Yahya Muhammad Hamid ed-Din

Yahya Muhammad Hamid ed-Din was imam of Yemen from 1904 and king of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen from 1918 until his assassination in 1948.

Connect

Zaydism: A branch of Shia Islam that recognizes Zayd ibn Ali and developed distinctive doctrines of religious leadership. Yahya’s claim to the imamate rested on Zaydi principles of religious and political authority.
Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen: A Yemeni kingdom established in 1918 under the rule of the Hamid al-Din dynasty. Yahya transformed his imamate into this kingdom after Ottoman withdrawal.
Constitutional Revolution of 1948: A failed Yemeni coup and political uprising in 1948 that killed Yahya and briefly installed a new imam. The revolution ended Yahya’s life and challenged dynastic rule.
Idrisid Emirate of Asir: A short-lived emirate in southwestern Arabia ruled by the Idrisid dynasty from 1908 to 1934. Its neighboring dynastic state pursued its own claims amid Yahya’s regional politics.
Imamate of Yemen: A political and religious system in which Zaydi imams ruled parts of Yemen across several centuries. Yahya inherited an institution that joined Zaydi leadership with state power.
Treaty of Lausanne: The 1923 peace treaty that formally ended the state of war between Turkey and the Allied powers. Its settlement helped end Ottoman claims to Yemen after the empire’s collapse.
Abdullah al-Wazir: A Yemeni religious and political leader who became imam during the 1948 uprising against Yahya’s dynasty. He led the movement that removed Yahya and briefly claimed the imamate.
Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd: The state ruled by Ibn Saud from 1926 to 1932, before its incorporation into Saudi Arabia. Its expansion brought Yahya into conflict with Saudi power on Yemen’s northern frontier.
Ottoman Yemen: The Ottoman Empire’s territories in Yemen, controlled during two periods, including from 1872 to 1918. Yahya’s early rule took shape amid Ottoman control and local resistance.
Treaty of Taif: A 1934 treaty that ended the Saudi–Yemeni war and defined relations between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Yahya accepted the treaty after war with Saudi Arabia over their border.