Upper Yafa

State of Upper Yafa
يافع العليا
Yāfi‘ al-‘Ulyā
State of the Protectorate of South Arabia
1680–1967
Flag of Upper Yafa
Flag
Emblem of Upper Yafa
Emblem

Upper Yafa in its region

Upper Yafa is the western exclave of the Protectorate of South Arabia (red) between the Federation of South Arabia (blue) and the Yemen Arab Republic (green) in this map of the region in the 1960s
CapitalMahjaba
Area 
• 1967 est.
1,600 km2 (620 sq mi)
Population 
• 1967 est.
35,000
Government
 • TypeConfederal Sultanate
 • Mottoإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأمُرُ بِالعَدلِ وَالإِحسَانِ
'Inn Alllah yamur bialeadl wal'iihsan
"Indeed, Allah commands justice and grace"
Historical era20th century
• Established
1680
• Disestablished
29 November 1967
Succeeded by
South Yemen
Upper Yafa stamp

Upper Yafa or Upper Yafa'i (Arabic: يافع العليا Yāfi‘ al-‘Ulyā), officially the State of Upper Yafa (Arabic: دولة يافع العليا Daulat Yāfiʿ al-ʿUlyā), was a military alliance in the British Aden Protectorate and the Protectorate of South Arabia. It was ruled by the Harharah dynasty and its capital was Mahjaba, a small town on a hill located about 50 km northeast of Habilayn.[1] Upper Yafa was one part of Yafa'a, the other part being Lower Yafa.

The sultan of Upper Yafa had very little control over Upper Yafa's constituent sheikdoms,[2] which had separate protectorate treaties with the British,[3] and were free to disassociate from the policies of the Upper Yafa sheikh.[2] The only time that the Upper Yafa sheikh held influence was during a crisis that threatened the independence of Upper Yafa's states, during which they would unite under the sultan. This meant that Upper Yafa was more akin to a military alliance than a genuine state.[2]

  1. ^ Picture of Mahjaba
  2. ^ a b c Gazetteer of Arabia. Vol. I. Government of India. 1917. p. 90.
  3. ^ Aitchison, G (1931). A Collection Of Treaties, Engagements And Sanads Relating To India And Neighbouring Countries. Vol. xi. Government of India. pp. 18–20. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.