Forged in Struggle
The year is 1066. Ali al Sulayhi, founder of the Sulayhid dynasty, Sultan of Yemen, and Fatimid conqueror of Mecca, was upon a pilgrimage to the aforementioned holy city. By this time, he had conquered nearly all of Yemen, with only the tribe of Najah from the city of Zabid still resisting him. Their tribe, the proud descendants of Abyssinian slaves, were not easily subdued, causing Ali to dispatch an assassin who poisoned their sovereign, leaving only his vengeful sons.
Sultan Ali, leaving his eldest, Ahmad Al-Mukarram, and daughter-in-law, Arwa, in Sana’a to rule during his stay—embarked for Mecca with a great caravan as a show of his dominance and novel rise to power. A grand display of religious, political, and military significance—his giant caravan included his beloved wife Queen Asma, Yemeni royalty from throughout his territory, 1000 of his tribesmen, and another 5000 Abyssinian soldiers. But, unbeknownst to Ali, another closely watched the caravan; Sa’id ibn Najah, a vengeful son of the slain king of the tribe of Najah.
When the caravan stopped at a watering hole to pitch camp for the night, Sa’id struck with seventy men and assassinated Ali. He then won over the allegiances of the 5,000-strong Ethiopian forces by appealing to their ethnic kinship and had all of the Sulayhi princes executed. Queen Asma was taken prisoner, and made to look upon the severed head of her husband, cruelly placed in view from the window of her lonely cell.
It took a year for Queen Asma to send word of her whereabouts to her son, Al-Mukarram, hiding a message in a loaf of bread that she passed to a beggar. Al-Mukarram immediately dispatched to her with a force of 3,000 horsemen to free their beloved queen. He was successful and returned his mother to her home in Sana’a. But, injuries sustained during the battle—and other conflicts created in the power vacuum of his father’s assassination—left him partially paralyzed. He was unable to rule and so much of the authority in Yemen fell upon his mother, Queen Asma, who had as her second in command—her long-time confidant, protege, and daughter-in-law—Arwa.
Arwa
Arwa was an orphan who was raised in the palace with her uncle, Sultan Ali al-Sulayhi, her Aunt, Queen Asma, and her cousin, who would become her husband, Ahmad Al-Mukarram. She was identified by Sultan Ali from an early age as possessing extreme intelligence, wit, and political acumen. Even as a young woman, Sultan Ali recognized her as a worthy successor and is even noted as having considered her as the only one of his family capable of continuing his legacy. Recognizing her talents early on, they were keen on making sure she was well-trained and educated, which Queen Asma was given the responsibility of overseeing.
It’s reported that as a young girl, she dreamt of sweeping the king’s castle. When she told of this dream to her aunt Asma, she jumped with joy and responded that the dream meant she would one day rule over the Sulayhid kingdom.
During the time following Queen Asma’s return from being taken captive, Arwa was trained deeply in the affairs of their realm. Her aunt, who had administered her education from a young age, now kept her close, making sure that she learned all the intricacies and subtleties of rule. And especially, rule as a woman. And though this period didn’t last long, it must have had a profound impact on the young to-be-queen Awra. Because, when Queen Asma died, Al-Mukarram without hesitation appointed all the powers of the sultan to his wife. Princess Arwa was now queen.
Queen Arwa
One of the first and most important strategic and visionary policies undertaken by Queen Arwa was to relocate the capital from Sana'a to Ibb, specifically the city of Jibla. Jibla was a meaningful distance south of Sana’a but was strategic in terms of its central location in Yemen. Sana’a, at that time, had become filled with traitors and those sowing rebellion. But Sana’a was, and remains, the most important city in Yemen. Her husband, Al-Mukarram, was decidedly not in favor of the move. To convince him otherwise she invited the tribes of Sana’a and the tribes of Ibb to their palace. As was customary, each clan came bearing gifts to present to the king and queen. The tribes of Sana’a brought swords, spears, arrows, and weapons of every kind. The tribes of Ibb, however, came with gifts of barley, honey, coffee, wheat, and butter. “Which people is it your preference to live amongst?” the queen asked her husband. And thus he was convinced.
The relocation of their capital was a masterstroke in administrative and political strategy. By moving the capital to Jibla, Arwa recentered the political and administrative heart of the kingdom and offered a more manageable and secure base for Arwa's governance, away from the entrenched rivalries and factions of Sana'a. In Jibla, she was able to exercise greater control and implement her policies more effectively. Finally, it put her in an ideal position to enact her next major operation; the silencing of various political rivals throughout Yemen and especially, the once-and-for-all obliteration of the long Sulayhid rivals in Zabid. Those who had beheaded her father-in-law, and imprisoned her late queen.
Queen Arwa ordered a confidant of hers to begin spreading rumors to Sa’id, the leader of Zabid and assassin of her father-in-law. They would tell him that Al-Mukarram is weak and paralyzed and that the kingdom is in the hands of his wife, a woman, that she is without supporters and that Jibla is for the taking. But, most importantly, they would tell him that he is the most powerful king in Yemen. Filled with ego and ambition, and convinced that he could seize power in Queen Arwa’s new capital, Sa’id dispatched to Jibla. There, he was met with a fully prepared show of force by the queen who defeated him and had him beheaded as he had done to her father-in-law.
His decapitated head, it’s said, was hung from the window of his palace in Zabid, in full view of their tribesman and, as is noted, the womenfolk.
Part Two Coming Soon...
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