First Saudi State
Saudi Arabia, 1744–1818. Draft, not yet reviewed
The emir of a Najdi town called Diriyah, Muhammad bin Saud Al Muqrin, and the religious leader Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab signed a pact founding a socio-religious reform movement that propagated the Wahhabi religious doctrine under the political leadership of the House of Saud. In 1803 Saud bin Abdulaziz sent out forces to bring the region of Hejaz under his rule. Ottoman forces under Ibrahim Pasha captured town after town in Najd, and Diriyah surrendered in 1818.
Seat of power: Diriyah
Rulers
Muhammad bin Saud
Emir of Diriyah, 1727–1765
Muhammad bin Saud became local emir of Diriyah in 1727. Muhammad bin Saud began to collect taxes from his subjects after the alliance.
Abdulaziz bin Mohammed
Emir of Diriyah, 1765–1803
Although his father was titled as Emir, Abdulaziz was given the titles of both Emir and Imam. After nearly 25 years of battles, Riyadh was captured by Abdulaziz in 1773 and became part of the Emirate. He held open meetings where tribal elders could meet with him.
Saud al-Kabeer
Emir of Diriyah, 1803–1814
During his rule the state experienced a significant level of strength and expansion for which he was called Saud Al Kabeer or Saud the Great. The Emirate extended its rule beyond Najd and into the Hijaz which culminated with the capture of Medina in April 1804 and Mecca in 1806.
Abdullah bin Saud Al Kabeer
Emir of Diriyah, 1814–1818
Abdullah succeeded his father, Saud, in May 1814. Rather than engage the Ottomans in open battle, Abdullah decided to attempt to weather the invasion by fortifying his forces in the Najd towns in 1816. After a siege lasting several months, Abdullah finally surrendered on 9 September 1818, marking the end of the Saudi state.
Portrait of Abdullah bin Saud Al Kabeer: Félix Mengin , Public domain, file
Culture
- The ruins of old Diriyah are mostly mud-brick structures in three districts, Ghussaibah, Al-Mulaybeed and Turaif, set on hills over the valley.
- The alliance shaped lasting elements of Saudi rule: the royal family, Wahhabi clerics and tribal subjects.
- Diriyah quickly swelled in size and increased in wealth, becoming the largest town in Nejd and a major city in Arabia by the standards of the time.
Picture
Diriyah, on the outskirts of Riyadh, was the original home of the House of Saud and the capital of the first Saudi dynasty.
Image: FShbib, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.