Salihids

Salihids
سليح
4th century–6th century AD
Location of Salihids
StatusTribal confederation, Foederati of the Byzantine Empire
Religion
Christianity
GovernmentMonarchy
History 
• Established
4th century
• Disestablished
6th century AD
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Tanukhids
Ghassanids
Today part of

The Salīḥids (Arabic: بنو سليح), also known simply as Salīḥ or by their royal house, the Zokomids (in Arabic known as Ḍajaʿima) were the dominant Arab foederati of the Byzantine Empire in the 5th century. They succeeded the Tanukhids, who were dominant in the 4th century, and were in turn defeated and replaced by the Ghassanids in the early 6th century.

The Salihids were originally concentrated in the Sirhan Valley and Balqa regions, but spread as far as northern Syria after entering the service of the Byzantine Empire. The Salihids were charged with collecting tax from Bedouins seeking to dwell in the Limes Arabicus and protecting the Byzantine frontier from Bedouin raiders from the Arabian Peninsula and the Syrian Desert.

The Salihids were ardent Christians, and at least one of their phylarchs and kings, Dawud, built a Christian monastery, Deir Dawud.