Muhammad bin Saud

Muhammad bin Saud (Arabic: محمد الأول بن سعود بن محمد آل مقرن آل مريدي‎; died 1765), also known as Ibn Saud, was the emir of Ad-Diriyyah and is considered the founder of the First Saudi State and the Saud dynasty, which are named for his father, Saud bin Muhammad bin Muqrin (died 1725).[1]

Muhammad bin Saud
Emir of Diriyah
Reign	1744–1765
Predecessor	Saud bin Muhammad bin Muqrin
Successor	Abdulaziz bin Muhammad bin Saud
Died	1765
Spouse	Moudi bint Abi Wahtan Al Kathir
Issue	Abdulaziz Faysal Saud Ali Abdallah
Full name Muhammad bin Saud bin Muhammad Al Muqrin Al Muridi
Dynasty	House of Saud
Father	Saud bin Muhammad bin Muqrin

Origins

Ibn Saud's family (then known as the Al Muqrin) traced its descent to the tribe of Banu Audi and Hanifa tribes but, despite popular misconceptions, Muhammad bin Saud was neither a nomadic bedouin nor was he a tribal leader. Rather, he was the chief (emir) of an agricultural settlement near modern-day Riyadh, called Diriyah.[2] Furthermore, he was a competent and ambitious desert warrior.[2] Among his siblings were Mishari and Thunayan.[3]

Alliance with Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab

The initial power base was the town of Ad Diriyyah where he met Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, who came to Muhammad bin Saud for protection.[2][4] Muhammad bin Saud granted him entry into Diriyah. They formed an alliance in 1744 or 1745[3] which was formalized by the wedding of Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab's daughter to Abdulaziz, son and successor of Muhammad bin Saud. Thereafter, the descendants of Muhammad bin Saud and the descendants of Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, the Al ash-Sheikh, have remained closely linked. However, the alliance was not totally supported by Muhammad bin Saud's family, and one of his brothers, Thunayyan bin Saud, objected to such a cooperation.[5]

Abdul Wahhab provided Ibn Saud with the military backing for the House of Saudi and helped establish the dynasty among other forces in the Arabian peninsula.[6] He remained as an adviser to Ibn Saud until the end of the latter's reign.[7]

Ibn Saud is considered the founder of what later became known as the First Saudi State.[6] The way he set up his government has served as the model for rulers of the House of Saud to the present day. The government was based on Islamic principles and made use of shura. He ruled until his death in 1765[8][9] and afterwards his son, Abdulaziz, became the second ruler of the First Saudi State.

Personal life

Moudi bint Abi Wahtan Al Kathir was one of Muhammad bin Saud's wives.[3] She was instrumental in her husband's meeting with Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab.[3][10]

Legacy

As a forerunner of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University is named after him.

See also

• Second Saudi State
• Third Saudi State

References

1. John Pike. "King Abdul Aziz Bin Abdul Rahman Al-Saud". Global Security. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
2. T. R. McHale (Autumn 1980). "A Prospect of Saudi Arabia". International Affairs. 56 (4): 622–647. doi:10.2307/2618170. JSTOR 2618170.
3. Parvaiz Ahmad Khanday (2009). "A Critical Analysis of the Religio-Political Conditions of Modern Saudi Arabia" (PhD Thesis). Aligarh Muslim University. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 November 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
4. Joel Carmichael (July 1942). "Prince of Arabs". Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 28 November 2018.
5. Hassan S. Abedin (2002). "Abdul Aziz Al Saud and the Great Game in Arabia, 1896-1946" (PhD Thesis). King's College London. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
6. Historical Memorandum on the Relations of the Wahabi Amirs and Ibn Saud with Eastern Arabia and the British Government, 1800-1934. British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers. 1934. p. 2.
7. Alejandra Galindo Marines (2001). "The relationship between the ulama and the government in the contemporary Saudi Arabian Kingdom: an interdependent relationship?" (PhD Thesis). Durham University.
8. Gábor Ágoston; Bruce Alan Masters (2009). Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire. Infobase Publishing. p. 261. ISBN 978-0-8160-6259-1. Archived from the original on 11 November 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
9. Saudi Arabia A Country Study. Kessinger Publishing. 2004. ISBN 978-1-4191-4621-3. Archived from the original on 7 July 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
10. "Interview. Prince Amr bin Mohammed". PBS. Frontline. 2003. Archived from the original on 9 July 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2020.

Further reading

S. R. Valentine. (2015). Force & Fanaticism: Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia and Beyond, Hurst & Co, London/New York.