Alawi Sheikhdom facts for kids
Quick facts for kids ‘Alawi Sheikhdom
مشيخة العلوي
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| State of the Federation of South Arabia | |||||||||
| unknown–1967 | |||||||||
 Map of the Federation of South Arabia |
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| Capital | Al Qasha | ||||||||
| Population | |||||||||
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• 1917
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Less than 1,500 | ||||||||
| • Type | Sheikhdom | ||||||||
| Historical era | 20th century | ||||||||
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• Established
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unknown | ||||||||
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• Disestablished
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1967 | ||||||||
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The Alawi Sheikhdom (known in Arabic as Mashyakhat al-‘Alawī) was a small state. It was located in the Aden region, which is in southwestern Yemen. Its capital city was Al Qasha. The Alawi Sheikhdom existed until 1967. That year, it became part of the new country called the People's Republic of South Yemen.
History
After the British took control of Aden, they didn't make a special agreement with the Alawi Sheikhdom right away. However, the Alawi leader, called the Shaikh, still received a regular payment. This payment, known as a stipend, was arranged with help from the Sultan of Haushabi.
In 1873, some Turkish soldiers marched through the Alawi lands. They forced the Alawi Shaikh, Seif bin Shaif, to agree to their rule. He had to give his son as a hostage. Later, the British ambassador in Constantinople helped get his son released.
Shaikh Seif bin Shaif passed away in March 1875. His nephew, Said bin Salih, took over as leader. When Said bin Salih died in 1892, his oldest son, Seif bin Said, became the new Shaikh. The British government recognized him and continued the annual stipend.
In 1888, Shaikh Said bin Salih signed an agreement with other local leaders. This agreement set the fees for goods passing through their areas.
A special agreement called a Protectorate Treaty was signed with the Alawi Shaikh on July 16, 1895. This meant the British would protect the Sheikhdom.
In April 1898, Shaikh Seif bin Said was removed from his position by his own tribe. His cousin, Husein bin Salih, was chosen as the new Shaikh. But Husein died that same year. Shaikh Ali Nasir Shaif then became the leader and continued to receive the stipend.
Between 1904 and 1906, the Alawi Shaikh remained loyal to the British. He even received help to build a fort at Hamra. This area was previously controlled by the Quteibi tribe.
The Alawi and Quteibi tribes often had disagreements. A main reason for their conflict was a village called Thumeir. Both tribes claimed rights there. The Alawi Shaikh had a customs house in the area. This allowed him to collect money from the people of Thumeir, but the Quteibi tribe did not have this right.
In September 1907, the Alawi fort at Al Hamra and the Quteibi fort at Tain were both destroyed. This was done to try and stop fighting between the tribes. However, the Alawi Shaikh soon tried to rebuild a fort near Al Hamra. This led to more fighting with the Quteibi. The Quteibi Shaikh gathered other tribes and got help from the Amir of Dhala. He then attacked and defeated the Alawi Shaikh, taking over his land. The Alawi Shaikh fled to Lahej.
The Quteibi Shaikh had lost two sons in the fighting. At first, he refused to make peace with the Alawi. But later, the Abdali Sultan helped them reach an agreement. The Alawi Shaikh got all his land back.
In 1914, Alawi Shaikh Ali Nasir signed an agreement to keep trade routes safe in his territory. This agreement was similar to one signed by the Haushabi Sultan. Under this agreement, the Alawi Shaikh received an extra monthly payment. He also agreed to keep a small force of 20 men and maintain a post at Al Jimil. However, after the agreement was signed, the post at Al Jimil was destroyed, and the Quteibi tribe took control of Al Jimil.
In July 1920, Shaikh Ali Nasir died. His oldest son, Shaikh Abdun Nabi, became the new leader and continued to receive the stipend.
In April 1923, Shaikh Abdun Nabi was arrested in his own country by soldiers from Dhala. Even though the British protested, the Shaikh was held until November 1924. He was then allowed to return home, but his country was later taken over by the Imam (a religious and political leader). In February 1928, Shaikh Abdun Nabi was kidnapped again. This happened because the Imam's authorities wanted it. He was later released after the British government took action against the Imam's forces. The Imam's troops were forced out of Alawi territory in July 1928.
In the 1960s, the Alawi Sheikhdom joined the Federation of Arab Emirates of the South. Later, it became part of the Federation of South Arabia. The last Shaikh, Salih ibn Sayil Al Alawi, was removed from power. His state was officially ended on August 28, 1967. This happened when the communist-led People's Republic of South Yemen was formed.
Since 1990, the area that was once the Alawi Sheikhdom is now part of the Republic of Yemen.
Rulers
The leaders of the `Alawi Sheikhdom were known as Shaykh al-Mashyakha al-`Alawiyya.
Sheikhs
- 1800 - 1839 Sha'if al-`Alawi
- 1839 - 18.. Hilal ibn Sha´if al-`Alawi
- 18.. - Mar 1875 Sha´if ibn Sha´if al-`Alawi
- 1875 - 1892 Sa`id ibn Salih al-`Alawi
- 1892 - Apr 1898 Sha´if ibn Sa`id al-`Alawi
- 1898 al-Husayn ibn Salih al-`Alawi
- 1898 - Jul 1920 `Ali ibn Nasir al-`Alawi
- 1920 - 1925 `Abd al-Nabi ibn `Ali al-`Alawi
- 1925 - 1940 Muhsin ibn `Ali al-`Alawi
- 1940 - 28 Aug 1967 Salih ibn Sayil al-`Alawi
See also
