Muhammad bin Saud Al Muqrin facts for kids

Muhammad bin Saud Al Muqrin (Arabic: محمد بن سعود آل مقرن Muḥammad bin Suʿūd Āl Muqrin; 1687–1765), also known as Ibn Saud, was the emir of Ad-Diriyyah and is considered the founder of the First Saudi State and the Saud dynasty, which are named for his father, Saud bin Muhammad Al Muqrin.

Origins

Ibn Saud's family (then known as the Al Muqrin) traced its descent to the tribe of Banu Audi and Hanifa tribes but, despite popular misconceptions, Muhammad bin Saud was neither a nomadic bedouin nor was he a tribal leader. Rather, he was the chief (emir) of an agricultural settlement near modern-day Riyadh, called Diriyah. Furthermore, he was a competent and ambitious desert warrior.

Early life

Muhammad bin Saud was born in Diriyah in 1687. Among his siblings were Mishari, Thunayan and Farhan. He defeated all of them to establish his rule in Diriyah.

Reign

Ibn Saud became Emir at the beginning of the 1600s. The initial power base was the town of Diriyah where he met Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, who came to Muhammad bin Saud for protection. Muhammad bin Saud granted him entry into Diriyah. They formed an alliance in 1744 or 1745 which was formalized by the wedding of Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab's daughter to Abdulaziz, son and successor of Muhammad bin Saud. Thereafter, the descendants of Muhammad bin Saud and the descendants of Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, the Al ash-Sheikh, have remained closely linked. However, the alliance was not totally supported by Muhammad bin Saud's family, and one of his brothers, Thunayyan bin Saud, objected to such a cooperation.

Abdul Wahhab provided Muhammad bin Saud with the military backing for the House of Saud and helped establish the dynasty among other forces in the Arabian peninsula. In addition, following their alliance Muhammad bin Saud began to collect taxes from his subjects, and the first members of the Najdi-Wahhabi elites emerged. Therefore, the significant elements of the Saudi rule which have existed until now in Saudi Arabia were shaped: the royal family, Wahhabi clerics and tribal subjects. Abdul Wahhab remained as an adviser to Muhammad bin Saud until the end of the latter's reign.

In 1800 Muhammad bin Saud sent one of his slaves, Salim bin Belal Al Harik, to Oman, who was accompanied with an armed group of seventy men, to make the tribes loyal to the Saudis. Following the resistance the tribes, namely Bani Yas, al Shamis and al Nuaimi, obeyed the demand and became the followers of the Wahhabism together with the Qawasameh tribe of Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah. When Muhammad bin Saud himself would attack anywhere, he invited the people three times to adopt his religion, Wahhabism. If his invitation was not accepted, his forces initiated the attack and killed them.

Ibn Saud is considered the founder of what later became known as the First Saudi State. The way he set up his government has served as the model for rulers of the House of Saud to the present day. The government was based on Islamic principles and made use of shura. He ruled the emirate until his death in 1765.

Personal life and death

Ibn Saud's wife was Moudi bint Abi Wahtan Al Kathir who was instrumental in his meeting with Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab. He had four sons: Suud, Faisal, Abdulaziz and Abdullah. The first two of them died in his lifetime.

Muhammad bin Saud died in Diriyah in 1765 and was succeeded by his eldest son Abdulaziz. However, Abdullah, another son, challenged the rule of Abdulaziz.

Legacy

As a forerunner of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University is named after him.

See also

In Spanish: Muhámmad bin Saúd para niños