(Redirected from Al- Ajmi)
'Al-'Ajman' or 'al-'Ijman' (, singular "Ajmi") are a
bedouin tribe of northeastern
Arabia, with members spread across
Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait,
Qatar, and the
U.A.E..
The tribe is an offshoot of the tribe of
Banu Yam, the principle tribe of
Najran near
Yemen. The 'Ajman separated from Yam sometime in the 18th century, along with another sub-tribe known as
Al Murrah. Both tribes migrated towards the east, with the Ajman settling the region between
al-Ahsa and
Kuwait, and Al Murrah ending up roaming regions further south on the border of the
Empty Quarter desert. Unlike their parent tribe, the predominantly-
Ismaili Shia Yam of Najran, however, the Ajman and Al Murrah are entirely
Sunni.
The 'Ajman were noted for their strength in battle and were important players in the wars and politics of eastern and central Arabia in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Their most famous leader (or ''shaikh'') during the 19th century was
Rakan ibn Hithlayn, who is still well known in Arabian tribal lore, and who was noted for his poetry as well as aptitude in battle against the
Ottoman Turks. The 'Ajman, however, were defeated by
Faisal ibn Turki, the second Imam of the
Second Saudi State, who later married into the tribe. Later on, they supported the cause of the
Saud al-Kabir branch of the
Al Saud against their cousin
Abdul Aziz ibn Saud, the founder of
Saudi Arabia.
A section of the Ajman led by
Dhaydan ibn Hithlayn joined the
Ikhwan movement in 1912, providing military support for Ibn Saud, but later rebelled against him. The Ajman and their allies from the tribes of
Mutair and
Utaybah were defeated by Ibn Saud in 1930 in the
Battle of Sbillah, which put an end to the Ikhwan rebellion.
Nearly all the Ajman have abandoned nomadic life and have settled in the
Gulf states, especially Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Their main tribal territory is
Joudah, also known as
Wadi el-Ajman ("the valley of the Ajman"), located on the road between
Riyadh and
Dammam.