6''
See also
* Qatif
* Bahrain
Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...
* List of Muslim empires and dynasties
References
Sources
* Gulf and east of the Arabian Peninsula named: the territory of the country of Bahrain under the rule of the Arab states. D. Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil. Madbouli library . I: 2006. {{ISBN, 977-208-592-5
* Abdelkader Statistical: masterpiece beneficiary on Ahsa in the old and the new, the achievement Hamad Al-Jasser Riyadh 1960.
Former countries in West Asia
Former empires
Uyunid dynasty
Arab dynasties
States and territories disestablished in the 1230s