Fendi Al-Fayez | |
|---|---|
 Fendi Al-Fayez c. 1873 | |
| Died | April 14, 1879 (aged 78) |
| Resting place | Abila, Jordan |
| Other names | Fendi el Faiz, Fendy el Feis |
| Occupation | Arabian Leader |
| Years active | 1820–1879 |
| Children | |
| Relatives | Mithqal Al Fayez (Grandson) Akef Al-Fayez (Great Grandson) |
Fendi bin Abbas bin Awad Al Fayez (Arabic: فندي بن عباس بن عواد الفايز; c. 1800–1879) was an Arab tribal leader and a sovereign Emir from the Al-Fayez family who was the paramount Sheikh of the Bani Sakher clan from the 1820s up until his death. He is widely regarded as the most influential figure in the Bani Sakher, dubbed the Old King east of the Jordan and one of the most powerful tribal figures in Arabia in the 19th century. Fendi's first documented tribal battle was as early as 1820[1] when he was just twenty years old.
By the end of his reign he expanded his tribe's territory to cover the ancient Kingdom of Moab, Ammon, and the Bashan, including Madaba, Um Al Amad, Al Jeezah, Al Qastal, Jibāl al Lafīfah, parts of Ajloun, Dhiban, and other areas in South Amman and in Ma'an. He would also collect Jizya in the Plains of Esdraelon and Tiberias and would stay there for vacation in his domain.[2] In addition to his own vast lands, Fendi and his 4,500-strong army[3] vassalized all of Al Karak and Al Tafilah directly[4] and large parts of northern Palestine such as Al Galilee through Aqil Agha[5] to become the most powerful independent ruler in the region since the Ottoman expansion of Selim I in 1517.[6] In addition to becoming a guardian of pilgrims, he was also dubbed The Old King by locals and explorers alike in reference to his long reign.[7][8]
Fendi had 14 sons: Satm, Sattam, Talal, Haza', S'fouq, Muhammad, Barjas, Nayef, Farhan, Jrooh, Hayel, Sahen, Saleh, and Jid'an. He was succeeded by his son Satm Al-Fayez, who was immediately faced with a schism in his family following Fendi's death. Satm's contested role would end with his death two years later, to be succeeded by Fendi's chosen heir and Satm's younger brother, Sattam.
Fendi's descendants would continue to lead the Al-Fayez family and the Bani Sakher.
- ^ Peake, Frederick (1958). A History of Jordan and It's Tribes. Coral Gables, Florida: University of Miami Press. p. 156.
- ^ Conder, Claude (1880). Tent Work in Palestine. Richard Bentley & Son, New Burlington Street, London.: Published for the Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund. p. 112.
- ^ Kitchener, H.H (7 September 1877). "Journal of the Survey" (PDF). Palestine Exploration Quarterly. 10: 11.
- ^ Guarmani, Carlo (1938). Northern Najd. London, England: The Argonaut Press. pp. 109–110.
- ^ Macalister and Masterman, 1906, p. 287
- ^ The Classical Age, 1453–1600 Retrieved on 16 September 2007
- ^ Tristram, Henry Baker (1873). The Land of Moab. London, Murray, Albemarle Street: Cambridge University Press. pp. 226–228. ISBN 9781108042062.
- ^ Fish, Henry C (1876). Bible Lands Illustrated. Columbia University: American Publishing Company. pp. 305.