Frontier town · Contested ground · as at first light, 1 January 1200

Hajja

Mountain fortress-town of the north-western highlands between the Tihama and the Zaydi country.

Its holder on 1 January 1200 is not recorded; one summary of the chronicles has the mamluk Sunqur take refuge here before 1202.

Who holds it

Title
Not pinned
Since
Not pinned
Confidence
low

Lord in 1200

Not pinned; Sayf al-Din Sunqur was in refuge here by 598 (1202) according to one account.

Charter

None known: Yemeni towns had no charters; the ruler's governor (wali), the judge (qadi) and the market inspector (muhtasib) answered to the sultan or the imam.

Council

No sworn council; the notables, the qadi and the headman speak for the town. Names for 1199-1200 not pinned.

Communities

Hill tribes (Hashid and others).

Fairs and markets

Daily or weekly markets; no fair dates recorded for 1200.

Militia

Not recorded for 1199-1200.

Walls and castle

Fortress on the mountain.

Trade and crafts

Farm market.

Where the sources disagree

Evidence: One late reference.

Sources and studies

  1. 'Ismail ibn Tughtekin', English Wikipedia (after Ibn Wasil, al-Maqrizi, Ibn Khallikan, Ibn Khaldun, Ibn al-Dayba', Abu al-Fida, al-Khazraji, Taj al-Din al-Yamani)

Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.