Editing History of Yemen (section)

===Zurayid Dynasty===
{{Main|Zurayids}}
[[File:Yemen_1160_AD.jpg|thumb|Zurayid Kingdom and the neighbouring polities]] 
Al-Abbas & al-Mas'ūd sons of Karam Al-Yami from the Hamdan tribe started ruling Aden for the Sulayhids, when Al-Abbas died in 1083. His son Zuray, who gave the dynasty its name, proceeded to rule together with his uncle al-Mas'ūd. They took part in the Sulayhid leader al-Mufaddal's campaign against the [[Najahids|Najahid]] capital [[Zabid]] and were both killed during the siege (1110).<ref>The chronology of the Zurayid rulers is uncertain for the most part; dates furnished by Ayman Fu'ad Sayyid, ''Masadir ta'rikh al-Yaman fial 'asr al-islami'', al Qahira 1974, are partly at odds with those given by H.C. Kay, ''Yaman: Its early Medieval history'', London 1892; one source seems to indicate that they were independent as early as 1087.</ref> Their respective sons ceased to pay tribute to the Sulayhid queen [[Arwa al-Sulayhi]].<ref>H.C. Kay, ''Yaman: Its early medieval history'', London 1892, pp. 66–67.</ref> They were worsted by a Sulayhid expedition but queen Arwa agreed to reduce the tribute by half, to 50,000 dinars per year. The Zurayids again failed to pay and were once again forced to yield to the might of the Sulayhids, but this time the annual tribute from the incomes of Aden was reduced to 25,000. Later on they ceased to pay even that since Sulayhid power was on the wane.<ref>El-Khazreji, ''The pearl-strings'', Vol. 1, Leyden & London 1906, p. 19.</ref> After 1110 the Zurayids thus led a more than 60 years long independent rule in the city, bolstered by the international trade. The chronicles mention luxury goods such as textiles, perfume and porcelain, coming from places like [[North Africa]], [[Egypt]], [[Iraq]], [[Oman]], [[Kirman (Sasanian province)|Kirman]], and [[China]]. After the demise of queen Arwa al-Sulayhi in 1138, the [[Fatimids]] in [[Cairo]] kept a representation in Aden, adding further prestige to the Zurayids.<ref>Robert W. Stookey, ''Yemen: The politics of the Yemen Arab Republic'', Boulder 1978, p. 96.</ref>  The Zurayids were sacked by the Ayyubids in 1174.