- Abdul Rahman ibn Faisal
*Muhammad
*Abd al-Aziz
*Sa'd (1)
*Saud
*Abdallah
*Musa'id
*Faysal
*Abd al-Muhsin
*Fahd
*Ahmad
*Sa'd (2)
*sixteen daughtersAbd al-Rahman ibn Faisal (1850-1928) ( _ar. عبد الرحمن بن فيصل) was the youngest son of Faisal ibn Turki and father of King Abd al Aziz Al Saud, who founded the modern nation of
Saudi Arabia . Abd al-Rahman was also the last ruler of the "Second Saudi State".Upon the death of Faisal in 1865, his eldest son Abdallah succeeded as
Imam , but was challenged by his ambitious brother Saud. Abd al-Rahman was caught in the middle of the rivalry between brothers as they fought for control of the state, but he, along with his brother Muhammad, at first tended to align himself with Saud. In 1871, after Saud had taken the capitalRiyadh , Abd al-Rahman was sent toBaghdad to negotiate with theOttoman Empire for help. Unsuccessful after two years, he tried to takeAl-Hasa in the east where Abdallah was now based, but without success, and eventually returned to Riyadh. After Saud's death in 1875, Abd al-Rahman was recognized as successor, but within a year Riyadh was taken by Abdallah and he was forced to abdicate.In 1887 the sons of Saud ibn Faisal, who kept up desultory hostilities against their uncles, managed to capture Abdallah. The Al Rashid amirs of
Ha'il were able to secure Abdallah's release in exchange for Abd al-Rahman and Abdallah being taken to Ha'il and a Rashidi governor appointed to govern Riyadh. Abd al-Rahman was able to rise in revolt in 1887 and take and defend Riyadh, but his attempts to expand control ended in disaster. After a retreat to al-Ahsa, he retook Riyadh again in 1889.So far, the infighting had seen Saudi authority over the region of
Najd reduced to little more than nominal, and the only benefactors of the ongoing strife were the Al Rashid ofHa'il . Abd al-Rahman was finally defeated at the battle ofMulayda by forces of the Rashid and forced into exile. The family fled to the desert of theRub al-Khali to the southeast among theMurra Bedouin , before finding refuge with theAl Khalifa family inBahrain , and finally with theAl Sabah family inKuwait . After defeat at the battle of Sarif in 1901, he gave up all ambitions to recovery his patrimony. In later years, as his son built what was to becomeSaudi Arabia , Abd al-Rahman was styledImam and considered the spiritual leader of the country, while Abd al-Aziz held secular and military authority. Abd al-Rahman died in 1928.
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