Page 21 - Su'udi Relations with Eastern Arabi & Uman (1800-1870)

The central district of Najd is called al-‘Arid, which in the stricter sense,
refers to the central part of the mountainous barrier of Tuwayq between
al-Kharj to the south and al-Mihmal to the north.56 Along the Wadi Hanlfah,
the valley that crosses al-‘Arid, arc towns celebrated in Najd history, such as
al-‘Uyaynah, the birthplace of Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Wahhab and the seat of
the Al Mu‘ammar family, al-Dir‘Iyah, the original home of the Al Su‘ud, and
al-Riyad, their later capital. After eliminating their opponents’ chiefs in al-
‘Uyaynah and al-Riyad, the Su‘udis made al-‘Arid into a centre of major
power, and its inhabitants subsequently became the most sympathetic
supporters of the Su‘udi cause.
The district of al-Kharj lies to the southwest of al-Riyad and is a fertile land
rich in water resources. It is known for the quality of its dates and the quantity
of its crops. The agricultural prosperity of this area was admired by both
Nasir-i Khusru57 (d. 452/1060) and Ibn Battutah58 (d. 770/1368), who
travelled through the region in the eleventh and thirteenth centuries
respectively. Al-Dilam, the largest town in the district, is inhabited by settled
people of the al-‘Ayidh, the Banu Tamim, and the Dawasir.59 Al-Kharj was
one of the last regions to come under Su‘udl rule.
To the southwest of al-Kharj lies the district of al-Fur‘. It consists of a group
of oases around which several towns have been founded, the main ones being
al-Hawtah, al-Harlq, and al-Hilwah. Date groves are very extensive, and the
area seems to have been of agricultural importance in the past. The Banu
Tamim represented the major element in the district. The region is believed to
have been more thickly populated than it is now, and the decline in the number
of inhabitants is attributable to the Turkish-Egyptian invasions of Najd.60 It
became a part of the Su‘udl state around the year 1188/1774. Since that time,
the people of al-Fur4 have become known for their devotion to the teachings of
Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab.61
Next to al-Fur‘ in the south of Najd lies the district of al-Aflaj, a vast flat area
dotted with a group of spring-fed pools called sayh. In former times, al-Aflaj
developed remarkable methods of irrigation and enjoyed considerable
agricultural prosperity.62 Presently, the district is still a major site for date
plantations and gardens. Al-Aflaj is sometimes called Aflaj al-Dawasir because
it became one of al-Dawasir’s major centres after the latter advanced
northward from their original homeland and forced the area’s former
inhabitants to leave in the seventeenth century.63 The people of al-Aflaj came
under Su‘udl rule when it was firmly established in central Najd.
The district of the Wadi al-Dawasir is located south-west of al-Aflaj and is
considered the southern end of Najd. The Wadi district is identified with the
tribe of al-Dawasir because it is their main centre. Several oases exist within the
region, and date groves grow extensively there. Most of the townspeople live in
al-Khamasin and al-Lidam.64 Prior to the Su‘udi era, al-Dawasir’s domain
extended to the north and east, and they challenged, on several occasions, the
rulers of al-Hasa and al-Hijaz. They would attack caravans belonging to the
Jabrids and they raided the nomads of al-Hasa. The Jabrid rulers of al-Hasa at
times had to fight them on their own ground to discourage them from further
activities.65 On the other hand, al-Dawasir annoyed the sharifs of Makkah,
who sent expeditions to punish them and restrict their movements. The Wadi
al-Dawasir was incorporated in the Su‘udi domains in the year 1199/1784,
when their leaders, Rubayyi* and Badr, sons of Zayd al-Dawsari, swore

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