The first Rasulid Sultan, Nur ad-Din Umar I, seized several places in the highland, such as San'a, Ta'izz and Kawkaban.
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The old imam al-Mansur Abdallah died in 1217 in Kawkaban after many years of inconclusive struggles against the Ayyubids, who established a sub-branch in Yemen in 1173.
He was opposed by another claimant, an-Nasir Muhammad, who was supported by the Hashid and Bakil, and by the lord of Kawkaban.
These delivered him into the hands of the newly proclaimed imam al-Mansur al-Husayn III who was based at at-Tawilah west of Kawkaban.
Al-Mu'ayyad Muhammad ruled San'a and the surrounding districts; the Kawkaban area stood under the sons of the old imam al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar; and the traditional Zaidi centre Sa'dah and its districts were divided between al-Mansur Muhammad and two other families.
The sons of the old imam al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar dominated Kawkaban, and the region around the traditional Zaidi centre Sa'dah was divided between imam al-Mansur Muhammad and two other factions.
After the death of a-Mansur in Kawkaban, Izz ad-Din Muhammad was proclaimed as imam under the name an-Nasir Muhammad.
Kawkaban |
Musnad texts mention five royal palaces at Zafar: Hargab, Kallanum, Kawkaban, Shawhatan and Raydan, the state palace.