Ghassanids
The Ghassanids (Arabic الغساسنة, DMG al-Ġasāsina or also Arabic بنو غسان, DMG Banū Ġassān) were an Arab tribal confederation and an important ally of the (Eastern) Romans in Late Antiquity.
The term "Ghassanids" is not contemporary, but appears only in later sources (Millar 2010). Moreover, current research increasingly speaks of Jafnids instead of Ghassanids, since it was primarily this dynasty that gave cohesion to the group later called Ghassanids (Fisher 2011). The lineage of these princes originated in southern Arabia; they began migrating northward in the 3rd century CE. The Jafnid clan traced its lineage itself to Jafna (Jafna), a son of the famous Himyar king Amr ibn Amir Muzaiqija. Probably in the 5th century they reached the Roman frontier. It is possible that they were or became Monophysite Christians even then. There seems to have been a power struggle with the Salīh, who had previously been the most powerful clan in the Arab-Syrian border area and the closest allies of the Romans, and who were now apparently displaced by the Jafnids.
The first Jafnid sheikh to appear by name in Eastern Roman sources (c. 498) is Ǧabala (Djabala, Jabalah; Greek: Gabalas). He invaded Palestine but was defeated by the Romans and made peace with Emperor Anastasius about 502; the Jafnids and the Arabs dependent on them became treaty-bound confederates (foederati or σύμμαχοι) of the Eastern Romans, who in turn committed themselves to regular monetary payments. Ǧabala was appointed phylarchos ("tribal leader") by the emperor and perhaps already placed at the head of all Arabs allied with the Romans. According to several researchers, this was the prerequisite for the subsequent constitution of the federation of the "Ghassanids" consisting of several tribes under the leadership of the Jafnids. The rise of the Jafnids took place against the background of the wars between the Romans and the Persians, which broke out again in 502.
Ǧabala's son was al-Ḥāriṯ ibn Ǧabala (Greek: Arethas, 529-569), the most famous Ghassanid prince. After war broke out again between Eastern Rome and the Persian Sassanids in 526, Emperor Justinian appointed him "king" (βασιλεύς) around 530. He fought against the Persians and their Arab allies, the Lachmids, and took part in the battle of Callinicum (Kallinikon) under Belisar in 531. The emperor awarded him the high title of patricius for this. In 540 conflicts between Ghassanids and Lachmids were a trigger for a renewed war between Romans and Persians. In 554 the Ghassanids won a significant victory over the Lachmids, whose sheikh Al-Munḏhir fell, allegedly killed by Arethas himself. Ecclesiastically, he espoused Monophysitism, as did his successors, but this was tolerated by the emperor for political reasons. His son al-Munḏhir ibn al-Ḥāriṯ (Greek Alamundaros, 569-582) was also successful militarily. In connection with the outbreak of another Roman-Persian war, however, tensions arose between him and the imperial court in 572, so that Justin II is said to have ordered his assassination; but the attempt failed. In 575 there was a brief reconciliation between the Romans and the Ghassanids. But after Alamundaros was finally deposed by the Eastern Romans in 582 on suspicion of betraying their interests and exiled to Sicily, the federation began to break up into several principalities. Although the Ghassanid phylarchy was restored under Emperor Heraclius (610-641), Eastern Roman frontier defenses in the Arabian Peninsula were considerably weakened and collapsed under Muslim onslaught after 634. Reportedly, a portion of the Ghassanids defected to the Muslims at the decisive Battle of Yarmuk in 636; however, a significant portion of the Arabs allied with Eastern Rome appear to have remained loyal to the emperor and left their homeland after the defeat.
War banner of the Ghassanids with the image of Saint Sergius
King List of the Jafnids
The historicity of the Jafnid princes before the late 5th century is not certain.
- Jafnah I ibn Amr (220-265)
- Amr I ibn Jafnah (265-270)
- Tha'labah ibn Amr (270-287)
- al-Harith I ibn Thalabah (287-307)
- Jabalah I ibn al-Harith I (307-317)
- al-Harith II ibn Jabalah "Ibn Maria" (317-327)
- al-Mundhir I senior ibn al-Harith II (327-330) with ...
- al-Aiham ibn al-Harith II (327-330) and ...
- al-Mundhir II Junior ibn al-Harith II (327-340) and ...
- an-Nuʿman I ibn al-Harith II (327-342) and ...
- Amr II ibn al-Harith II (330-356) and ...
- Jabalah II ibn al-Harith II (327-361)
- Jafnah II ibn al-Mundhir I (361-391) with ...
- an-Nuʿman II ibn al-Mundhir I (361-362)
- an-Nuʿman III ibn Amr ibn al-Mundhir I (391-418)
- Jabalah III ibn an-Nuʿman (418-434)
- an-Nuʿman IV ibn al-Aiham (434-455) with ...
- al-Harith III ibn al-Aiham (434-456) and ...
- an-Nuʿman V. ibn al-Harith (434-453)
- al-Mundhir II ibn an-Nuʿman (453-472) with ...
- Amr III ibn an-Nuʿman (453-486) and ...
- Hijr ibn an-Nuʿman (453-465)
- al-Harith IV ibn Hijr (486-512)
- Jabalah IV ibn al-Harith (512-529)
- al-Amr IV ibn Machi (529)
- al-Harith V. ibn Jabalah (529-569)
- al-Mundhir III ibn al-Harith (569-581) with ...
- Abu Kirab an-Nuʿman ibn al-Harith (570-582)
- an-Nuʿman VI ibn al-Mundhir (582-583)
- al-Harith VI ibn al-Harith (583)
- an-Nuʿman VII ibn al-Harith Abu Kirab (583-?)
- al-Aiham ibn Jabalah (?-614)
- al-Mundhir IV ibn Jabalah (614-?)
- Sharahil ibn Jabalah (?-618)
- Amr IV ibn Jabalah (618-628)
- Jabalah V. ibn al-Harith (628-632)
- Jabalah VI ibn al-Aiham (632-638)
