Abdul-Rahman bin Faisal

Abdul-Rahman bin Faisal (1850–1928) (Arabic: عبد الرحمن بن فيصل‎ / ALA-LC: ‘Abd ar-Raḥman bin Fayṣal) was the last ruler of the Second Saudi State. He was the youngest son of Faisal bin Turki. He was the father of King Abdul-Aziz, who founded the modern nation of Saudi Arabia.

Royal Civil War

When Abdul-Rahman's brothers — Saud and Abdullah — were battling for power, Abdul-Rahman and his other brother Muhammad tended to align themselves with Saud. In 1871, after Saud had taken the capital Riyadh. Abdul-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 Abdullah was now based, but without success, and eventually returned to Riyadh. After Saud's death in 1875, Abdul-Rahman was recognized as successor, but within a year Riyadh was taken by Abdullah. He was forced to abdicate.

In 1887 the sons of Saud bin Faisal, who kept up desultory hostilities against their uncles, managed to capture Abdullah. The Al Rashid amirs of Ha'il were able to secure Abdullah's release in exchange for Abdul-Rahman. Abdullah was taken to Ha'il and a Rashidi emir appointed to him to govern Riyadh. Abdul-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. Abdul-Rahman was finally defeated at the Battle of Mulayda by forces of the Rashid and forced into exile.

Flight

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, Abdul-Rahman was styled Imam and considered the spiritual leader of the country, while Abdul-Aziz held secular and military authority. Abdul-Rahman died in 1928.