THE MUSTAREB KINGDOMS

T1he northern tribes inhabiting central Arabia, or Arabia Petræa, become consolidated into five kingdoms:

2Rabiah, in the east centre of the peninsula.

3Kais, or Kais-Ailan, in the north.

4Hawazin, in the north.

5Tamin, in the middle.

6They are, from the time of their foundation, more or less tributary to Yemen until

7500 They make themselves independent, under the leadership of Kolaib, who now tries to unite his people in a single confederacy, but the plan is frustrated by his assassination. The tribes now lead a warlike, disorganised existence, encroaching slowly upon the Kahtanee kingdoms. During this period the tribe of Koreish becomes prominent. Tradition assigns their origin to Ishmael, and they have become the guardians of the sacred Kaaba. This gives them pre-eminence over all other Arabian clans, and at the beginning of the seventh century A.D. the tribe of Koreish and its Mustareb allies is the most powerful confederacy in Arabia, the Kahtanee kingdoms having become more or less vassals of the Persian and Byzantine empires.