''Mikhlaf'' ( ar, مخلاف,

plural The plural (sometimes abbreviated pl., pl, or ), in many languages, is one of the values of the grammatical category of number. The plural of a noun typically denotes a quantity greater than the default quantity represented by that noun. This de ...

''Makhleef''; ) was an administrative division in

ancient Yemen The ancient history of Yemen (South Arabia) is especially important because Yemen is one of the oldest centers of civilization in the Near East. Its relatively fertile land and adequate rainfall in a moister climate helped sustain a stable popu ...

and is a geographical term used in

Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...

. According to

Ya'qubi ʾAbū l-ʿAbbās ʾAḥmad bin ʾAbī Yaʿqūb bin Ǧaʿfar bin Wahb bin Waḍīḥ al-Yaʿqūbī (died 897/8), commonly referred to simply by his nisba al-Yaʿqūbī, was an Arab Muslim geographer and perhaps the first historian of world cultu ...

there were eighty-four Mikhlaf in Yemen. The leader of the Mikhlaf is called ''Qil'' ( ar, قيل,

Aqial; ).

Overview

Makhleef were mini-kingdoms under the united kingdom of Saba' and Dhu Raydan. In the second century AD, Shamir Yuhari'sh II extended the Kingdom of Saba and Dhu Raydan to the kingdom of Hadramout and kingdom of Yamnat and so the kings of that time adopted the long title "King of Saba, Dhu raydan, Hadrmawt and Yamant". They are also known as Tubba kings who established the second Himyarite Kingdom. In the fifth century AD the Tubba king AbuKarib As'ad had the title "King of Saba', Dhu raydan, Hadramawt, Yamnat and his Arabs, on Tawdum (the high plateau) and Tihamah". The system of Makhaleef expanded to these areas and was essential to control these areas.

List of Makhaleef

The following list appears in al-Ya'qubi's '' Kitab al-Buldan'' and, with minor differences, in his ''

Ta'rikh ibn Wadih ''Tārīkh Ibn Wāḍiḥ'' () or popularly ''Tārīkh al-Yaʿqūbī'' ( ar, تآريخ اليعقوبي, lit=History of al-Yaʿqūbī) is a well-known classical Islamic history book, written by al-Yaʿqūbī. Like his contemporary Al-Dinawari, Ya ...

''. Neither list contains 84 names. # al-Yahsibayn # Yakla # Dhimar # Tamu’ # Tyan # Tamam # Hamal # Qudam # Khaywan # Sinhan # Rayhan # Jurash # Sa'da # al-Akhruj # Majnah # Haraz # Hawzan # Qufa'a # al-Wazira # al-Hujr # al-Ma'afir # 'Ayan # al-Shawafi # Jublan # Wasab # al-Sakun # Shar'ab # al-Janad # Maswar # al-Thujja # al-Mazra' # Hayran # Ma’rib # Hadhur # 'Ulqan #

Rayshan Sanaa ( ar, صَنْعَاء '), also spelled San'a or Sana, is a governorate of Yemen. Its capital is Sanaa, which is also the national capital. However, the city of Sanaa is not part of the governorate but instead forms the separate governorate ...

# Jayshan # Nihm # Baysh # Dankan # Qanawna # Yaba # Zanlf # al-'Ursh of Jazan # al-Khasuf # al-Sa'id # Balha, which is (also called) Mawr # al-Mahjam # al-Kadra’, which is (also called) Saham # al-Ma'qir, which is (also called) Dhuwal #

Zabid Zabid ( ar, زَبِيد) (also spelled Zabīd, Zabeed and Zebid) is a town with an urban population of around 52,590 people on Yemen's western coastal plain. It is one of the oldest towns in Yemen, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since ...

# Rima' # al-Rakb # Bani Majid #

Lahj Lahij or Lahej ( ar, لحج, Laḥj, links=no), also called al-Hawtah, is a city and an area located between Ta'izz and Aden in Yemen. From the 18th to the 20th century, its rulers were of the Abdali branch of the Al-Sallami tribe who trace th ...

Abyan Abyan ( ar, أَبْيَن ) is a governorate of Yemen. The Abyan region was historically part of the Fadhli Sultanate. It was a base to the Aden-Abyan Islamic Army militant group. Its capital is the city of Zinjibar. This governorate is not ...

# Bayn al-Wadiyayn # Alhan #

Hadramawt Hadhramaut ( ar, حَضْرَمَوْتُ \ حَضْرَمُوتُ, Ḥaḍramawt / Ḥaḍramūt; Hadramautic: 𐩢𐩳𐩧𐩣𐩩, ''Ḥḍrmt'') is a region in South Arabia, comprising eastern Yemen, parts of western Oman and southern Saud ...

# Muqra # Hays #

Harad In J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy ''The Lord of the Rings'', Harad is the immense land south of Gondor and Mordor. Its main port is Umbar, the base of the Corsairs of Umbar whose ships serve as the Dark Lord Sauron's fleet. Its people are the ...

# al-Haqlayn # 'Ans # Bani Amir # Ma’dhin # Humlan # Dhl Jura #

Khawlan Khawlan ( ar, خولان) is a sub-district located in Mudhaykhirah District, Ibb Governorate, Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the sou ...

# al-Sarw # al-Dathina # Kubayba # Tabala

References

{{reflist Ancient history of Yemen Geography of Yemen Types of administrative division