The History of the Jellabiyah
By Ali Bey from the Abbas Pasha Manuscript

Reprinted here with the kind generosity of the author, Judith Forbis.

"The history of the Kuhaylah Ibn Jarshan, and her name is Al Hanif, and her Al Zahiya and Al Jellabiya:

"In the presence of Huzam ibn Hathlin, the Sheikh of Al Ajman, those who were present at the majless (council) of Al Hasa were questioned about the Kuhaylah of Ibn Jarshan.

"Amir ibn Shayi' of Al Hathlin, and he is a whitehaired man, and Mani' ibn Muajjil, who is a whitehaired man and the paternal cousin of Huzam ibn Hathlin, and Mesaoud ibn Falah, the brother of Sirhan Al' Abd, and Ra'i (master) of the stud replied that:

"She is a Kuhaylan Ajuz, the first of Kuhayl, and the dearest and most valuable of the Arab of Nejd, and she is to be mated in the darkest night (Meaning there is no doubt about her whatever)). And she originates from Ibn Jarshan of Al Baqoum and has relatives at Ibn Jarshan's. And it happened there was a ghazu on Al Baqoum and they took the flock of sheep and camels of Ibn Jarshan. And when the news reached Ibn Jarshan that his flock of sheep were not returned, he rode his mare, Al Kuyhalah, caught up with the raiders and admonished them with this poem:

With my Kuhaylah
Ad my tribesmen
Fourscore horsemen
or archers forescore
Can't escape us.
Wish as you will
But futile your desire
To raid Rashid Ibn Jarshan,
For his mare,
Whose grazing lands are
The desert,
Brings pride and glory to
Her master.

And he took back his sheep form the tribe on that day.

"And Mohssen Ibn Darjan Al 'Abd of Al Ajman bought from Ibn Jarshan a safra (white) mare whose name is Al Dughaym, and he agreed to give the first foal to Ibn Jarshan. And Ibn Darjan mated her to a Rabshan Al Moyadi of our horses, O Ajman, and she produced a Khadra (white with a greenish tint) mare whose name is Al Shohayba, which was returned as methnawi to Ibn Jarshan. And Al Shohayba, was bought from Ibn Jarshan by Sirhan Al 'Abd of Al Ajman.

"And we mated Al Shohayba to Al Saqlawi Jedran, the horse of Abdul Aziz Al Saud, and she produced a safra (white) filly whose forefeet turn inward (hanef jawani) so they called he Al Hanif. An Al Shohayba was killed under Sirhan Al 'Abd during a battle with the people of Al Batabiya No'man.

"And we mated Al Hanif to the Saqlawi Jedran horse of Ibn Selba, which was related to the horses of Ibn 'Urayer, and she produced a khadra barda (snow or cold white) filly to Ibn Jellab of Al Murra.

"And the one which had been bought by Ibn Jellab, he acquired by methnawi (a leasing agreement). And he mated her to Al Ashqar (the chestnut), her maternal uncle, and she produced a shaqra (chestnut) filly which was owned in partnership by Ibn Jellab and Sirhan. And Sirhan took her, bue she died at his place when was four years old and without producing any color (foals).

"As for the mother, she went to Ibn Jellab for six years, but she did produce any color. Therefore Sirhan argued with Ibn Jellab and he took the mare by force and her Al Jellabiyah, after Ibn Jellab. And Sirhan mated her to Kuyhalan Zoayr of the horses of Ibn Saud, and she produced an asfar (white) horse.

"Then Abdullah Ibn Ahmed Al Khalifa asked for her, and her son and Abdullah took them and gave twelve hundred rial for the mother, two no'mani camels and two free birds (falcons?) and a slave and clothing for his people, and the gathering of dates (and the profit from them) for that year. And for the horse, he gave eight hundred rial. And Al Jellabiyah went to Ibn Khalifa, and she is the daughter of Al Hanif. The the strain of Al Jellabiyat was cut off from us."