This is a list of rulers of Saba and Himyar.
Mukarrib (Mukrab, Karab), a religious title that means "near to God", was used by rulers of Saba' until Karib'il Watar changed his title to Malik at the time of the kingdom of Saba' and Dhu Raydan that was established between Himyarites and Sabaeans, both descending from ancient South Arabian patriarch Qahtan.[1] The title Tubba, which means "the one who follows the sun like a shadow" was used by Himyarites to refer to their rulers.[2]
Mukaribs of Saba'
edit
|
Mukarib
|
Reigned
|
Notes
|
1 |
Yatha' Amr Bayin I
|
circa 1000–950 BC
|
|
2 |
Yada'il Bayin I
|
|
|
3 |
Samah'ali Yanuf I
|
|
|
4 |
Yatha' Amar Watar I
|
|
|
5 |
Yakrib Malek Dzarah
|
|
|
6 |
Yakrib Malek Watar I
|
|
|
7 |
Samah'ali Yanuf II
|
|
|
8 |
Yada'il Bayin II
|
|
|
9 |
Yatha' Amar Watar II
|
|
Contemporary with Sargon II
|
10 |
Yada' Ab I
|
|
|
11 |
Yada'il Bayin III
|
|
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12 |
Yakrib Malek Watar II
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|
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13 |
Yatha' Amar Bayin II
|
|
|
14 |
Karibil Watar I
|
|
Contemporary with Sennacherib
|
15 |
Yada' Ab II
|
|
|
16 |
Akh Karab
|
|
|
17 |
Samah'ali Watar
|
|
|
18 |
Yada'il Dharih I
|
|
Son of 17
|
19 |
Samah'ali Yanuf III
|
|
Son of 18
|
20 |
Yatha' Amar Watar III
|
|
Son of 18
|
21 |
Yada'il Bayin IV
|
|
Son of 20
|
22 |
Yada'il Watar I
|
|
Son of 20
|
23 |
Zamir Ali Zarih I
|
|
Son of 21
|
24 |
Yatha' Amar Watar IV
|
|
son of Samah'ali Yanuf son of 20
|
25 |
Karabil Bayin I
|
|
Son of 24
|
26 |
Samah'ali Yanuf IV
|
|
Son of 24
|
27 |
Zamir Ali Watar
|
|
Son of 26
|
28 |
Samah'ali Yanuf V
|
|
Son of 27
|
29 |
Yatha' Amar Bayin III
|
|
Son of 28
|
30 |
Yakrib Malek Watar III
|
|
|
31 |
Zamir Ali Yanuf
|
|
Son of 30
|
Kings of Saba'
edit
|
King
|
Reigned
|
Notes
|
32 |
Karabil Watar II
|
620–600 BC
|
Son of 31
|
33 |
Samah'ali Zarih
|
600–580 BC
|
Son of 32
|
34 |
Karabil Watar III
|
580–570 BC
|
Son of 33
|
35 |
Ilsharih I
|
570–560 BC
|
Son of 33
|
36 |
Yada'il Bayin V
|
560–540 BC
|
Son of 34
|
37 |
Yakrib Malek Watar IV
|
540–520 BC
|
Son of 36
|
38 |
Yatha' Amar Bayin IV
|
520–500 BC
|
Son of 37
|
39 |
Karabil Watar IV
|
500–480 BC
|
Son of 38
|
40 |
Samah'ali Yanuf VI
|
480–460 BC
|
Son of 39
|
41 |
Yada'il Bayin VI
|
|
Son of 39
|
42 |
Yatha' Amar Watar V
|
|
Son of 39
|
43 |
Ilsharih II
|
460–445 BC
|
Son of 41
|
44 |
Zamir Ali Bayin I
|
445–430 BC
|
Son of 41
|
45 |
Yada'il Watar II
|
430–410 BC
|
Son of 44
|
46 |
Zamir Ali Bayin II
|
410–390 BC
|
Son of 45
|
47 |
Samah'ali Yanuf VII
|
|
Son of 46
|
48 |
Karabil Watar V
|
390–370 BC
|
Possibly son of 46
|
— |
Unknown
|
370–350 BC
|
|
49 |
Karab Yuhan'em
|
350–330 BC
|
Son of Ham Athat
|
50 |
Karabil Watar VI
|
330–310 BC
|
Son of 49
|
51 |
Wahab Shamsam/El Yahiz I
|
310–290 BC
|
Son of Halik Amar or Saraw
|
52 |
Anmar Yuha'man I
|
290–270 BC
|
Son of 51
|
53 |
Zamir Ali Zarih II
|
270–250 BC
|
Son of 52
|
54 |
Nasha Karab Yuha'man
|
250–230 BC
|
Son of 53
|
— |
Unknown
|
230–200 BC
|
|
55 |
Nasir Yuhan'em
|
200–180 BC
|
|
56 |
Zamir Ali Bayin III
|
|
|
57 |
Wahab El Yahiz II
|
180–160 BC
|
|
58 |
Karabil Watar Yuhan'em I
|
160–145 BC
|
Son of 57
|
59 |
Anmar Yuha'man II
|
|
Son of 57
|
60 |
Yarim Aymin
|
145–115 BC
|
Son of Awsalat Rafshan; usurped the throne with his son
|
61 |
Alhan Nahfan
|
|
Son of 60
|
62 |
Far'am Yanhab
|
130–125 BC
|
He managed to partially regain the legitimate throne
|
Kings of Saba' & Dhu Raydan
edit
|
King
|
Reigned
|
Notes
|
63 |
Sha'ram Awtar
|
|
Son of 61
|
64 |
Il Sharih Yahdhib
|
|
Son of 62. He was probably Strabo's "Ilasarus". Contemporary with Sha'ram Awtar, see # 63
|
65 |
Yazil Bayin
|
|
Son of 62. He allied with his brother see # 64 against Sha'ram Awtar see # 63
|
67 |
Hayu Athtar Yazi'
|
|
Son of 63?
|
68 |
Karabil Watar Yuhan'em II
|
|
Son of 56. Probably the Charibael of the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, said to have dominion over the major ports of Azania (the Swahili coast) through a vassal in Saba
|
69 |
Watar Yuha'min
|
|
Son of 64.
|
70 |
Zamir Ali Zarih III
|
|
Son of 68
|
71 |
Nasha Karab Yuha'min Yuharhib
|
|
Son of 64
|
72 |
Karabil Bayin II
|
|
Son of 68
|
73 |
Yasir Yuhasdiq
|
|
|
74 |
Sa'd Shams ʽAsri'
|
|
Son of 64
|
75 |
Murthid Yuhahmid
|
|
Son of 74
|
76 |
Zamir Ali Yahbir I
|
|
Son of 73
|
77 |
Tharin Ya'ib Yuhan'im
|
|
Son of 76
|
78 |
Zamir Ali Yahbir II
|
|
Son of 77
|
79 |
Shamdar Yuhan'im
|
|
|
80 |
Amdan Bayin Yuhaqbiz
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|
|
81 |
Hutar Athat Yafish
|
|
|
82 |
Karab Athat Yuhaqbiz
|
|
|
83 |
Shahar Aymin
|
|
|
84 |
Rab Shams Namran
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|
|
85 |
El Ez Nawfan Yuhasdiq
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|
|
86 |
Sa'd Um Namran
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|
|
87 |
Yasir Yuhan'em
|
|
|
Kings of Saba' & Dhu Raydan & Hadhramaut & Yamnat 2nd Himyarite Kingdom
edit
|
King
|
Reigned
|
Notes
|
88 |
Shammar Yahr'ish
|
AD 275–300
|
Son of 87
|
89 |
Yarim Yuharhib
|
|
Son of 88
|
90 |
Yasir Yuhan'im III
|
|
Son of 88
|
91 |
Tharin Ayfi'
|
|
Son of 90
|
92 |
Dhara'amar Ayman I
|
|
Son of 90
|
93 |
Karabil Watar Yuhan'em III
|
|
|
94 |
Tharin Yakrib
|
|
Son of 88
|
95 |
Dhamar Ali Yuhabirr
|
321–324
|
Son of 94
|
96 |
Tharan Yuhanim
|
324–375
|
Son of 95
|
King of Saba', Dhu Raydan, Hadramawt, Yamnat and their Arabs, on Tawdum (the high plateau) and Tihamat
edit
This period of time is most famously featured in Arabian legends. This is also the last period of native Yemeni rule.
|
King
|
Reigned
|
Notes
|
97
|
Malkikarib Yuhamin
|
375–400
|
Son of (96). He is the first king to officially convert to Judaism and remove previous polytheistic invocations from records and inscriptions. He also replaced the Great Temple of the pagan god Almaqah with a mikrāb for Jewish organization. Later tradition ascribes the conversion to Judaism to his son, Abu Karib.
|
98 |
Abu Karib As'ad
|
390–440
|
Son of (97). Judaism was made the state religion during his rule. Some Arab traditions relate that he was the first ruler to put a covering over the Kaaba during his attempted invasion of Mecca.
|
99 |
Hassan Yuha'min
|
440–450
|
Son of (98). He shared kingship with his brother Sharhabil Yafar for a while.[3]
|
100 |
Sharhabil Yafar
|
450–465
|
Son of (98). Known as 'Amr in the Arabian folklore and traditions.
|
101 |
Sharhabil Yakkuf
|
465–480
|
The nephew of (100) and the son of (99). He was the first king to start the persecution of Christians in the Arabian realms.
|
102 |
Marthad'ilan Yu'nim
|
480–485[4]
|
There is only one inscription available of this king, and after him is a fifteen-year period of rule with no known ruler yet, throughout Himyarite history.[5]
|
103 |
Marthad'ilan Yanuf
|
504–515
|
A Christian ruler of Himyar, he is the son of regent Abdul Kulal ibn Muthawwib who was also a Christian. His name is seen in a rock inscription labelled "YM 1200" in the corpus of the many South Arabian inscriptions.[6]
|
104 |
Ma'dikarib Ya'fur
|
515–517
|
He was appointed as a king by the Aksumite Empire.[7] In the Arabian folklore, Ma'dikarib Ya'fur does not exist, and is instead replaced by an unknown Dhu Shanatir.
|
105 |
Dhu Nuwas
|
517–530
|
The last of the native Himyarite kings, he rose to power in 517 after assassinating (104). His real name was Yusuf As'ar Yathar and his father was an unknown Sharhabil, thought to have been Sharhabil Yakkuf (101). He was known for his persecutions of Christians. He was killed in the year 530 during the Aksumite conquest of Yemen by King Kaleb.
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Aksumite rulers of Saba' and Himyar
edit
After the Aksumites successfully invaded and subsequently took control of Yemen, they appointed a native Christian as the vassal ruler of Saba' and Himyar. However, later on actual Abyssinians would rule Saba' and Himyar temporarily until the Sasanian Empire conquered Yemen under request from the native Yemenis.
|
King
|
Reigned
|
Notes
|
106 |
Sumyafa Ashwa
|
530–535
|
A native from Himyar who had converted to Christianity, Sumyafa Ashwa was appointed by Kaleb as the ruler of Saba' and Himyar. He was deposed and overthrown in 535 by Abraha, who usurped the throne from him.
|
107 |
Abraha
|
535–570
|
An usurper to the throne, he deposed (106) by force and imprisoned him. He also turned against Kaleb, but they later reconciled and he was allowed to keep his throne. He is best known for his attempted invasion of Mecca, a famous story in Islamic literature and exegesis.
|
108 |
Yaksum ibn Abraha
|
570–571
|
Son of (107), he ruled for only a year and died in the second year of his rule.
|
109 |
Masruq ibn Abraha
|
571–572
|
The son of (107) and the brother of (108). After his brother had died, he took the throne. During this time period, the native Yemenis revolted against him and later on, they were assisted by forces from the Persian Sasanian Empire. Masruq was ultimately killed in the attacks by the incoming Persian army, ending Aksumite rule over Himyar.
|
|
King
|
Reigned
|
Notes
|
110 |
Ma'adi Yakrib ibn Abi Murrah
|
572–574
|
Appointed as a vassal king by the Sasanian Empire. He ruled for two years until he was stabbed to death by Abyssinian assailants whom he had hired as his servants. After his death, his son Ma'dikarib was made a temporary ruler of Yemen.
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References
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