Qays

Qays refers to a major northern Arabian tribal confederation in pre-Islamic and early Islamic history. In traditional Arab genealogies, Qays denotes a large Adnanite grouping that stood in contrast to the southern Yemeni-based tribes, collectively known as Yaman. The term is used in historical and genealogical sources to designate a broad coalition of tribes rather than a single, tightly organized state or clan.

Geography and composition were fluid over time. The Qays were associated with the northern Arabian regions, including parts of the Jazira (the Upper Mesopotamian plain), the northern Hijaz, and areas of the Levant. Its member tribes were spread across a wide area and formed shifting alliances that could align with different political contexts, from local power struggles to imperial administrations.

Historically, the Qays–Yaman division influenced politics, warfare, and patronage in the late antique and early Islamic periods. Tribal affiliations affected the distribution of troops, governance of frontier and garrison towns, and loyalties during dynastic transitions. In the Umayyad era, Qays factions were notably prominent in Syria and nearby regions, while various Yaman factions operated in other provinces; rivalries between these blocs helped shape provincial and caliphal politics, contributing to shifts in authority and leadership.

In modern scholarship, Qays is often treated as a genealogical and ethnographic label used to describe a broad, fluid network of northern Arabian tribes. It is recognized as a historical concept that evolved with migrations, political realignments, and the emergence of Islamic and post-Islamic polities.