Battle of Mulayda
1891 battle between emirates of Nejd and Jabal Shammar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Battle of Mulayda was the last major battle during the period of the Second Saudi State which occurred on 21 January 1891[2] over issues regarding zakat and the arrest of the Rashidi leader. The Rashidis plotted to end the Saudi state and conquer both the Qassim region and Riyadh. Following the invasion, the Rashidis and their Arab ally clans successfully conquered the Second Saudi State, forcing the House of Saud, led by Abdul Rahman bin Faisal, and their allies to flee.[3]
- End of the Second Saudi State
| Battle of Mulayda | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Muḥammad bin ʿAbdullah Al Rashid |
 Abdul Rahman bin Faisal Al Saud Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud Hassan ibn Muhanna Zamil ibn Sulaym † | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 27,000 | 24,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | 1,000 killed[1] | ||||||
Background
In 1818, the emir of Nejd, Faisal ibn Turki Al Saud acquired new territories in the Arabian Peninsula following the collapse of the First Saudi state in the aftermath of the Ottoman siege of Diriyah. The House of Saud established the Second Saudi state in 1824. Faisal eventually appointed his heir, Abdullah bin Faisal Al Saud to the throne in the summer of 1865.
Under Abdullah's reign, the Salafist Islamic framework similar to that of the first state was preserved, but it was also marked by plenty of civil strife as he attempted to consolidate power. His brother Saud bin Faisal Al Saud challenged it twice within five years (once in 1871 and again from 1873-1875). Abdullah took power for the final time in 1889, the same year of his death, and his youngest brother Abdul Rahman bin Faisal Al Saud assumed the throne; however, by that point, the state was significantly weakened.[4][5][6]
