The Rasulid State and the struggle for sovereignty over the Hejaz (1229-1454)

This study examines the history of the Rasulid dynasty, which ruled Yemen from the thirteenth to the late fifteenth century, with a particular focus on their political struggles over the Hejaz. While the first part of the thesis briefly addresses the establishment of the Rasulid state and its rule in Yemen, the second part, which constitutes the main axis of the research, deals in detail with the rivalry between the Rasulids, the Ayyubids, and the Mamluks over the control of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The Hejaz was not only a religious center of Islam due to the presence of the Kaʿba and the Prophet's Mosque, but also a political arena where legitimacy and authority were contested. Issues such as the sending of the Kaʿba covering (kiswah), the security of pilgrimage routes, and the control of Red Sea trade networks made the region the focal point of political rivalries. In this context, the Rasulids sought to assert their influence over the Hejaz, while the Ayyubids and the Mamluks strove to maintain their supremacy. The study evaluates the political, religious, and economic dimensions of this struggle. Special emphasis is placed on the kiswah rivalry between the Rasulids and the Mamluks, the exchange of gifts between Yemen and Egypt, and the competition over the Red Sea trade routes. Primary sources such as Ibn Ḥātim's al-Simṭ al-ghālī al-thaman, ʿAlī b. Ḥasan al-Khazrajī's al-ʿUqūd al-Luʾluʾiyya, and al-Malik al-Ashraf ʿUmar's Ṭurfat al-Aṣḥāb fī Maʿrifat al-Ansāb constitute the main references of this study. In addition, later chronicles and modern academic literature have been utilized in a comparative manner. The findings reveal that the Rasulids played a significant role not only in establishing political stability in Yemen but also in shaping the power dynamics of the wider Islamic world through their competition over the Hejaz. Their involvement in the region was motivated by religious legitimacy, political authority, and economic interests, though the balance ultimately shifted in favor of the Mamluks. In this respect, the thesis contributes to the historiography of Islam by highlighting an overlooked dimension of the Rasulids' policies.