Emirate of Diriyah - House of Saud: Establishment of Sovereignty

House of Saud: Establishment of Sovereignty

The House of Saud and its allies quickly rose to become the dominant sovereignty in Arabia by first conquering Nejd, and then expanding their influence over the eastern coast which measures from Kuwait down to the northern borders of Oman. Furthermore, Saud's forces brought the highlands of 'Asir under their suzerainty, while Muhammed bin Abd Al Wahhab wrote letters to people and scholars to enter the field of jihad, by means of debate and scholarly work, to remove elements of polytheism which existed in their countries such as Iraq, Egypt, India, Yemen and Syria. After many military campaigns, Saud died in 1765, leaving the leadership to his son, Abdul Aziz Bin Muhammad. Saud's forces went so far as to gain command of the Shi'a holy city of Karbala in 1801. Here they destroyed grave markers of saints and monuments, which the ultra-conservative Salafi brand of Islam considers to be acts of polytheism. Eleven years after the death of Muhammed bin Abd Al Wahhab the son of Abdul Aziz Bin Muhammad, Saud ibn Abdul Aziz ibn Muhammad ibn Saud, set out forces to bring the region of Hejaz under his rule. Taif was the first city to be captured, and later the two holy cities of Mecca and Medina. This was seen as a major challenge to the authority of the Ottoman Empire, which had exercised its rule over the holy cities since 1517.