Dahis and al-Ghubra

Dahis and al-Ghubra
Date	After 534 CE
Location	Al Yamama
Result	Inconclusive Truce formed between the two tribes; Blood money paid by external parties;
Belligerents
Banu Abs	Banu Dhubyan (supported by the Tayy and Hawazin)
Commanders and leaders
Qays ibn Zuhayr	Hudhayfah ibn Badr

Dahis and al-Ghubra (Arabic: داحس والغبراء) was an armed conflict between two tribes of the Ghatafan. The conflict started due to a dispute over horse betting and occurred in the 6th century CE.

Background

The chief of Banu Abs, Qays ibn Zuhayr, had organized a horse betting event with the chief of Banu Dhubyan, Hudhayfah ibn Badr.^[1]^[2]^[3] Qays brought a horse named Dahis, while Hudhayfah brought a horse named al-Ghubra. The winner would receive at least a hundred camels from the rival tribe.^[1]^[2]^[3]

During the race, the Banu Dhubyan sent a few men from their tribe to distract the horse named Dahis.^[1]^[2]^[3] As a result, Dahis slowed down and its rival al-Ghubra was able to win. When the Banu Abs heard about this, they ordered the Banu Dhubyan to pay the hundred camels, as they were the ones who would have won if not for the intervention.^[1]^[2]^[3] But Hudhayfah ibn Badr refused to pay up, and the Banu Abs responded by stabbing his brother to death. Banu Dhubyan retailiated by stabbing the brother of Qays ibn Zuhayr. The stabbings led to a series of bloody violence between the tribes.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Conflict

Course of conflict

The fighting lasted for approximately forty years.^[1]^[2] The pre-Islamic poet Antarah ibn Shaddad was one of the fighters in the war, fighting on the side of the Banu Abs.^[1]^[2] Other Arabian tribes including the Hawazin and the Tayy participated in the conflict on the side of the Banu Dhubyan.^[1]^[3] More than a hundred people died in the fighting, which included Hudhayfah ibn Badr and Antarah ibn Shaddad.^[1]

Some of the Banu Abs, however, refrained from fighting in order to guard the caravans of the Lakhmids that were passing through Al Yamama.^[4] The Lakhmid ruler at the time, Al-Nu'man III ibn al-Mundhir, had promised the Banu Abs rewards if they successfully protected his caravans.^[4] This led to the envy of the Banu Dhubyan, and further escalated the conflict.^[4]

End of conflict

Two merchants from neighboring tribes intervened and offered to pay the blood money for both the Banu Abs and Banu Dhubyan as well as all the lives of the chiefs that were taken during the conflict.^[2]^[5] A truce was formed between the Banu Abs and Banu Dhubyan, ending the conflict.^[2]^[5]

Time period

The conflict happened a few years after the Basus War, which occurred in circa 494–534 CE.^[1] This would indicate that the conflict happened in the 6th century.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Barru, Taufique (2001). Tarikh al-'Arab al-Qadim (2nd ed.). Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Al Fikr.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Ibn Abd Rabbih (1937). Kitāb al-ʿIqd al-Farīd [The Unique Necklace]. Morocco: Maktaba At-Ta'lif At-Taryama Wa'l Nasar.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Ibn al-Athir (2009). al-Kāmil fī al-tārīkh. Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Sader. ISBN 9789953136578.
^ ^a ^b ^c "The story of the war of Dahis and al-Ghubra". Qassas. 17 September 2012.
^ ^a ^b Nicholson, R. A. (2010-01-01). A Literary History of the Arabs. Cosimo, Inc. ISBN 978-1-61640-340-9.

[:0-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Barru, Taufique (2001). Tarikh al-'Arab al-Qadim (2nd ed.). Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Al Fikr.

[:1-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Ibn Abd Rabbih (1937). Kitāb al-ʿIqd al-Farīd [The Unique Necklace]. Morocco: Maktaba At-Ta'lif At-Taryama Wa'l Nasar.

[:2-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Ibn al-Athir (2009). al-Kāmil fī al-tārīkh. Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Sader. ISBN 9789953136578.

[:3-4] "The story of the war of Dahis and al-Ghubra". Qassas. 17 September 2012.

[:4-5] Nicholson, R. A. (2010-01-01). A Literary History of the Arabs. Cosimo, Inc. ISBN 978-1-61640-340-9.

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