South Arabia (), or Greater Yemen,
South Arabia is inhabited by people possessing distinctive linguistic and ethnic affinities, as well as traditions and culture, transcending recent political boundaries. There are two indigenous language groups: the now extinct Old South Arabian languages and the unrelated Modern South Arabian languages, both members of the Semitic family.
Etymology
The term
Yamnat was mentioned in Old South Arabian inscriptions on the title of one of the kings of the second Himyarite Kingdom known as Shammar Yahrʽish II. The term was probably referring to the southwestern coastline of the Arabian peninsula and the southern coastline between Aden and Hadramout.
One etymology derives Yemen from , meaning "South", and significantly plays on the notion of the land to the right ().
Other sources claim that Yemen is related to
yamn or
yumn, meaning "felicity" or "blessed", as much of the country is fertile.
The Romans called it
Arabia Felix (fertile Arabia), as opposed to
Arabia Deserta (deserted Arabia).
Classical Latin and
Greeks writers used the name "India" to refer to South Arabia (ancient Yemen). The use of the term "India" arose from the fact that the Persians called the Abyssinians whom they came into contact in South Arabia by the name of the Cushitic people who lived next to them,
i.e.,
Indian people.
[ Origin Of Islam In Its Christian Environment Bell, Richard p.g 34] Southern Arabia was part of Indian Ocean trade routes
for millennia. With the advent of the Omani Empire,
ties were strengthened between India and the Eastern Coast of Africa and Madagascar.
History
Three thousand years ago, several ancient states occupied the region of South Arabia, being
Minaeans,
Qataban,
Hadhramaut, and
Sabaeans.
[Brian Doe, South Arabia (London: Thames & Hudson 1971) at 60–102.] In these ancient times South Arabia claimed several notable features: the famous dam at Marib, the cosmopolitan
Incense Route, as well as the legendary Queen of Sheba.
[Jean-Francois Breton, Arabia Felix (University of Notre Dame 1999) at 13–20, 23; 53–73; 3–5, 41–43.] Two thousand years ago the
became the masters of South Arabia, dominating the region for several centuries. The
Kingdom of Aksum invaded South Arabia first in the 3rd–4th centuries, then later in the 6th under King Kaleb who subjugated the region, c. 520. They were displaced by
forces of the
Sassanid dynasty, c.575, who also arrived by sea.
[al-Tabari, The History of al-Tabari, volume V, The Sasanids, the Byzantines, the Lakmids, and Yemen (S.U.N.Y. 1999), in Yemen: Ethiopian conquest at 179, 182–183, 204–208, 212; Persia over al-Habashah at 159–160, 236–249.][Stuart Munro-Hay, Aksum. An African civilization of late antiquity (Edinburgh Univ. 1991) at 71–74, 76–77 (3rd century), at 78–80 (4th century), at 84–88 (6th century).][Sally Ann Baynard, "Historical Setting" in The Yemens: Country Studies (Washington, D.C.: Foreign Area Studies, The American University, c.1985) 1–89, at 3–14: Ethiopians at 11–12 (4th century for 4 decades, 6th century for about 50 years); Persians at xiii, 12.] A half-century later, in the year 6
Anno Hegirae (628), the region converted to
Islam.
[al-Tabari, The History of al-Tabari, volume VIII, The Victory of Islam (S.U.N.Y. 1997) at 114 (became Muslim).]
Geography
See also
-
List of Yemen-related topics
Further reading
