| Al-Bahah expedition | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Ottoman-Saudi War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Ottoman Empire |  Emirate of Diriyah  Zahran tribe | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Abidin Bey Mahuo Beg Hussain Bey | Bakhrosh ibn A'llas Tami bin Shu'aib | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 880 killed | 60 killed | ||||||
The Al Bahah Expedition was a military expedition launched by the Ottoman army against the Zahran tribes in Al Bahah. The operation ended in another Ottoman defeat.
Having been defeated by the Zahran tribes, the Ottoman commander, Abidin Bey, launched another expedition to subjugate the Zahran tribes living in the Al-Bahah region. After reinforcements had arrived, Abidin Bey launched his attack and subjugated some of the Zahran provinces, south of Taif, to prevent the Saudi attacks. He laid waste to the country for 40 miles and destroyed any passage available for troops. Abidin Bey then encamped on one side of the wasted desert. [2] [3]
With the assistance of Tami bin Shu'aib, the Zahran commander, Bakhrosh ibn A'llas, encamped south of the Ottoman camp. In addition to failing to build entrenchments, the Ottomans also failed to establish advanced posts in front of the enemy. Early in the morning, the Saudis attacked the Ottoman camp, fell upon sleeping Albanian soldiers, and abandoned their positions. Despite the resistance of a few hundred Ottomans under Mahuo Beg, Saudi forces overwhelmed them, and they fled. Hussain Bey provided cover for the retreat, and Bakhrosh pursued them for two days. As a result, the Ottomans lost their tents, baggage, and guns, as well as 800 infantry and 80 cavalry. [4] [5]
The Ottomans arrived in Lye, 4 hours from Taif. Here, Abidin Bey received reinforcements from Taif, and the Saudis returned home. Muhammad Ali Pasha ordered him to advance, but panic struck the Ottomans, and they half-deserted for Taif. [6] [7] The Saudis lost only 60 men. [8] [9]
As a result of this defeat, Ottoman morale plummeted. Abidin Bey had a high reputation for skill and courage among his troops. However, this defeat convinced him that his men were not inclined to fight and that fighting the Saudis would be in vain. [10]
The Hejaz is a region that includes the majority of the west coast of Saudi Arabia, covering the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Tabuk, Yanbu, Taif and Baljurashi. It is thus known as the "Western Province", and it is bordered in the west by the Red Sea, in the north by Jordan, in the east by the Najd, and in the south by the Region of 'Asir. Its largest city is Jeddah, which is the second-largest city in Saudi Arabia, with Mecca and Medina, respectively, being the fourth- and fifth-largest cities in the country.
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Al-Ghamdi is an Arabic family name denoting a member of the Ghamd tribe of Saudi Arabia.
Zahran, also known as Banū ʿZahrān ibn Kaʿab, is one of the oldest Arabian tribes in the Arabian Peninsula. It is regarded as one of the largest tribes in Al Bahah Province.
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The Ghamd is an Azd Arab tribe of the Hejaz Region. They are predominantly Sunni, and are considered one of the oldest tribes of the Arabian Peninsula. The Ghamid people are thought to be closely related to the neighboring tribe of Zahran.
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