Yaman (tribal group)
Former Arab tribal confederation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yaman was an Arab tribal confederation, originating from South Arabia, known for their centuries-long rivalry with the Qays, another Arab tribal confederation.[1] As late as the nineteenth century battles were fought in Palestine between Qays and Yaman groups.[2]
The Yamanis supported the Umayyads which was integral to them coming to power in the first Muslim civil war (fitna) from 656 to 661 and to them regaining power in the second Muslim civil war from 683 to 692.[3]
In Umayyad times, the Yaman tribes mostly settled in southern Syria, in the steppes around Homs, Palmyra, and Palestine, while the Qays settled in northern Syria, in Jund Qinnasrin, the Jazira, and the Byzantine frontier areas.[2] Another difference between the confederations was that some of the Yamani tribes like the Kalb, Tanukh, Judham, and Tayy had been extant in the Levant before the Muslim conquest, while most of the Qaysi tribes arrived afterwards.[4] Other Yamani tribes such as Madh'hij, Kinda and Himyar, settled in after the Islamic conquest.
Eastern settlements and role in the Abbasid Revolution
In addition to their strong presence in Syria and Palestine, some Yamani tribes migrated eastward after the Islamic conquests, settling in Khorasan and other provinces of the eastern caliphate. These Arab settlers, including tribes such as the Tayy and Azd, established garrison towns and agricultural communities throughout the region, maintaining their tribal identities far from Arabia.[5] Their settlement in Khorasan became particularly significant during the mid-8th century, when widespread dissatisfaction with Umayyad rule created an opportunity for political change.
During the Abbasid Revolution (747–750 CE), Yamani tribes in Khorasan played a prominent role in supporting the Abbasid cause. The Abbasid movement, led in the east by figures such as Abu Muslim al-Khurasani, leveraged existing tribal rivalries—particularly between northern (Qaysi) and southern (Yamani) Arabs—to build a coalition against the Umayyads.[6] Khurasani Yamani groups, including members of the Tayy tribe, provided key military support in campaigns that ultimately toppled Umayyad authority across Iraq and Syria.[7] Prominent Yamani commanders, such as Qahtaba ibn Shabib al-Ta'i, led forces that captured major cities, cementing the importance of Yamani tribal backing in the establishment of the Abbasid Caliphate.[8]
Following the revolution, many Yamani settlers in Khorasan became part of the *abnāʾ al-dawla* (“sons of the regime”), the military and administrative elite that supported the early Abbasid administration.[9] This eastern Arab presence helped shift the caliphate’s power center from Syria to Iraq and Khorasan, demonstrating the long-term influence of Yamani tribes beyond their traditional homeland.