ZURAYID

The Zurayid Dynasty began in 1083 as a governorate ruled by the Banu Ma’n family under the power of the Sulayhids. After the death of Sulayhid leader Ali Al-Sulayhi, the Banu Ma’n family declared independence as the Zurayids. Ali’s son, Al-Mukarram quickly overtook the city of Aden [i] again and ended the family’s rule. Al-Mukarram placed two brothers in power to rule jointly over the region. These brothers inherited much of the Sulayhid riches and territories during their reign. The original shared power dynamics of the dynasty led to much political divide in the empire. Eventually, the dynasty would fall to the Ayyubid Dynasty armies in 1174.

The Zurayids were tribally tied to the Shia Ismaili Hamdanis [ii] and thus had natural alliances with other Hamdanid-descended empires [iii]. These ties eventually led to conflict when Sunni-affiliated dynasties made their way into southern Yemen, placing economic and military pressure on the Zurayids. First, the Mahdids attacked Aden [iv], but with the help of the Hamdanid sultan of San’a, the Zurayids defeated them. However, soon after this victory, they fell to the Sunni-affiliated Ayyubids in 1174 who invaded Aden in pursuit of coastal control. The fall of Aden into the hands of the Ayyubids marks the end of the Zurayid dynasty.

The Zurayids are not a well-known historical civilization today yet some of their influence is recognizable in coinage specifically [v]. Due to their relatively short reign between the Sulayhid and Ayyubid Dynasties, these coins are some of the few relics left of the Zurayid rule. Now collector items, as a result of how few coins were produced, and remain intact today, these coins showcase the brief period in history where the Zurayids were one of the wealthiest dynasties in medieval times. “Coined money facilitated cross-cultural exchanges, and expertise in handling diverse but shared instruments of trade. [vi]”

Initially, the Zurayids were vassals to the Sulayids. The Zurayids independently ruled over Aden and paid tribute to the Sulayid rulers. However, over time they slowly stopped paying the Sulayids and took over due to their involvement in the Indian Ocean slave and commodity trade routes [vii]. The Zurayid dynasty is unique in its long history of shared government rule. Just after achieving independence, the two brothers Al-Abbas and Al-Msaod oversaw the empire. After their demise, the offspring of Al-Abbas inherited power. There was bitter rivalry between the two which led to fierce competition and quick expansion of the empire across southern Yemen.

The history of Yemen before the Ayyubid Dynasty took over the area in 1171 was “largely that of the number petty dynasties governing the independent cities of Zabid, San’a, and Aden.” The Zurayid Dynasty was the most expansive, covering much of the geography of modern-day Yemen and parts of western Oman. The Zurayid dynasty had very close ties with the dwindling Sulayhid Dynasty including intermarriage with the last Sulayhid Queen, Queen Arwa, and sharing land and resources. Although only lasting about 100 years, the territorial expanse of the Zurayids and their trading prowess is what they are most remembered for.

The Zurayid Dynasty’s key accomplishments were in trade and geographic expansion. The port city of Aden proved to be Zurayid’s biggest asset [viii] and wealth generator. Aden was perfectly situated between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, a hub of trade for slaves, commodities, and luxury goods. “Large-scale wholesale slave trading was uncommon in the medieval Indian Ocean world. Instead, merchants generally trafficked in small numbers of enslaved people as part of larger mixed cargoes. [ix]” As for its territorial growth, Zurayid, at its height, encompasses most of the landmass of modern-day Yemen and a sizable portion of Dhofar in western Oman.

The Zurayid dynasty relied economically on the coastal city of Aden [x]. The port of Aden connected the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean making it one of the largest maritime trading hubs in the medieval world at that time. All sorts of goods traded hands at Aden, including textiles, spices, perfume, and porcelain [xi]. Furthermore, because the Zurayid dynasty sprung from the fall of the Sulayhids, it inherited Sulayhid's land, riches, and economic ties. These two factors led to extremely quick expansion after the Zurayids declared themselves independent, spreading out across southern Yemen and exceeding the old borders of the Sulayhid dynasty.