Al-Mansur an-Nasir
Encyclopedia
Al-Mansur an-Nasir was an imam
of the Zaidi
state in Yemen
who held power in parts of the northern Yemeni highland in 1436-1462.
The old imam al-Mansur Ali bin Salah ad-Din
died from the plague in 1436. His position was then claimed by three different Sayyid
s, of which one was al-Mansur an-Nasir. He was the great-great-grandson of the imam al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar bin Yahya
(d. 1298). The two other competitors were al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar
(d. 1474) and al-Mahdi Salah ad-Din
(d. 1445). Al-Mansur an-Nasir tried to strengthen his claim by marrying the granddaughter of al-Mansur Ali. Fortunately for the Zaidi congregation, the once powerful Rasulid Dynasty in lowland Yemen was quickly crumbling at this time, and fell altogether in 1454. The new Sunni lowland regime was the Tahiride
Dynasty, which was engaged in warfare with the imam from its inception. Nevertheless, it was internal Zaidi dissention that finally toppled the position of al-Mansur an-Nasir. The important city San'a was eventually acquired by his rival al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar, later to be conquered by the Tahirides in 1462. Al-Mansur an-Nasir himself was captured by tribesmen east of Dhamar
and handed over to al-Mutawakkil. He was placed in custody in Kawkaban
and died there, still a prisoner, in 1462. The imamate
was subsequently claimed by his son al-Mu’ayyad Muhammad
.
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
of the Zaidi
Zaidiyyah
Zaidiyya, or Zaidism is a Shi'a Muslim school of thought named after Zayd ibn ʻAlī, the grandson of Husayn ibn ʻAlī. Followers of the Zaydi Islamic jurisprudence are called Zaydi Shi'a...
state in Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
who held power in parts of the northern Yemeni highland in 1436-1462.
The old imam al-Mansur Ali bin Salah ad-Din
Al-Mansur Ali bin Salah ad-Din
Al-Mansur Ali bin Salah ad-Din was an imam of the Zaidi state in Yemen who ruled in 1391-1436, partly in rivalry with other claimants to the imamate.-Contest over the imamate:...
died from the plague in 1436. His position was then claimed by three different Sayyid
Sayyid
Sayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
s, of which one was al-Mansur an-Nasir. He was the great-great-grandson of the imam al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar bin Yahya
Al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar bin Yahya
Al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar bin Yahya was an imam of the Zaidi state in Yemen whose imamate lasted from 1276 to 1298.-Internal Zaidi rivalries:...
(d. 1298). The two other competitors were al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar
Al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar
Al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar was an imam of the Zaidi state in Yemen who ruled between 1436 and 1474, in rivalry with other claimants for the imamate.-Rivalry for the imamate:...
(d. 1474) and al-Mahdi Salah ad-Din
Al-Mahdi Salah ad-Din
Al-Mahdi Salah ad-Din was a claimant for the Zaidi state in Yemen, whose tenure as imam is counted from 1436 to 1445.Salah ad-Din bin Ali was a descendant of the imam al-Mansur Yahya in the thirteenth generation. His father was the well-known Zaidi scholar Ali bin Muhammad bin Abu'l-Qasim, who...
(d. 1445). Al-Mansur an-Nasir tried to strengthen his claim by marrying the granddaughter of al-Mansur Ali. Fortunately for the Zaidi congregation, the once powerful Rasulid Dynasty in lowland Yemen was quickly crumbling at this time, and fell altogether in 1454. The new Sunni lowland regime was the Tahiride
Tahiride
The Tahiride was an Arab Muslim dynasty that ruled Yemen and the Hadramawt from 1454 to 1526.The Tahiride Rulers, who took power at the end of a period of anarchy that followed the collapse of the Rasulid dynasty in the mid-15th century, tried to imitate Bani Rasool...
Dynasty, which was engaged in warfare with the imam from its inception. Nevertheless, it was internal Zaidi dissention that finally toppled the position of al-Mansur an-Nasir. The important city San'a was eventually acquired by his rival al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar, later to be conquered by the Tahirides in 1462. Al-Mansur an-Nasir himself was captured by tribesmen east of Dhamar
Dhamar, Yemen
Dhamar is a city in southwestern Yemen. It is located at , at an elevation of around 2400 metres.-Overview:Dhamar is situated 100 km to the south of Sana'a, north of Ibb, and west of Al-Beidha, 2700 m above sea level. Its name “Dhamar” goes back to the king of Sheba and Dou-Reddan at 15-35 AD...
and handed over to al-Mutawakkil. He was placed in custody in Kawkaban
Kawkaban
Kawkaban is a town midway between Sana'a and Al-Mahweet. It is of particular historical importance for the Zaidiyyah, having been a stronghold for Yemeni kings due to its advantageous position. It is situated atop a plateau at 2750m above sea level. The sole entrance to the town is via a single...
and died there, still a prisoner, in 1462. The imamate
Imamate
The word Imamate is an Arabic word with an English language suffix meaning leadership. Its use in theology is confined to Islam.-Theological usage:...
was subsequently claimed by his son al-Mu’ayyad Muhammad
Al-Mu’ayyad Muhammad
Al-Mu'ayyad Muhammad was an imam of the Zaidi state in Yemen who ruled in parts of the Yemeni highland including San'a in 1462-1503.-Repulsing the Tahirides:...
.