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Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen

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description Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen Overview

The Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen was a Zaidi Shia monarchy that ruled northern Yemen from 1918 until the establishment of the Yemen Arab Republic in 1962. Its territory was centered in the northern part of present-day Yemen, and its rulers held the religious and political title of imam. The monarchy ended when a republican revolution overthrew Imam Muhammad al-Badr, beginning a civil war between royalist and republican forces.

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What years did the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen exist?

It ruled northern Yemen from 1918, when the Ottoman Empire's collapse after World War I left the imams in control, until 1962. The 26 September 1962 revolution overthrew the monarchy and established the Yemen Arab Republic.

Who were the rulers of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom?

It was led by Zaidi imams who held both religious and political authority — Imam Yahya Hamid al-Din led the kingdom at its founding and was assassinated in 1948. The last imam, Muhammad al-Badr, was overthrown within days of taking power in the 1962 coup.

What does 'Mutawakkilite' actually mean?

It derives from 'al-Mutawakkil,' an Arabic title meaning 'the one who relies on God,' which formed part of the imams' formal style. The kingdom was a Zaidi Shia monarchy, religiously distinct from the Sunni areas of southern Yemen that were under British protection as the Aden Protectorate.

What happened to Yemen after the Mutawakkilite Kingdom fell?

The 1962 revolution triggered the North Yemen Civil War, with royalists backed by Saudi Arabia fighting republicans supported by Egypt under Nasser, who sent Egyptian troops. The Yemen Arab Republic survived, and in 1990 it unified with the southern People's Democratic Republic of Yemen to form modern Yemen.

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