Dhariḥān ibn Murthid ibn Asʿad Shams al-Yafi'i al-Himyari was a Himyarite military commander and king of ancient Yemen. He is historically attested in Himyarite–Sabaean inscriptions as a commander of the army of Sabaʾ and is remembered for his role in defending the Kingdom of Sabaʾ and Dhū Raydān. Dharihan is also an ancestor of the prominent Dharaḥin tribal confederation.
Lineage and Early Life
editDharihan was the son of Murthid, a king of Sabaʾ and Dhū Raydān, and the grandson of Saʿd Shams, another Sabaean king.[1] His full name, Dhariḥān ibn Murthid ibn Saʿd Shams al-Yāfiʿī al-Himyari, reflects his affiliation with the Yāfiʿī branch of Himyar, one of the major Himyarite tribal lineages.[2]
According to al-Hamdānī and ibn al-Dayba', the Dharaḥin tribe, to which he is the eponymous ancestor of, became one of the most prominent Himyarite tribes, with subgroups including Dhariḥn, Dhariḥān, and Dhū Dhariḥān, historically settled across regions such as Hamdān, Juban, Yāfiʿ, Raymah, ʿImrān, al-Bayḍāʾ, and ʿUtmah.[3][4]
Military and Political Career
editDharihan appears in Himyarite–Sabaean inscriptions as a commander of the Sabaean army, serving under his father Murthid and grandfather Saʿd Shams.[1] The inscriptions describe a battle fought by the Kingdom of Sabaʾ and Dhū Raydān against rebels near Radmān, al-Bayḍāʾ, and Shabwah.[1]
According to the inscriptions, the army of Sabaʾ was victorious, and King Saʿd Shams offered a golden statue to the god Al-Muqah in thanksgiving for the military success of Murthid and Dharihan.[1]
Achievements and Reputation
editDharihan's military service and leadership secured his reputation as a capable commander of the Himyarite forces.[1] Al-Hamdānī and al-Dayba' record that his leadership helped strengthen the position of the Yāfiʿī line within Himyarite politics and contributed to the cohesion of the Dharaḥin tribal confederation.[3][5]
His legacy is preserved in both Himyarite inscriptions and later historical accounts.[6][7][8]
Significance and Legacy
editThe Dharaḥin tribe, descended from Dharihan, remained influential in Yemeni history. They included the tribes of Dhariḥn, Dhariḥān, and Dhū Dhariḥān, prominent in multiple regions of Yemen.[3][8]
From this lineage came the Banū Ṭāhir al-Dharaḥānī, rulers during the Ṭāhirid state in the 9th and 10th centuries AH.[8]
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 5 Jam and Phillips, Musnad Inscriptions from Maḥram Bilqīs, Maʾrib (1964).
- ↑ al-Hamdānī, Al-Iklīl, vol. 2, 4th century AH.
- 1 2 3 al-Hamdānī, Al-Iklīl, vol. 2.
- ↑ al-Dībʿī, Qurrat al-ʿUyūn fī Tārīkh al-Yaman al-Maymūn, 10th century AH, ed. al-Akwaʿ.
- ↑ al-Dībʿī, Qurrat al-ʿUyūn fī Tārīkh al-Yaman al-Maymūn, ed. al-Akwaʿ.
- ↑ Jam and Phillips (1964).
- ↑ al-Hamdānī, Al-Iklīl.
- 1 2 3 al-Dībʿī, Qurrat al-ʿUyūn.