ʿAlī as-Sulaihī

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Abū l-Hasan ʿAlī ibn Muhammad as-Sulaihī ( Arabic أبو الحسن علي بن محمد الصليحي, DMG Abū l-Ḥasan ʿAlī b. Muḥammad aṣ-Ṣulaiḥī ; † 1067 ) was the founder of the Shiite Sulaihid dynasty (1047-1067).

As the son of a Qādī , Ali was converted to the Shiite teachings of the Fatimids through missionaries . In 1047 he founded the Sulaihid dynasty in Shibam . After the conquest of Sanaa (1048), all of Yemen was conquered by 1062 . Particularly fierce fighting raged with Nadscha, the ruler of Zabid in the Tihama . The Najahids could not be defeated until 1060 with the assassination of Najah (1021-1060). With the submission of the Zaidi (1062) the unification of Yemen was completed.

There were very close relations with the Fatimids under Caliph al-Mustansir in Cairo . Even if their supremacy was recognized, Ali held the title of king in Yemen. Through his close contacts with the Fatimids, he was also able to expand his influence on Mecca when power struggles broke out between the various lines of the Hashimites over the successor to the Grand Sherif. Ali intervened in Mecca and regulated the political situation in the interests of the Fatimids.

Upon his return he made Sanaa the capital of the empire. He had his new residence expanded by building palaces. Ali as-Sulaihi was also famous for his sumptuous court holding and the promotion of poets. However, he was attacked and murdered by relatives of Najas as early as 1067 during a pilgrimage. He was succeeded by his son Al-Malik al-Mukarram Ahmad (1067-1086) and his wife Arwa bint Ahmad (1086-1138).