Muhammad bin Yahya Hamid ad-Din

Muhammad bin Yahya Hamid ad-Din (1839 in Sana'a – 4 June 1904 in Qaflat Idhar (Arabic: قفلة عذر Qaflat Idhar‎‎)) was an Imam of Yemen who led the resistance against the Ottoman occupation in 1890-1904.

Muhammad bin Yahya Hamid ad-Din was a descendant of the founder of the Zaidi state in Yemen, Imam al-Mansur al-Qasim (d. 1620). As a middle-aged scholar, he experienced the Ottoman occupation of highland Yemen in 1872. In 1876, Muhammad and other religious leaders of San'a were arrested by the Turks due to a dispute with the Ottoman authorities. They were brought to Hudaydah where they were kept under surveillance for two years. Muhammad survived the exile and returned to San'a. Meanwhile, Zaidi resistance was kept alive by local groups including the followers of imams al-Mutawakkil al-Muhsin (d. 1878) and al-Hadi Sharaf ad-Din (d. 1890). These were unable to threaten Turkish rule in San'a and the coastland, although large parts of the highlands could not be controlled by Ottoman administration.

After the death of al-Hadi Sharaf ad-Din, the Zaidi ulema agreed to choose his brother-in-law Muhammad bin Yahya Hamid ad-Din, for lack of more suitable candidates. On being summoned, Muhammad left San'a for Sa'dah further to the north, where resistance was based. His full title as imam was al-Mansur billah Ahmad ad-Din Muhammad. This occurred in July 1890 (or, in another version, May 1891). Muhammad had access to the treasury of his predecessor, which facilitated his leadership. He allotted stipends of grain and money to the ulema, and circulated letters among the tribesmen. He was able to stir up most of the northern tribes against the Turkish officials and troops. A number of towns and forts around San'a, such as Hajjah, Yarim and Dhamar, were captured by the imam's followers. In 1892 San'a itself was besieged for a while by rebel troops. The initial successes of Muhammad's followers decreased the prestige of the Turks, already unpopular through extortions and maladministration.

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