The Abd al-Qays () is an ancient Arabian tribe from the Rabi'a branch of the Adnanites tribes. The tribe is from Eastern Arabia. The majority of the Baharna are from the Abd al-Qays tribe, with a significant minority from the cousin tribes of Bakr and Taghlib Ibn Wai’l tribes, which are today known as Anizah tribe. The majority of the tribe resides today in The Gulf cooperation Council countries, which are Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the UAE.
History
Origins
The name of the tribe means 'servant of the god Qays'. It belonged to the tribal groups originally resident in the area of
Al Aridhah in
South Arabia who migrated northwestward to an area extending north to
Sudair and south to
al-Kharj. Later, in the Arab genealogical tradition, these tribes were called the Rabi'a, a branch of the northern Arab Ma'add confederation.
Campaigns of Shapur II
In pre-Islamic times, the Abd al-Qays frequently raided
Sasanian Iran.
[ ʿABD-AL-QAYS Encyclopaedia Iranica.] The Sasanian king
Shapur II () led an expedition against the Arabian tribes, during which he massacred most of the Abd al-Qays.
Later, several Abd al-Qays tribesmen were relocated by Shapur to the Iranian province of Kirman.
Migrations into eastern Arabia
By the 5th century, the Abd al-Qays had shifted to nomadism, dwelling outside of the
Tuwaiq escarpment in the southern
Najd (central Arabia). In the 6th century, the tribe migrated northeastward the oases of
Al-Ahsa Oasis,
Tarout Island and
Qatif in
eastern Arabia.
Islamic period
During the Arab conquest of Iran, considerable numbers of Abd al-Qays tribesmen entered southeastern, launching extensive raids in the region.
Several groupings of Abd al-Qays settled near
Tavvaz in the Iranian coastal mountains and
Basra in lower Mesopotamia.
In the early 8th century, 4,000 Abd al-Qays warriors formed part of the army of Qutayba ibn Muslim on his campaign into
Greater Khorasan.
The majority of the Baharna are descendants of the Banu Abd al-Qays, while some are from the tribes of Banu Bakr and others.
Religion
Abd al-Qays were mostly
Christians before the advent of
Islam.
Sources
Bibliography
