The Tahirid Dynasty: Yemen's Last Native Sunni Kingdom

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Tahirid dynasty, which ruled much of Yemen from 1454 to 1517 — the last native Sunni kingdom before the Ottoman conquest. They discuss the dynasty's founder, 'Amir bin Tahir, who seized power from the Rasulids and built a state centered on Zabid and Aden. Unlike the Zaidi imams who controlled the highlands, the Tahirids were Shafi'i Sunnis who promoted trade, sponsored architecture, and resisted Portuguese incursions into the Red Sea. Lucas details the rise of the Tahirids, their conflicts with the Zaidis and the Mamluks, and their eventual downfall when the Mamluks under Qansuh al-Ghawri invaded and killed the last Tahirid sultan, 'Amir bin Abd al-Wahhab. The episode also touches on the Portuguese threat, the role of Aden as a trade hub, and the Mamluk intervention that paved the way for Ottoman rule. Luna asks about the Tahirids' cultural legacy, and Lucas highlights their patronage of scholars and construction of mosques, including the Ashrafiyya Mosque in Zabid.

#Tahirid #Yemen #Zabid #Aden #ShafiI #Sunni #Rasulid #Mamluk #QansuhalGhawri #Portuguese #RedSea #AmirbinTahir #AmirbinAbdulWahhab #15thCentury #16thCentury #History #FexingoHistory #MiddleEast #YemenHistory #SabaeanKingdom

Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo