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Islam entered Yemen even as the Prophet was alive. In 628 AD, Badhan, the Persian governor of Yemen got converted to Islam. Following him, many of the Sheiks and their tribes converted to Islam. During this period, the famous mosque of Janad and the great mosque of Sana were built. After the conquest of Mecca in 630 AD, a very active missionary work started in Yemen. When the center of Islamic power shifted from Arabian Peninsula to the Persian Gulf, Yemen was left to itself. A series of dynasties sprang up and vanished shortly in Yemen between the 8th and the 14th century. The strict Islamic state called Zaydi dynasty was founded in 897 in the northern region which was the only one to survive for long until Yemen’s 1962 revolution. Similarly, the Kathirids who lead the scene in the south in the fifteenth century lasted till 1967.
In the fifteenth century, the Ottomans (Turks) came to prominence. During this time, the town on the Red sea coast called al Moka emerged as the most important coffee port in the world. For several reasons, Britain’s interest over this region was greatly growing during this period. The Zaydi dynasty threw the Turks out of the empire in 1636. In the developments that took place later in 1839, the British took Aden and made it a protectorate extending their rule over a great part of the south. In 1849, the Ottomans retuned taking over the northwest part of the country. By the 19th century AD, Britain had signed a series of treaties announcing this region as the South Arabian Protectorate of Great Britain.
In 1918, the Turks retreated from Yemen. Following this, Imam Yahya established the kingdom of Yemen. Though he had a firm control over the Tihama; Yemen's northern tribes fought to place their own leader in power. To achieve this, they allied with the state of Saudi Arabia, which was then newly formed. In the 1934 Saudi-Yemeni war, Saudi Arabia took over Yemen's Asir region. During the 30 years that followed, the condition of Yemen was miserable with poor infra structure, almost no doctors and scarce literacy levels.
Imam Yahya was followed by his son Imam Ahmed who stayed in power till 1962. After his death, al-Badr followed him for a brief period. Al-Badr was overthrown by a group of revolutionaries who founded the Yemen Arab Republic. During 1960, violence and struggles ravaged the southern part. In 1967, Adan secured independence from the British Protectorate leading to the formation of the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen. However, only after the unification of the Yemen Arab Republic (North) with the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (South) in 1990, the Republic of Yemen was declared.
In 1991, a constitution was ratified by the people of Yemen that provided for free elections, a multi-party system and recognition of human rights. However, the problems continued with power struggles between YAR and PDRY, leading to a civil war in 1994. The southerners tried once again to find their own state. However, the northerners were too powerful. The country eventually got united under the leadership of President Saleh.
In 2000, the US naval vessel USS Cole was destroyed in a suicide attack in Aden, during when seventeen U.S. personnel were killed. This event branded Yemen as a supporter of al-Qaeda and the harbour of terrorists in the eyes of the U.S. This condition worsened with the attack of September 11 on the WTC. However, the government took strict measures to crack down suspected terrorists and their networks that existed within the country. Amidst political strife, several disturbances from outside and within the country, Yemen continues to march towards progress as a modern republic.
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