A-Brief-History-of-Saudi-Arabia

A Brief History of Saudi Arabia
chronicles of the time. It is unknown if Mani al-Muraidi, who began the
correspondence with his cousin, or Mani’s son Rabia, who laid the foundation
for the colony’s prosperity, was the original recipient of the estates.
But these are the earliest traceable ancestors of the house of Saud.
Rabia’s son Musa usurped the chieftainship and seized control of
Wadi Hanifa, though his efforts to kill his father were unsuccessful.
The wounded Rabia escaped to Uyaina. Within two generations the
migrants from Qatif had become the settlement’s masters. By the beginning
of the 1500s, Ibrahim ibn Musa had succeeded his father, and the
family had assumed leadership in the valley. Ibrahim had four sons.
The youngest was Markhan, who followed his father as emir of Diriya,
his elder brothers having left the settlement to seek their fortunes elsewhere.
Markhan’s oldest son, Rabia (not to be confused with Rabia ibn
Mani cited above) succeeded Markhan ibn Ibrahim. Rabia had a son,
Watban, and Rabia’s brother, Miqrin ibn Markhan (with whom he had
gone on a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1630), had two sons, Muhammad
and Markhan, the latter named after his grandfather. In 1654, Watban
murdered his cousin, Markhan ibn Miqrin, to cement his claim as emir.
But Watban’s plan was unsuccessful, for in that same year leadership of
Diriya was assumed by Muhammad ibn Miqrin (Markhan ibn Miqrin’s
brother). The murder did, however, set off a blood feud that would roil
Diriya for three-quarters of a century.
Muhammad, who would live until 1694, abdicated the throne, and
his son Nasir next assumed the title of emir, which was his by 1673.
That year Nasir was assassinated as part of the blood feud begun by
Watban. Watban’s son Markhan ibn Watban next seized leadership,
which he held until his assassination by his brother Ibrahim in 1690.
It was during this time (1685) that Muhammad ibn Miqrin’s son
Saud, who would establish the royal lineage of Arabia that now bears
his name, was first mentioned. Saud’s name was recorded for his participation
in an expedition against the town of Huraimila, which led
to an engagement known as “the Day of the First Ambush,” in which
some 30 Huraimila defenders died. Saud was about 20 at the time.
Ibrahim ibn Watban himself was murdered in 1694 and succeeded
by his brother Idris ibn Watban. He too was assassinated, by Sultan
ibn Hamad al-Qaisi from Hasa, thought to be an agent of its powerful
Bani Khalid family. The sultan ruled Diriya until he was assassinated in
1708 and was succeeded by his brother Abdullah, who fell to an assassin
the following year. The emirship was then taken by Musa ibn Rabia
ibn Watban, a grandson of Watban, returning the city to home rule
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