Bani Utbah
| Bani Utbah بَنِيّ عُتبَة | |
|---|---|
| Ethnicity | Arab |
| Location | Eastern Arabia |
| Branches | |
| Language | Arabic(Gulf) |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
TheBani Utbah(Arabic:بَنِيّ عُتبَة,romanized:banī ‘utbah,pluralUtub;Arabic:الْعُتُوبal-‘utūb,singularUtbi;Arabic:الْعُتبِيّal-‘utbī) is anArabtribalconfederationin theArabian Peninsula.The confederation is thought to have been formed when a group of clans fromNajdmigrated toEastern Arabiain the late 17th century and early 18th century. Most of the Utub clans and families, such as theAl-SabahandAl-Khalifa,trace their lineage back toAnizahtribe, with the exception of some, such as theAl Bin Ali,whose lineage goes back to theBanu Sulaymtribe.[1]The Al Bin Ali along with the current ruling families of Bahrain and Kuwait were the rulers of the federation. The name of the confederation is found in the formAttoobeeorUttoobeein English sources up to the late 19th century.[2]
History
[edit]Invasion of Oman (1697)
[edit]The Shia IranianSafavidsasked for the assistance of the Utub in invading Oman in 1697; however, they were defeated, as they were already engaged in another war with theOttomansfor the control ofBasra.[3]Some Utub and Huwala at that time were serving as mariners in the Persian navy, but they revolted of maltreatment and took possession of some ships and drove away.[4]
Omani invasion of Bahrain (1717)
[edit]The sultan of Oman at the time,Sultan bin Saif II,asked for the assistance of the Utub in invading Bahrain in 1717.[5]The Utub assisted him and he successfully took Bahrain from the Safavids, Qishm and other Islands near the Persian coast.[6]
Bani Utbah invasion of Bahrain (1783)
[edit]Bani Utbah led by many clans along withAhmed ibn Muhammad ibn Khalifaand Salama bin SaifAl Bin Aliinvaded and conquered Bahrain in 1783. Bahrain is ruled by theBani UtbahHouse of Khalifaever since.[citation needed]
On 17 May 1783,war broke outbetween the Al Bin Ali clan and the army ofNasr Al-Madhkur.Zubarah was originally the center of power of the Al Bin Ali Bani Utbah clan, which ruled Zubarah and are the original dominant clan in Zubarah. About 2,000 Persian troops arrived in Bahrain by December; they then attacked Zubarah on 17 May 1783. After suffering a defeat, the Persians withdrew their arms and retreated to their ships. An Utub naval fleet from Kuwait arrived in Bahrain the same day and set Manama ablaze. The Persian forces returned to the mainland to recruit troops for another attack, but their garrisons in Bahrain were ultimately overrun by the Utub.[citation needed]
It is well known that the strategist of this battle wasShaikh Nasr Al-Madhkur;his sword fell into the hands of Salama Bin Saif Al Bin Ali after his army collapsed and his forces were defeated.[citation needed]
The Utub under the leadership of Shaikh Ahmad bin Mohammed Al Khalifa and his subjects in Zubarah, Qatar, conquered and expelled the Persians from Bahrain in 1782 after defeating them in the battle of Zubarah between the people of Zubarah and the Army ofNasr Al-Madhkur.The Bani Utbah was already present at Bahrain at that time, settling there during summer season and purchasing date palm gardens.[7]
Conquest of Mombasa (1837)
[edit]On 5 March 1837, the Al Bin Ali under the command of their leaderIsa bin TarifattackedMombasa,Said bin Sultan, Sultan of Muscat and Omanhelped the Ali Bin Ali with ships and armoury, repeatedly bombardingFort Jesusfor a week until the Portuguese surrendered on 12 March. The fort was ruled by the Portuguese Empire, with East African and Portuguese soldiers.[4]
Migration
[edit]The Utub's ancestors were expelled fromUmm Qasrin Iraq by theOttomansdue to their predatory habits of preying on caravans inBasraand trading ships inShatt al-Arab.[8]They migrated toKuwaitthereafter and established a government under Al-Sabah family.[9]Around the 1760s, theAl JalahmaandAl Khalifaclans, both belonging to the Utub federation, migrated toZubarahin modern-dayQatar,leaving Al Sabah as the sole proprietors of Kuwait.[10]The two clans established a free-trade port at Zubarah's harbor, but the Al Khalifas refused to share the economic gains with the Al Jalahmah, and so the latter migrated to Al Ruwais. The Al Khalifa went on to monopolize the pearl banks around Qatar.[11]
Putting aside their grievances, the Utub clans of Al Bin Ali, Al Jalahma and Al Khalifa, along with some Arab clans, drove out the Persians from Bahrain in 1783 in an expedition which was launched in part due to Persian aggression towards Zubarah in 1782.[12]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Bitar, Amer (2020-10-06).Bedouin Visual Leadership in the Middle East: The Power of Aesthetics and Practical Implications.Springer Nature. p. 84.ISBN978-3-030-57397-3.
- ^Adamiyat, Fereydoun.Bahrein Islands: A Legal and Diplomatic Study of the British-Iranian Controversy.Praeger, 1955, p. 33.
- ^The Persian Gulf: A Political and Economic History of Five Port Cities 1500-1730, William Floor, p295
- ^Al-Atiqi, Imad, Relationships between the Arabs of the Gulf Three Centuries Ago: Their Manifestations and Origins, Al-Darah, vol 44, no 1, Jan 2018. DOI 10.46968/0326-044-001-002.
- ^^ محمد خليل المرعشي, مجمع التواريخ, تحقيق عباس اقبال, طهران, 1328هـ - 1949م, ص 37-39
- ^Al-Atiqi, Imad,Relationships between the Arabs of the Gulf Three Centuries ago: their manifestations and their origins, Al-Darah, Vol 44, no 1,Jan. 2018. DOI 10.46968/0326-044-001-002.
- ^"'Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. Vol I. Historical. Part IA & IB. J G Lorimer. 1915' [1000] (1155/1782) ".Qatar Digital Library.2014-09-30.Retrieved2019-07-04.[verification needed]
- ^"'Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. Vol I. Historical. Part IA & IB. J G Lorimer. 1915' [1000] (1155/1782) ".qdl.qa. p. 1000.Retrieved16 January2015.
- ^Al-Atiqi, Imad, Relationships among Gulf Arabs Three Centuries Ago: A Reading of Texts Documents, AlDarah, Vol 42, No 4, 2016.
- ^'Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. Vol I. Historical. Part IA & IB. J G Lorimer. 1915' [1000] (1155/1782), p. 1001
- ^Althani, Mohamed (2013).Jassim the Leader: Founder of Qatar.Profile Books. p. 28.ISBN978-1781250709.
- ^"'Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. Vol I. Historical. Part IA & IB. J G Lorimer. 1915' [843] (998/1782) ".qdl.qa. p. 840.Retrieved16 January2015.