Ajman (tribe)

For other uses, see Ajman (disambiguation).

Al-'Ajman or al-'Ijman (Arabic: العجمان‎, singular "Ajmi") are a bedouin tribe of northeastern Arabia, with members spread across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and the U.A.E..

The tribe is an offshoot of the tribe of Banu Yam, the principal tribe of Najran near Yemen. The 'Ajman separated from Yam sometime in the 18th century, along with another sub-tribe known as Al Murrah. Both tribes migrated towards the east, with the Ajman settling the region between al-Ahsa and Kuwait, and Al Murrah ending up roaming regions further south on the border of the Empty Quarter desert. Unlike their parent tribe of Yam, who are predominantly Ismaili Shi'as, the Ajman and Al Murrah are entirely Sunni.

The 'Ajman were noted for their strength in battle and were important players in the wars and politics of eastern and central Arabia in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Their most famous leader (or shaikh) during the 19th century was Rakan ibn Hithlayn, who is still well known in Arabian tribal lore, and who was noted for his poetry as well as aptitude in battle against the Ottoman Turks. The 'Ajman, however, were defeated by Faisal ibn Turki, the second Imam of the Second Saudi State, who later married into the tribe. Later on, they supported the cause of the Saud al-Kabir branch of the Al Saud against their cousin Abdul Aziz ibn Saud, the founder of Saudi Arabia.

A section of the Ajman led by Dhaydan ibn Hithlayn joined the Ikhwan movement in 1912, providing military support for Ibn Saud, but later rebelled against him. The Ajman and their allies from the tribes of Mutair and Utaybah were defeated by Ibn Saud in 1930 in the Battle of Sbillah, which put an end to the Ikhwan rebellion.

Nearly all the Ajman have abandoned nomadic life and have settled in the Persian Gulf states, especially Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Their main tribal territory is Joudah, also known as Wadi el-Ajman ("the valley of the Ajman"), located on the road between Riyadh and Dammam..