Baidah Sultanate

{{Short description|Sultanate in modern-day Yemen}} {{Infobox former country | native_name = سلطنة البيضاء | p1 = Ottoman Empire | common_name =  | iso3166code = omit  | era =  | status =  | status_text =  | empire =  | government_type = Confederal monarchy   | event_start =  | date_start =  | year_start = 1636 | event_end = Conquered by the Kingdom of Yemen | date_end = | year_end = 1930 | symbol_type =  | event1 =  | flag_p1 = Flag of the Ottoman Empire (1844–1922).svg | date_event1 = | event2 = | date_event2 = | event3 = | date_event3 = | event4 = | date_event4 = | event5 = | date_event5 = | event6 = | date_event6 = | event_pre =  | date_pre = | date_post =  | event_post =  | year_exile_start =  | image_p1 =  | p2 = | flag_p2 = | p3 = | flag_p3 = | p4 = | flag_p4 = | p5 = | flag_p5 = | s1 = Kingdom of Yemen | flag_s1 = Flag of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen.svg | image_s1 =  | s2 = | flag_s2 = | s3 = | flag_s3 = | s4 = | flag_s4 = | s5 = | flag_s5 = | image_flag = | flag_alt =  | flag_alt2 =  | flag =  | flag2 =  | flag2_type =  | image_coat =  | coa_size =  | coat_alt =  | year_exile_end =  | conventional_long_name = Baidah Sultanate | leader3 = | year_representative3 = | year_representative2 = | image_map_caption = Map of South Arabia in 1914, with the sultanate marked as 14 | image_map2 =  | image_map2_alt = | image_map2_caption = | capital = Baidah | capital_exile =  | national_motto = | national_anthem = | common_languages = Arabic | demonym = Baidhani | currency =  | leader1 = Ali Bin Abdallah | stat_year1 =  | symbol_type_article =  | image_map = Map of Yemen and South Arabia (1914).png | leader21 =  | year_leader1 = bef. 1909 - aft. 1911 | year_leader2 = as of 1916 | year_leader3 = | year_leader4 =  | year_leader21 = | title_leader = Sultan | representative1 =  | representative2 = | representative3 = | representative4 = | representative5 = | year_representative1 =  | year_representative4 = | leader4 =  | leader2 = Abdallah bin Alawi bin Husein | house2 =  | image_map_alt = | title_representative =  | deputy1 =  | deputy2 = | deputy3 = | deputy4 = | year_deputy1 =  | year_deputy2 = | year_deputy3 = | year_deputy4 = | title_deputy =  | legislature =  | house1 =  | type_house1 =  | year_representative5 = | stat_pop5 = | type_house2 =  | stat_area1 =  | stat_pop1 =  | stat_year2 = | stat_area2 = | stat_pop2 = | stat_year3 = | stat_area3 = | stat_pop3 = | stat_year4 = | stat_area4 = | stat_pop4 = | stat_year5 = | stat_area5 = | today = Yemen }}

The '''Baidah Sultanate''' ({{Langx|ar|سلطنة البيضاء}}), also known as the '''Sultanate of Al Rasas''' ({{Langx|ar|سلطنة ال رصاص}}), was a state in South Arabia.'''<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Scoville|first=Sheila A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-OMJAQAAIAAJ|title=Gazetteer of Arabia: A Geographical and Tribal History of the Arabian Peninsula|date=1979|publisher=Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt|isbn=978-3-201-01090-0|pages=108|language=en}}</ref>'''

== History == With the Ottoman withdrawal from Yemen in 1636 AD, Yemen became independent, but the southern provinces, which were known in the past as the East, separated from Yemen after the Turkish withdrawal and became fragmented into sultanates and provinces such as Yafa', Al-Fadhli, Al-Rasas, Al-Wahdi, Al-Awlaki, Lahj, Al-Haythami, Al-Kathiri. In Al-Bayda (Saraw Madhaj), a number of the Saraw Mazhaj tribes around Hesi unanimously asserted their independence.<ref name=":3"> * [https://archive.today/20121205045456/http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=1350803059&men=gadm&lng=en&des=gamelan&geo=-242&srt=do2n&col=abcdefghinoq&msz=1500&va=x World Gazetteer:Yemen] * [https://archive.today/20121205045456/http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=1350803059&men=gadm&lng=en&des=gamelan&geo=-242&srt=do2n&col=abcdefghinoq&msz=1500&va=x الجهاز المركزي للإحصاء بالجمهورية اليمنية] * [https://archive.today/20121205045456/http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=1350803059&men=gadm&lng=en&des=gamelan&geo=-242&srt=do2n&col=abcdefghinoq&msz=1500&va=x المركز الوطني للمعلومات باليمن] * [https://archive.today/20121205045456/http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=1350803059&men=gadm&lng=en&des=gamelan&geo=-242&srt=do2n&col=abcdefghinoq&msz=1500&va=x المركز الوطني للمعلومات. نبذة تعريفية عن محافظة البيضاء. تاريخ الولوج 19 آذار 2011. نسخة محفو] * المركز الوطني للمعلومات. [https://yemen-nic.info/gover/baydaa/brife/ نبذة تعريفية عن محافظة البيضاء]. تاريخ الولوج 19 آذار 2011. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709094428/http://www.yemen-nic.info/gover/baydaa/brife/|date=09 يوليو 2018}} </ref>

The Baidah Sultans were at one point a very powerful factor in the region, but in their later years their influence waned.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |url=https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023909211.0x000038 |title=Gazetteer of Arabia |publisher=Government of India |year=1917 |volume=I |pages=40}}</ref>

From 1905 to 1912, the Baidah Sultan attempted to obtain a protectorate treaty with Britain, but the negotiations proved fruitless.<ref>{{Cite news|date=20 June 1912|title=Letter to the most hon'ble the marquis of Crewe, K.G.|url=https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100026748151.0x000003}}</ref> In September 1914, it was reported that the Baidah Sultan refused to enter into a treaty unless Britain would promise to pay a stipend, give 100 rifles with ammunition, 2 cannons, and gunpowder.<ref>{{Cite news|date=21 September 1914|title=37th Weekly Letter|work=Aden Residency|url=http://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100027141401.0x000031}}</ref>

On 2 February 1915, during World War I, the Ottoman Empire invaded the Baidah Sultanate.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Mehra|first=Ram Narain|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cVSPGAAACAAJ|title=Aden & Yemen, 1905-1919|date=1988|publisher=Agam Prakashan|pages=125|language=en}}</ref> The Haushabi sent a large force in support of the Baidah Sultan. By the 13th, the Baidah had routed the Ottomans and captured their tents and ammunition.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |date=13 February 1915 |title=7th Weekly Letter |url=https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100027141400.0x0000bd |work=Aden Residency}}</ref> Sometime before the 20th, the Ottomans returned and raided Baidah's outlying villages, before being chased away by a Baidahn force of 1,000 troops, suffering 10 killed and many wounded, as well as losing 3 camels filled with ammunition, shells and tents. The Baidah Sultan expected that the Ottomans would invade again and declared to Britain his intention to defend his country to the last. On his request, Britain sent him ammunition.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |date=20 February 1915 |title=8th Weekly Letter |url=https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100027141400.0x0000b9 |work=Aden Residency}}</ref>

On 21 March 1916, Zaidi forces loyal to the Ottoman Empire launched another offensive into the Baidah Sultanate, intending to use Baidah as a springboard for further offensives onto Shihr and Mukalla.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book|last=Mehra|first=Ram Narain|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cVSPGAAACAAJ|title=Aden & Yemen, 1905-1919|date=1988|publisher=Agam Prakashan|pages=159|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":7" /> Recognizing the threat posed, Britain sent 200 rifles and 30,000 rounds of ammunition to the Baidah Sultan in support.<ref name=":7">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X_otAQAAIAAJ|title=Records of Yemen, 1798-1960: 1950-1954|date=1993|publisher=Archive Editions|pages=397|isbn=9781852073701|language=en}}</ref> The attack ultimately failed.<ref name=":6" />

British documents from the 1920s<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100054527224.0x0000a1|title = File 3300/1916 Pt 4 'Aden News-Letters. (1921-23)' [76r] (151/644)|date = 23 May 2017}}</ref> and 1930s<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100040018799.0x00003a|title = Coll 6/85 'Arabia. Boundaries in: Interpretation of Rome Understanding of 1927.' [29r] (57/80)|date = 23 May 2017}}</ref> continue to mention an independent Baidah Sultanate.

In 1930, the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen conquered the Baidah sultanate.<ref name=":3" />

== Sultans == * '''Ali Bin Abdallah''' reigned from before 1909 to after 1911. He unsuccessfully attempted to obtain a protection treaty with Britain.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Bell|first=J.|date=13 May 1911|title=Letter to the Secretary to the Government of Bombay|page=4|url=https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100026748151.0x000019}}</ref> * '''Abdallah bin Alawi bin Husein''' was the sultan as of 1916. A British report dated 28 January 1916 said he had been newly elected and described him as a "stout warrior".<ref>{{Cite news|date=28 January 1916|title=Political Intelligence Summary|page=3|work=Aden Residency|url=http://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100027141400.0x00004b}}</ref> * '''Hussain Al-Rassas'''{{Cn|date=October 2023}}

== Geography == Baidah bordered the Audhali to the south,<ref name=":1" /> Beihan to the north, Upper Yafa to the west, and the Aulaqi to the southeast.<ref name=":0" />

The terrain of Baidah was an elevated plateau sloping gradually to the low-lying Beihan to the north. The soil was sandy and fertile.<ref name=":0" />

== Tribes == The Baidah Sultanate was a confederacy of 10 tribes,<ref name=":0" /> of which the Humekani and Azzani were the most influential.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Abāẓah|first=Fārūq ʻUthmān|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=knY-3GAY4zMC|title=Siyāsat Birīṭāniyā fī ʻAsīr athnā5a al-Ḥarb al-ʻĀlamīyah al-Ūlā|date=1982|publisher=Dār al-Maʻārif|pages=45|language=ar}}</ref>

* Azzani * Homaikani * Dubani * Madafai * Mash'ari * Al-'Umar * Hashami * Dafari * Hayashi * Maljami

== References == {{Reflist}}{{South Arabia}} Category:Former countries in West Asia Category:States and territories established in 1636 Category:States and territories disestablished in 1930 Category:History of South Arabia Category:Former sultanates