Laḥj

Lahj is an oasis in the lowlands north of Aden, where cultivated fields and palm groves stand amid the dry country of southern Arabia. Its farmland produced grain, sesame and vegetables, and its position close to Aden tied the oasis to the port on the coast. Lahj became the seat of rulers whose authority extended from the inland settlements to the harbour.

In 1728 Fadl ibn Ali, chief of the Abdali, rejected the authority of the imam of Sanaa and declared his independence. His forces took Aden in 1735, making the port part of the Sultanate of Lahj. The new rulers faced repeated challenges: in 1753 a rebel held Lahj for several months while Aden was blockaded, and in 1771 the oasis was briefly occupied after another siege. The fortunes of the inland capital and the port remained closely connected, as the sultans defended their position among the competing powers of southern Yemen.