The Political and Civilizational Contributions of the Sam‘i Tribe in Ancient Yemen

Abstract

Civilization, in its broad sense, encompasses the political, social, economic, and urban systems of an urbanized society, in terms of its life aspects, development, and prosperity.

In ancient Yemen, the tribe represented a social unit with significant influence on the social structure in all its dimensions. The roots of tribal organization trace back to the days of the Sabaean Kingdom, which held substantial power in Yemen. Distinct tribal divisions emerged, the most notable being the Makaribah class, considered the highest stratum of Yemeni society at the time. Subsequently, other tribal unions and confederations appeared, referred to as “kingdoms” in Musnad inscriptions, including the Kingdoms of Saba, Qataban, Ma‘in, and Hadramawt.

This study, despite the scarcity of available information on the history and evolution of the Sam‘i tribe, aims to shed light on its role and civilizational contributions in ancient Yemeni history, as it was one of the important Arab tribes inhabiting the southwestern Arabian Peninsula and belonging to the group of South Arabian tribes.

Its civilizational contributions manifested in various fields. In agriculture, it innovated advanced irrigation techniques, leading to improved agricultural output. In trade, it played a pivotal role as an intermediary in exporting incense and spices between ancient Yemen and neighboring countries. In architecture, it established distinctive structures, including palaces and temples. These contributions illustrate how the Sam‘i tribe was an integral part of ancient Yemeni civilization.