'Unayza

Unayzah stands among the oases of Qasim on the southern side of Wadi al-Rummah. Wells and palm gardens gave the settlement its place in the dry Najd interior, while routes from Iraq to the Hijaz passed through the surrounding country. The town grew from several distinct communities, including al-Janah, associated with a branch of the Banu Khalid, and al-Mulayhah, al-Khurayzah and al-Uqayliyah. Each had its own defences before some were joined within a common wall. Earlier wells near the town were linked with the pilgrim road from Basra, whose travellers crossed Qasim on their way to the holy cities.

In 1686 Sharif Ahmad ibn Zayd advanced into Najd and came to Unayzah, whose quarters then had separate spheres of authority. Accounts of the town describe the construction of a wall enclosing several quarters and farmland, with space to sustain the inhabitants during a siege. The divisions did not disappear: in 1787 Abdullah ibn Rashid and his followers destroyed the northern quarter of al-Janah, and its people left the town.

Unayzah became entangled in the contest between the first Saudi state and its enemies. After Ibrahim Pasha captured Diriyah in 1818, the Qasim towns suffered further struggles among local leaders and repeated Ottoman-Egyptian campaigns. Insecurity and heavy exactions disrupted the life of the oasis.