Saud Ibn Faisal

During the life of Faisal Ibn Turk 's father, Prince Saud ibn Faisal took control of the southern part of Nejd . In 1865, after the death of his father, a feud broke out between him and his older brother, the official heir to Abdullah. Abdallah ibn Faisal was a brave and energetic man, a strict and severe ruler, which impressed the townspeople. Saud, on the contrary, was open and generous, he loved spectacular gestures, which evoked sympathy among the Bedouins.

Gathering forces to fight for the Riyadh throne, Saud ibn Faisal first appealed to Asir for support. Abdullah ibn Faisal immediately sent a delegation to Abha (the capital of Asir) to persuade Saud to return. He refused and left first to Najran , and then to the Ajmans (his mother came from this tribe). Gathering a detachment, Saud went to Wadi Ed-Dawasir. Abdullah sent an army against him. In the battle, Saud’s detachment was defeated, and he, seriously wounded, fled to the Bedouins of the al-Murra tribe.

In the fall of 1870 , having entered into an alliance with the Ajman and al-Murra tribes, Saud ibn Faisal invaded Al-Hasa. Abdallah ibn Faisal sent an army against him, led by his brother Muhammad. At a decisive moment, part of the nomads from the Riyadh army crossed over to the side of Saud, and his victory was complete. Muhammad was captured and imprisoned in Al-Katif, and the entire Eastern province swore allegiance to Saud.

In April-May 1871, Prince Saud ibn Faisal set off on a campaign to Riyadh . Abdullah fled south to the khahtans. The army of Saud occupied Riyadh and brutally plundered it, inciting universal hatred against itself. It is not surprising that Saud was soon expelled by his uncle, Abdallah ibn Turki.

In 1873, with the help of the British, Saud ibn Faisal returned to Riyadh , where at that time Abdullah ibn Faisal, who was supported by the Ottoman Turks, was located . But Saud’s power was shaky. In fact, only Riyadh was under his authority. Neither Kasim nor Jebel Shammar obeyed him. Nomadic tribes, for the most part, supported Abdullah. Saud’s attempts to obey them were unsuccessful. In one of the battles, he was even wounded.

Nedzh plunged into chaos more and more. It is not known how it would have ended if Saud had not suddenly died at the end of January 1875 under one data from smallpox, according to others - from poison.

• Ryzhov K.V. All monarchs of the world. Muslim East of the 15th – 20th centuries - M .: "Veche", 2004. - S. 393-398. - ISBN 5-9533-0384-X
• Vasiliev A. History of Saudi Arabia. 1745-1973