Abdul Rahman ibn Faisal
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| Abd al-Rahman ibn Faisal ibn Turki Al Saud |
|---|
| House of Saud |
| Abd al-Rahman ibn Faisal ibn Turki ibn Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al Saud |
| Offspring |
Abd al-Rahman ibn Faisal (1850-1928) (Arabic: 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 capital Riyadh, Abd al-Rahman was sent to Baghdad to negotiate with the Ottoman Empire for help. Unsuccessful after two years, he tried to take Al-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 of Ha'il. Abd al-Rahman was finally defeated at the battle of Mulayda by forces of the Rashid and forced into exile. The family fled to the desert of the Rub al-Khali to the southeast among the Murra Bedouin, before finding refuge with the Al Khalifa family in Bahrain, and finally with the Al Sabah family in Kuwait. 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 become Saudi Arabia, Abd al-Rahman was styled Imam and considered the spiritual leader of the country, while Abd al-Aziz held secular and military authority. Abd al-Rahman died in 1928.
| Preceded by Faisal bin Turki |
Head of the House of Saud 1889-1891 |
Succeeded by Abdul Aziz ibn Abdul Rahman Al Saud |
