Sultanate of Lahej
 

 
 
Lahj (Lahej) is a small Sultanate located in interior just north of the port of Aden, on the main route to San'a, in Yemen. The region is an agricultural district, although somewhat arid in character.

Lahej (Arabic: لحج‎‎ Laḥij), the Sultanate of Lahej (Arabic: سلطنة لحج‎‎ Salṭanat Laḥij), or, sometimes, the Abdali Sultanate (Arabic: سلطنة العبدلي‎‎ Salṭanat al-‘Abdalī), was a Sheikdom based in Lahej in Southern Arabia. The Sultanate became self-ruled in 1728 and gained independence in 1740. The Sultanate of Lahej lost its independence to the British, after the Royal Navy Aden Expedition attack in 1839. The Sultan signed several treaties with the British. The 1863 opening of the Suez Canal caused the formation of the Aden Protectorate of the British Empire, though nominally the 'Abdali Sultan retained his status. The Aden protectorate was briefly ruled again by the Ottomans during World War I, but regained by the British and absorbed into Federation of South Arabia in 1963. The 'Abdali dynasty was officially abolished in 1967, with the independence proclamation of South Yemen. Capital: al-Hawtah.
 
 
         1728  Sultanate of Lahj (Saltanat Lahj)
         1918  Liberated from Ottoman Empire suzerainty and made a British protectorate.
     Aug 1967  Sultanate abolished.
 

Map of the Federation of South Arabia, with Lahej at bottom left.
 
  • Within the Ottoman Empire.................................1516 - 1839
  • al-`ABDALI (title Sultan Lahj)
  • al-Fadl I ibn `Ali al-Sallami.............................1728 - 1742
  • 'Abd al-Karim I ibn al-Fadl...............................1742 - 1753
  • 'Abd al-Hadi ibn `Abd al-Karim............................1753 - 1775
  • al-Fadl II ibn `Abd al-Karim .............................1775 - 1791
  • Ahmad I ibn `Abd al-Karim ................................1791 - 1827
  • Muhsin ibn al-Fadl (1st time) ............................1827 - Nov 1839 d. 1847
  • Ahmad II ibn Muhsin (1st time)........................Nov 1839 - Dec 1839 d. 1849
  • Protectorate of Great Britain.............................1839 - 1967
    • Muhsin ibn al-Fadl (2nd time)....................Dec 1839 - Aug 1846 d. 1847
    • Sayyid Isma`il ibn al-Hasan al-Husayni (usurper)...11 Aug 1846 - Sep 1846
    • Muhsin ibn al-Fadl (3rd time)....................Sep 1846 - 30 Nov 1847
    • Ahmad II ibn Muhsin (2nd time)...................Dec 1847 - 20 Jan 1849
    • 'Ali I ibn Muhsin................................Mar 1849 - 07 Apr 1863
    • al-Fadl III ibn `Ali (1st time)..................Apr 1863 - 1863
    • al-Fadl IV ibn Muhsin................................1863 - 05 Jul 1874
    • al-Fadl III ibn `Ali (2nd time)...............05 Jul 1874 - 27 Apr 1898
    • Lahej typically enjoyed good relations with the British, despite the accidental killing of Sultan Fadhl ibn Ali al Abdali by British troops in 1918 who mistook him for an enemy Ottoman Turk soldier. In 1948, the Subayhi tribal area was absorbed into their sultanate.
    • Ahmad III ibn al-Fadl.........................29 Apr 1898 - Mar 1914
    • From 09 Nov 1901, he became known as Sir Ahmad III ibn al-Fadl al-`Abdali.
    • 'Ali II ibn Ahmad................................Mar 1914 - 1915
    • From 08 Oct 1914, he became known as Sir `Ali II ibn Ahmad al-`Abdali.
    • 'Abd al-Karim II ibn al-Fadl..................14 Dec 1915 - 18 Jun 1947
    • From 01 Feb 1918, he became known as Sir `Abd al-Karim II ibn al-Fadl al-`Abdali.
    • al-Fadl V ibn `Abd al-Karim...................18 Jun 1947 - 21 May 1952
    • 'Ali III ibn `Abd al-Karim....................04 Jun 1952 - 10 Jul 1958
    • From 01 Jan 1955, he became known as Sir `Ali III ibn `Abd al-Karim al-`Abdali. However, by 1958, Britain was worried that the sultan at the time, Ali bin Abd al Karim al Abdali, an Arab nationalist, would refuse to join the British-sponsored Federation of Arab Emirates of the South, and had him deposed. Lahej ended up joining the Federation and later the Federation of South Arabia in 1963.
    • al-Fadl VI ibn `Ali al-`Abdali ...............10 Jul 1958 - Aug 1967
    • He was acting with style Na'ib to 08 Dec 1958.
  • In 1967 the new Communist regime expelled the Abdali Sultan. The dynasty of the Sultanate of Lahej was abolished and integrated within the founding of the Socialist state of People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (1967–1990). The former territory of the Sultanate has been within the Republic of Yemen since its unification of Yemen in 1990.
 
 
Currency: Half Baiza (1/128 Rupee) were issued by father and son of Lahej in 1860 and 1874 respectively due to shortage of small British India coins in the Sultanate.
 
'Ali ibn Muhsin al-`Abdali (1849 - 1863) coinage: ND (1860).
 

KM#1 Half Baiza. Year: ND (1860). Weight: 3.04 g. Metal: Copper. Diameter: 19.00 mm. Edge: Plain. Alignment: Coin. Mint: N/A. Obverse: "ضرب في حوطة لحج" (Struck at al-Hawtah, Lahej) written in Arabic in three lines. Reverse: "علي محسن لعبدلي" (Ali Muhsin al-Abdali) written in Arabic in three lines. Mintage: N/A. Mintage Years: One year type.

Same as above coin, but having thin legends on both sides.

Weight: 3.21 g.
 
al-Fadl ibn Ali al-`Abdali (1874 - 1898) coinage: AH 1291 (1874).
 

KM#2 Half Baiza. Year: AH 1291 (1874). Weight: 3.11 g. Metal: Copper. Diameter: 19.25 mm. Edge: Plain. Alignment: Coin. Mint: N/A. Obverse: "سلطان لحج" (Sultan of Lahej) written in Arabic as first two lines. "جماد اخر ١٢٩١" (Jumad Akhir 1291) written in Arabic as the bottom line. Reverse: "فضل بن علي لعبدلي" (Fadl bin Ali al-Abdali) written in Arabic in three lines. Mintage: 678,000. Mintage Years: One year type.
Note: "Jumada al-Akhirah" is the sixth month of Islamic calendar. Jumada al-Akhirah AH 1291 month matches 15th July 1874 to 13th Aug 1874. "جماد اخر" if translated on google shows the meaning: "inanimate last".
 
 
Early coins of Yemen dynasties:

Click below on earlier coinage of British India used in South of Yemen (Aden):

  • East India Company (inc. William IV and Victoria)16 Aug 1765 - 30 Sep 1858
  • Victoria.........................................01 Nov 1858 - 22 Jan 1901
  • Edward VII.......................................22 Jan 1901 - 06 May 1910
  • George V.........................................06 May 1910 - 20 Jan 1936
  • George VI........................................12 Dec 1936 - 15 Aug 1947

Rulers with Coins of Yemen states under British Protectorate:

Mutawakkilite Kingdom coins:

Rulers and Coins of Yemen 1962 to 1990 can be viewed by clicking the below links:

Rulers and Coins of "Republic of Yemen", 1990 to date can be viewed at:
 
 
 
 
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Chiefa Coins