A short history of Yemen [Archives:2002/26/Culture]

Prepared by Abdul Kader Bagunaid
At the dawn of history Yemenis were establishing a great civilization in the valleys of east Yemen. In the Dhanan valley was the city of Mareb, the capital of Sheba, founded in the eight century BC. In Beihan valley was the city of Tamnu, the capital of Qataban.
In Armah valley was the city of Shabwa, the capital of Hadramaut and in al-Jawf valley was the capital Qarnawa the capital of Maeen.
There are two important river valleys flowing towards the Arabian Sea, the Hadramaut and the Bana, where the Himyarians inhabited.
As we all know the oldest and most glorious Yemeni Dynasty was Sheba, from which so many historical landmarks are linked. This is where the Himyar and Khalan tribes find their origins and from them the people of Yemen.
Balqees the Queen of Sheba and the Dam of Mareb are two well known landmarks from this area. This dynasty had common agricultural and commercial interests, the most important of them being the frankincense inland trade route. There was one written language in Musnad graphic.
Himyar was in power during the first century AD. until the end of the 4th century.
In the first quarter of the sixth century Ethiopia invaded Yemen, but did not remain in the country. Yemen then fell under the control of the Persians until the nation heard the call of Islam. Yemenis joined the Islamic Religion and their battalion was in the forefront of the Islamic Army.
After the third Hajira century , Yemen yielded to the administration of the Islamic Caliphate centers. Among these were:
The Ziyadi State in Zabid
The Yafuri Sate in Sanaa
The Sulayhia State in Jiblah
The Rasuli Sate in Taiz
The Tahiri State in Radaa
Parts of Yemen fell under the influence of other Islamic states such as the Ayyubis, Mamelucks and the Othmanians. For a period of time Yemen was isolated and fell behind in the march of civilization despite its previous active participation in culture and science.
Finally, the shackles of isolation were broken by the revolution on the 26th September, 1962. An end was made to the regime of the Imams and a democratic republic was founded.
Southern Yemen which was under the British gained its independence on the 30th November, 1967.

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