Lower Yafa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sultanate of Lower Yafa Arabic: يافع السفلى Yāfi‘ as-Suflá
State of the Federation of South Arabia
ca. 1800–1967
Flag
Map of the Federation of South Arabia
Capital	Jaʿār
• Type	Sultanate
Historical era	20th century
• Established	ca. 1800
• Disestablished	1967
Succeeded by South Yemen

Lower Yafa (also known as the Sultanate of Lower Yafa) was a small state in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. It was part of the British Aden Protectorate. This means it was protected by Britain but still had its own ruler.

The state was led by the Al Afifi family, who were sultans. Their main city was Jaar. Today, the area that was once Lower Yafa is part of the country of Yemen.

History of Lower Yafa

Ancient Roots: Yafa and the Himyarite Empire

The Yafa region has a very long history. It was once the home of the ancient Himyarite dynasty. This powerful kingdom existed from around 110 BCE until 632 CE. After that, it became part of the Rashidun Caliphate, an early Islamic empire.

The Yafai people were traditionally split into 10 main groups, called sheikhdoms. Five of these groups lived in Lower Yafa, and the other five were in Upper Yafa. These larger groups were then divided into many smaller families and branches.

Modern Times: British Influence and Changes

After the British took control of Aden in 1839, they made an agreement with Ali bin Ghalib, who was the Sultan of Lower Yafa. This agreement was similar to those made with other local rulers and was kept faithfully.

Sultan Ali bin Ghalib passed away in 1841. His son, Ahmed bin Ali, became the new sultan. After Ahmed bin Ali died in 1873, his son, Ali bin Ahmed, took over. Then, Ali bin Ahmed's brother, Muhsin bin Ahmed, became sultan in 1885.

Muhsin bin Ahmed died in 1891. His nephew, Sultan Ahmed bin Ali, was chosen as the next ruler. The British government agreed to continue giving him an annual payment, which was 250 dollars.

Disputes and Agreements

In 1873, there was a fight between the Yafai and the Fadhli people. This happened because the Yafai Sultan broke an agreement about paying for water used for farming. Because of this, the Yafai Sultan's payment was stopped for a while.

From 1888 to 1893, there were ongoing fights with the Fadhli over water from the Naza channel. These fights had short breaks. In 1893, a truce (a temporary peace agreement) was made and lasted for several years.

In 1893, Sultan Ahmed bin Ali visited Aden on his way to Mecca. He died there in June. Sultan Bubakar bin Seif then became the ruler.

On August 1, 1895, the British signed a special agreement called a Protectorate Treaty with the Lower Yafai. This treaty meant Britain would protect Lower Yafa.

In 1899, Sultan Bubakar bin Seif died. His successor was Sultan Abdulla bin Muhsin.

In 1902, the Fadhli Sultan set up a new customs office and charged fees on goods carried by Yafai traders. In response, the Yafai cut off the water supply from the Naza channel. The Fadhli then attacked some Yafai areas.

In 1903, the British tried to help solve the problem, but the Yafai Sultan refused to attend a meeting. The disputes continued for some time.

Later Sultans and the End of the Sultanate

In 1916, Sultan Abdulla bin Muhsin died. His cousin, Sultan Muhsin bin Ali, became the new ruler. He improved friendly relations with the British officials in Aden and visited them regularly.

In 1925, Sultan Muhsin bin Ali passed away. His son, Sultan Aidrus bin Muhsin bin Ali, took his place. This sultan managed to gain strong control over all the different Yafai groups in Lower Yafa.

In 1926, a four-year truce was agreed upon between the Lower Yafai and Fadhli Sultans. Later, in 1929, another ruler helped settle the long-standing feud and returned some land to the Lower Yafai.

In 1925, a British official, Major M. C. Lake, visited Lower and Upper Yafa. Sultan Aidrus welcomed him warmly and helped him with his journey. In 1926, Sultan Aidrus bin Muhsin was given a special honor: a personal salute of 9 guns.

By 1931, Lower Yafa had about 70,000 people. Its yearly income was estimated to be around 10,000 rupees.

The Lower Yafa Sultanate became a founding member of the Federation of Arab Emirates of the South in 1959. This group later became the Federation of South Arabia in 1963. The last sultan, Mahmūd ibn Aidrūs Al Afīfi, was removed from power in 1967. His state was ended when the People's Republic of South Yemen was formed. Eventually, South Yemen joined with North Yemen in 1990 to create the modern Republic of Yemen.

Geography

The main city of Lower Yafa was Jaʿār, which was where the Afif Sultans lived. There was also a second capital in Al Qara. This place had a beautiful palace in the mountains, which was a retreat for the Sultan.

Rulers of Lower Yafa

Here is a list of the sultans who ruled Lower Yafa:

• Afif, 1681 - 1700
• Qahtan ibn Afif, 1700 - 1720
• Sayf ibn Qahtan al-Afifi, 1720 - 1740
• Ma`awda ibn Sayf al-Afifi, 1740 - 1760
• Ghalib ibn Ma`awda al-Afifi, 1760 - 1780
• Abd al-Karim ibn Ghalib al-Afifi, 1780 - 1800
• Ali I ibn Ghalib al-Afifi, 1800 - 1841
• Ahmad ibn Ali al-Afifi, 1841 - 1873 (first time)
• Ali II ibn Ahmad al-Afifi, 1873 - 1885
• Muhsin I ibn Ahmad al-Afifi, 1885 - 1891
• Ahmad ibn Ali al-Afifi, 1891 - 1893 (second time)
• Abu Bakr ibn Sha'if al-Afifi, 1893 - 1899
• Abd Allah ibn Muhsin al-Afifi, 1899 - 1916
• Muhsin II ibn Ali al-Afifi, 1916 - 1925
• Aydarus ibn Muhsin al-Afifi, 1925 - 1958
• Mahmud ibn Aydarus al-Afifi, 1958 - 1967

See also

• List of Sunni Muslim dynasties
• Federation of South Arabia
• Upper Yafa