Zurayids

The Zurayids (بنو زريع, Banū Zuraiʿ), were a Hamdani dynasty based in Yemen in the time between 1083 and 1174. The centre of its power was Aden. The Zurayids suffered the same fate as the Hamdanid sultans, the Sulaymanids and the Mahdids, since their lands were taken over by the Ayyubids, and they themselves were liquidated.

About the history of the dynasty we have only insufficient information. What we know mostly derives from the twelfth-century chronicle of 'Umara, who had personal contacts with the last princes. According to his account, the Sulayhid ruler Ali al-Sulayhi (d. 1066 or 1081) subdued the important port Aden which was ruled by the Banu Ma'n, in 1062. This family were also masters of Lahij, Abyan, Shihr and Hadramawt. The Banu Ma'n paid tribute until the death of Ali and then declared their independence. However, Ali's son al-Mukarram Ahmad immediately invested Aden and put an end to the rule of the family. Instead, two brothers called Al-Abbas and Al-Masod, sons of Al-Karam, were summoned. They belonged to the Yamite division of the Jusham tribe. The brothers were placed in power in 1083 and shared the governmental affairs between them. Al-Abbas resided in Ta'kar and took care of the trade with the interior, while Al-Masod resided in the castle al-Khadra and handled shipping. About 100,000 dinars were paid in tribute each year to al-Mukarram.

Al-Abbas died in 1084. His son Zuray, who gave the dynasty its name, proceeded to rule together with his uncle Al-Msaod. They took part in the Sulayhid leader al-Mufaddal's campaign against the Najahid capital Zabid and were both killed during the siege (1110). Their respective sons ceased to pay tribute to the Sulayhid queen Arwa al-Sulayhi. They were worsted by a Sulayhid expedition but queen Arwa agreed to reduce the tribute by half, to 50,000 dinars per year. The Zurayids again failed to pay and were once again forced to yield to the might of the Sulayhids, but this time the annual tribute from the incomes of Aden was reduced to 25,000. Later on they ceased to pay even that since Sulayhid power was on the wane. After 1110 the Zurayids thus led a more than 60 years long independent rule in the city, bolstered by the international trade. The chronicles mention luxury goods such as textiles, perfume and porcelain, coming from places like North Africa, Egypt, Iraq, Oman, Kirman and China. After the demise of queen Arwa al-Sulayhi in 1138, the Fatimids in Cairo kept a representation in Aden, adding further prestige to the Zurayids.

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