Mahdids: Map & History
The Mahdids were a dynasty in Yemen who briefly held power in the period between 1159 and 1174.
Wikipedia Encyclopedic Compendium
Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
The Mahdids were a dynasty in Yemen who briefly held power in the period between 1159 and 1174.
Modern Countries Once Part of Mahdids
At its mapped extent, Mahdids covered territory in 2 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Mahdids's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Mahdids in Depth
History
Their name is derived from their first ruler Ali bin Mahdi who was born in Tihama. Ali bin Mahdi in his turn, traced his ancestry back to the ancient kings of Himyar. He was a religious and wide-travelled figure who performed the hajj every year and met scholars from all over the Muslim world. In 1136–1142 Ali bin Mahdi propagated his religious ideas in the Tihama lowland which at that time was ruled by the Najahids of Zabid. The Najahid queen 'Alam was initially attracted by his teachings and even exempted him and his followers from paying the kharaj. Building up a power base, he gathered an army in 1143 and attacked his benefactors. He made efforts to conquer the town al-Kadrā north of Zabid. This, however, failed.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Mahdids (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Mahdids Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Mahdids appears, with the other states of the time.
Mahdids Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 84,465 km² in 1367 CE.
Mahdids: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Mahdids exist?
Mahdids is dated to 1169 CE – 1506 CE, in the High & Late Middle Ages era.
How large was Mahdids at its peak?
At its peak in 1367 AD Mahdids covered about 84,465 km².
How did the map of Mahdids change over time?
Mahdids appears on 4 dated world maps in the atlas, from 1200 CE to 1500 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
Other Sovereign Realms
High & Late Middle Ages • Capital: Avarga
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Söğüt, Bursa, Edirne, Constantinople
High & Late Middle Ages • Capital: Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore, Delhi