Khaywan is an ancient settlement, attested in pre-Islamic inscriptions. According to Ibn al-Kalbi, in pre-Islamic times, the god Ya'uq was worshipped here. Early medieval texts indicate that Khaywan was an important stopping place on the pilgrimage route from Sanaa to Mecca at the time.[2] It was the third stage on that route, after Raydah and Athafit.[3] The 9th-century writer Ya'qubi listed Khaywan as one of the 84 mikhlafs of Yemen.[4] The 10th-century writer al-Hamdani described Khaywan as the main settlement of the Hashid tribe, and named after one Malik b. Zayd, who was also called Khaywan and was a descendant of Hashid. It declined later on, perhaps due to the rise of nearby Huth, and is mentioned less frequently in later texts.[2][3]
In the year 286 AH (899-900 CE), Khaywan was the site of a major rebellion against Al-Hadi ila'l-Haqq Yahya, the Imam of Yemen. The rebellion was led by one Ibn al-Dahhak (presumably to be identified with Abu Ja'far Ahmad ibn Muhammad), who led a nighttime attack on Khaywan after al-Hadi had left for Athafit, while his son Abu'l-Qasim had stayed behind. This led to a battle on Sunday, 15 Sha'ban, where al-Hadi fought personally on foot. The rebels were defeated, and al-Hadi had their houses and vineyards destroyed, but Ibn al-Dahhak himself managed to escape capture.[3]
Yemen