# List of rulers of Saba and Himyar

This is a list of rulers of Saba' and Himyar, ancient Arab kingdoms which are now part of present-day Yemen. The kingdom of Saba' became part of the Himyarite Kingdom in the late 3rd century CE.
The title Mukarrib (Old South Arabian: 𐩣𐩫𐩧𐩨, romanized: mkrb) was used by the rulers of Saba' along the title Malik (Old South Arabian: 𐩣𐩡𐩫, romanized: mlk). The title of Mukarrib might have been used as a formal title for the head of a commonwealth of different šaʿb (community) groups until it eventually disappeared by the start of the first millennium AD. On the other hand, Malik was used as a title for the head of a šaʿb with various legal obligations. Later, the title of Malik transformed to imply territorial rule. After the fall of Dhu Nuwas around 530 CE to the Aksumite Empire, Yemen was open for foreign domination by the Aksumites and later the Sasanian Empire, both of whom installed local vassal rulers over the Yemeni people.

## Mukarribs of Saba' (1000–620 BCE)

| | Mukarrib | Reigned | Notes |
| 1 | Yatha' 'Amr Bayin | circa 1000–950 BC | |
| 2 | Yada'il Bayin | | |
| 3 | Samah'ali Yanuf | | |
| 4 | Yatha' 'Amar Watar | | |
| 5 | Yakrib Malek Dzarah | | |
| 6 | Yakrib Malik Watar | | |
| 7 | Samah'ali Yanuf II | | |
| 8 | Yada'il Bayin II | | |
| 9 | Yatha' 'Amar Watar II | | He was a contemporary of Sargon II. |
| 10 | Yada' Ab | | |
| 11 | Yada'il Bayin III | | |
| 12 | Yakrib Malik Watar II | | |
| 13 | Yatha' 'Amar Bayin II | | |
| 14 | Karib'il Watar | | He was a contemporary with Sennacherib. Not to be confused with the later king Karib'il Watar. |
| 15 | Yada' Ab II | | |
| 16 | Akh Karib | | |
| 17 | Samah'ali Watar | | |
| 18 | Yada'il Dharih | | Son of Samah'ali Watar (17). |
| 19 | Samah'ali Yanuf III | | Son of Yada'il Dharih (18). |
| 20 | Yatha' 'Amar Watar III | | Son of Yada'il Dharih (18) and the brother of Samah'ali Yanuf III (19). |
| 21 | Yada'il Bayin IV | | Son of Yatha' 'Amar Watar III (20). |
| 22 | Yada'il Watar | | Son of Yatha' 'Amar Watar III (20) and is the brother of Yada'il Bayin IV (21). |
| 23 | Dhamar Ali Dharih | | Son of Yada'il Bayin IV (21). |
| 24 | Yatha' 'Amar Watar IV | | Son of Samah'ali Yanuf III (19). |
| 25 | Karib'il Bayin | | Son of Yatha' 'Amar Watar IV (24). |
| 26 | Samah'ali Yanuf IV | | Son of Yatha' 'Amar Watar IV (24) and brother of Karabil Bayin (25). |
| 27 | Dhamar Ali Watar | | Son of Samah'ali Yanuf IV (26). |
| 28 | Samah'ali Yanuf V | | Son of Dhamar Ali Watar (27). |
| 29 | Yatha' 'Amar Bayin III | | Son of Samah'ali Yanuf V (28). |
| 30 | Yakrib Malik Watar III | | |
| 31 | Dhamar Ali Yanuf | | Son of Yakrib Malik Watar III (30). |

## Kings of Saba'

| | King | Reigned | Notes |
| 32 | Karib'il Watar II | 620–600 BC | Son of (31). |
| 33 | Sumuh'ali Dharih | 600–580 BC | Son of (32). |
| 34 | Karib'il Watar III | 580–570 BC | Son of (33). |
| 35 | Ilīsharaḥ I | 570–560 BC | Son of (33). |
| 36 | Yada'il Bayin V | 560–540 BC | Son of (34). |
| 37 | Yakrib Malik Watar IV | 540–520 BC | Son of (36). |
| 38 | Yatha' Amar Bayin IV | 520–500 BC | Son of (37). |
| 39 | Karib'il Watar IV | 500–480 BC | Son of (38). |
| 40 | Sumuh'ali Yanuf VI | 480–460 BC | Son of (39). |
| 41 | Yada'il Bayin VI | | Son of (39). |
| 42 | Yatha' 'Amar Watar V | | Son of (39). |
| 43 | Ilsharih II | 460–445 BC | Son of 41 |
| 44 | Zamir Ali Bayin I | 445–430 BC | Son of 41 |
| 45 | Yada'il Watar II | 430–410 BC | Son of 44 |
| 46 | Zamir Ali Bayin II | 410–390 BC | Son of 45 |
| 47 | Samah'ali Yanuf VII | | Son of (46) |
| 48 | Karib'il Watar V | 390–370 BC | Unknown parentage, probably the son of (46) |
| — | Unknown | 370–350 BC | A period of time without any inscriptions dedicated to a ruler. |
| 49 | Karib Yuhan'im | 350–330 BC | Son of an uncertain "Ham 'Athat" |
| 50 | Karib'il Watar VI | 330–310 BC | Son of (49) |
| 51 | Wahhab Shamsam/Al-Yahiz | 310–290 BC | Son of an unspecified "Halik 'Amar" although he has also been identified as the son of another unspecified personality named "Saraw" |
| 52 | Anmar Yuha'min I | 290–270 BC | Son of (51) |
| 53 | Dhamar Ali Dharih II | 270–250 BC | Son of (52) |
| 54 | Nasha'karib Yuha'min | 250–230 BC | Son of (53) |
| — | Unknown | 230–200 BC | A period of the time without any inscriptions dedicated to a ruler. |
| 55 | Nasir Yuhan'em | 200–180 BC | |
| 56 | Dhamar Ali Bayin III | | |
| 57 | Wahhab/Al-Yahiz II | 180–160 BC | |
| 58 | Karib'il Watar Yuhan'im | 160–145 BC | Son of (57). |
| 59 | Anmar Yuha'min II | | Son of (57). |
| 60 | Yarim 'Aymin | 145–115 BC | Son of an unspecified "Awsalat Rafshan" and he usurped the throne with his son |
| 61 | Alhan Nahfan | | Son of (60) who usurped the throne alongside his father. |
| 62 | Far'am Yanhab | 130–125 BC | Regained the legitimate throne of Saba'. |

## Kings of Saba' & Dhu Raydan

| | King | Reigned | Notes |
| 63 | Sha'ram Awtar | | Son of (61). |
| 64 | Ilisharih Yahdhib | | Son of (62). He was probably Strabo's "Ilasarus". Contemporary with Sha'ram Awtar, see (63). |
| 65 | Yazil Bayin | | Son of (62). He allied with his brother see (64) against Sha'ram Awtar (63). |
| 67 | Hayu Athtar Yazi' | | |
| 68 | Karib'il Watar Yuhan'im II | | Son of (56). Probably the king Charibael of the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, said to have dominion over the major ports of Azania (the Swahili coast) through a vassal located at Saba'. |
| 69 | Watar Yuha'min | | Son of (64). |
| 70 | Dhamar Ali Dharih III | | Son of (68). |
| 71 | Nasha'karib Yuha'min Yuhar'ib | | Son of (64). |
| 72 | Karib'il Bayin II | | Son of (68). |
| 73 | Yasir Yuhasdiq | | |
| 74 | Sa'd Shams 'Asri | | Son of (64). |
| 75 | Murthid Yuhahm'id | | Son of (74). |
| 76 | Dhamar Ali Yahbur | 135–175 | Son of 73. His statue made by the Greek sculptors is well preserved and on display at the National Museum of Yemen. |
| 77 | Tha'ran Ya'ub Yuhan'im | | Son of (76). Has a statue preserved in the National Museum of Yemen. |
| 78 | Dhamar Ali Yahbur II | | Son of (77). |
| 79 | Shamdar Yuhan'im | | |
| 80 | Amdan Bayin Yuhaqbiz | | |
| 81 | Hutar Athat Yafish | | |
| 82 | Karab Athat Yuhaqbiz | | |
| 83 | Shahar Aymin | | |
| 84 | Rabb Shams Nimran | | |
| 85 | Al-Izz Nawfan Yuhasd'iq | | |
| 86 | Sa'd Um Nimran | | |
| 87 | Yasir Yuhan'im | | |

## Kings of Saba' & Dhu Raydan & Hadhramaut & Yamnat (2nd Himyarite Kingdom)

| | King | Reigned | Notes |
| 88 | Shammar Yahr'ish | AD 275–300 | Son of 87 |
| 89 | Yarim Yuharhib | | Son of 88 |
| 90 | Yasir Yuhan'im III | | Son of 88 |
| 91 | Tharin Ayfi' | | Son of 90 |
| 92 | Dhara'amar Ayman I | | Son of 90 |
| 93 | Karabil Watar Yuhan'em III | | |
| 94 | Tharin Yakrib | | Son of 88 |
| 95 | Dhamar Ali Yahbur II | 321–324 | Son of 94 |
| 96 | Tharan Yuhanim | 324–375 | Son of 95 |

## King of Saba', Dhu Raydan, Hadramawt, Yamnat and their Arabs, on Tawdum (the high plateau) and Tihamat

This period of time is most famously featured in Arabian legends. This is also the last period of native Yemeni rule.
| | King | Reigned | Notes |
| 97 | Malkikarib Yuhamin | 375–400 | Son of (96). He is the first king to officially convert to Judaism and remove previous polytheistic invocations from records and inscriptions. He also replaced the Great Temple of the pagan god Almaqah with a mikrāb for Jewish organization. Later tradition ascribes the conversion to Judaism to his son, Abu Karib. |
| 98 | Abu Karib As'ad | 390–440 | Son of (97). Judaism was made the state religion during his rule. Some Arab traditions relate that he was the first ruler to put a covering over the Kaaba during his attempted invasion of Mecca. |
| 99 | Hassan Yuha'min | 440–450 | Son of (98). He shared kingship with his brother Sharhabil Yafar for a while. |
| 100 | Sharhabil Yafar | 450–465 | Son of (98). Known as 'Amr in the Arabian folklore and traditions. |
| 101 | Sharhabil Yakkuf | 465–480 | He is believed to have started a new dynasty, as his patronymic is not mentioned in any inscription. Sharhabil Yakkuf is also featured in Ethiopian folklore as being a king who accepted Judaism and persecuted the Christians living in Arabia. |
| 102 | Lakhni'ah Yanuf | 480–502 | He is the son of (101) and did start off his political career by sharing the royal power with his father and other two brothers, Abu Shamir Nawaf and Ma'dikarib Yun'im. Some inscriptions also cite him as being from the Dhu Hasbah/Dhu Asbah tribe. |
| 103 | Marthad'ilan Yu'nim | 502–504 | He is the son of (102) and helped to build a synagogue for the local Jewish community, as well as repaired a local place of worship as stated in Inscription YM 1200. |
| 104 | Marthad'ilan Yanuf | 504–515 | A Christian, he engaged in diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Aksum. |
| 105 | Ma'dikarib Ya'fur | 515–517 | He was appointed as a king by the Aksumite Empire. In the Arabian folklore, Ma'dikarib Ya'fur does not exist, and is instead replaced by an unknown Dhu Shanatir. |
| 106 | Dhu Nuwas | 517–530 | The last of the native Himyarite kings, he rose to power in 517 after assassinating (104). His real name was Yusuf As'ar Yathar and his father was an unknown Sharhabil, thought to have been Sharhabil Yakkuf (101). He was known for his persecutions of Christians. He was killed in the year 530 during the Aksumite conquest of Yemen by King Kaleb. |

## Aksumite rulers of Saba' and Himyar

After the Aksumites successfully invaded and subsequently took control of Yemen, they appointed a native Christian as the vassal ruler of Saba' and Himyar. However, later on actual Abyssinians would rule Saba' and Himyar temporarily until the Sasanian Empire conquered Yemen under request from the native Yemenis.
| | King | Reigned | Notes |
| 107 | Sumyafa Ashwa | 530–535 | A native from Himyar who had converted to Christianity, Sumyafa Ashwa was appointed by Kaleb as the ruler of Saba' and Himyar. He was deposed and overthrown in 535 by Abraha, who usurped the throne from him. |
| 108 | Abraha | 535–570 | A usurper to the throne, he deposed Sumyafa Ashwa by force and imprisoned him. He also turned against Kaleb, but they later reconciled and he was allowed to keep his throne. He is best known for his attempted invasion of Mecca, a famous story in Islamic literature and exegesis. |
| 109 | Yaksum ibn Abraha | 570–571 | Son of Abraha, he ruled for no more than one year, as he ascended the throne in 570, but died the following year. |
| 110 | Masruq ibn Abraha | 571–572 | Son of Abraha and the brother of Yaksum. After his brother's death, he took the throne. During this time period, the native Yemenis revolted against him and later on, they were assisted by forces from the Persian Sasanian Empire. Masruq was ultimately killed in the attack by the invading Persian army, ending Aksumite rule over Himyar. |

## Vassal rulers of the Sasanian Empire

| | King | Reigned | Notes |
| 111 | Ma'adi Yakrib ibn Abi Murrah | 572–574 | Appointed as a vassal king by the Sasanian Empire. He ruled for two years until he was stabbed to death by Abyssinian assailants whom he had hired as his servants. After his death, his son Ma'dikarib was made a temporary ruler of Yemen. |