Kingdom of Yemen
Yemen, 1918–1970. Draft, not yet reviewed
The Kingdom of Yemen ... was a state that existed between 1918 and 1970 in the northwestern part of the modern country of Yemen. Three days after the Ottoman Empire's decision to withdraw from Yemen following the 1918 Armistice of Mudros, Imam Yahya, the religious leader of the region, entered Sana'a and declared himself the ruler of Yemen. A republican coup was launched against the government in 1962, leading to the North Yemen Civil War. The royalist government only controlled the northern portions of the country from 1962 to 1970, until a peace deal in 1970 saw it largely dissolved.
Seat of power: Old City of Taiz
Rulers
Yahya Muhammad Hamid ed-Din
king of Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen, 1918–1948
A staunch isolationist, Imam Yahya never traveled outside of Yemen, and is said to have never left the Sanaa highlands or seen the Red Sea on his kingdom's coast. To maintain power, he maintained authoritarian rule and appointed his sons to rule various provinces.
Portrait of Yahya Muhammad Hamid ed-Din: Aamen Rihani, Public domain, file
Ahmad bin Yahya
king of Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen, 1948–1962
Ahmad's controversial rule led to an attempted coup, assassination attempts, and the downfall of the kingdom shortly after his death. Like his father, Ahmad was conservative, but nevertheless forged alliances with the Soviet Union, China and Nasserist Egypt.
Portrait of Ahmad bin Yahya: نجيب, Public domain, file
Muhammad al-Badr
king of Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen, 1962–1962
Muhammad al-Badr was the last king of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen and led the monarchist regions during the North Yemen Civil War.
Portrait of Muhammad al-Badr: Unknown photographer, Public domain, file
Culture
- After this war, the Kingdom of Yemen began to pursue an isolationist policy.
- Yemen was admitted to the United Nations on 30 September 1947.
- While Imam Yahya enjoyed legitimacy among the Zaydi tribes in the northern areas, the Sunni population in the coastal and southern regions were less inclined to accept his rule.
Picture
Dar al-Hajar, near Sanaa, was built in 1920 as the summer retreat of Yahya Muhammad Hamid ed-Din.
Image: Dar_al_hajar.jpg: Antti Salonen derivative work: MrPanyGoff, CC BY-SA 3.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.