Mahra Sultanate

Mahra State of Qishn and Socotra
الدولة المهرية للبر وسقطرى (Arabic)
Al-Dawlah al-Mahrīyah lil-Barr wa-Suquṭrā
1432–1967
Flag of Mahra
Flag
Map of Mahra
Map of Mahra
Location of Mahra within the Arabian peninsula
Location of Mahra within the Arabian peninsula
CapitalShihr (until 1495)
Qishn
Tamrida/Hadibu
Common languagesArabic, Mehri
Religion
Islam
Demonym(s)Mahri
GovernmentMonarchy
History 
• Established
1432
• British protectorate
1886
• Dissolved
30 November 1967
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Rasulid dynasty
South Yemen
Today part ofYemen
Map of contemporary Yemen showing Al Mahrah Governorate.

The Mahra Sultanate, known in its later years as the Mahra State of Qishn and Socotra (Arabic: الدولة المهرية للبر وسقطرى Al-Dawlah al-Mahrīyah lil-Barr wa-Suquṭrā) or sometimes the Mahra Sultanate of Ghayda and Socotra (Arabic: سلطنة المهرة في الغيضة وسقطرى Salṭanat al-Mahrah fī al-Ghayḍah wa-Suquṭrā) was a sultanate that included the historical region of Mahra and the Guardafui Channel island of Socotra in what is now eastern Yemen. It was ruled by the Banu Afrar dynasty for most of its history.

In 1886, the Sultanate became a British protectorate and later joined the Aden Protectorate. The Sultanate was abolished in 1967 upon the founding of the People's Republic of South Yemen and is now part of the Republic of Yemen.[1]

The Sultanate was inhabited by the Mahri people who spoke the Mahri language, a modern South Arabian language. The Mehri share, with their regional neighbours on the island of Socotra and in Dhofar in Oman, blood lineage ties in Somalia and Somaliland with the Mehri of Arab Salah tribe in Somalia, cultural traditions like a modern South Arabian language, Arabic incursions, and frankincense agriculture. The region benefits from a coastal climate, distinct from the surrounding desert climate, with seasons dominated by the khareef or monsoon.

In 1967, with the departure of the British from the larger southern Arabian region, the Aden-based South Yemeni government divided the Mahra region, creating the Al Mahra Governorate. Socotra was administered by the Aden Governorate until 2004, when it was placed under the Hadhramaut Governorate. In 2013, however, Socotra was removed from the Hadramaut Governorate and created a governorate (Socotra Governorate) in its own right.[2]

  1. ^ Paul Dresch. A History of Modern Yemen. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2000
  2. ^ "Yemen to become federation of six regions". BBC News. 2014-02-10. Archived from the original on 10 February 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2014.

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