In Arabian culture, as well, women played an important role in battle. David E. Jones, in his book Women Warriors: A History. describes the role of the battle queen:
- The emotional center of traditional Arab tribal warfare, the cult of the battle queen, derived from the earliest roots of Arabic culture, evolved through time, and still exists in the twentieth century…She formed the center of the cult, the members of which included ranking women of the tribe, who functioned to incite fiery patriotism, iron resolve, and battle fervor in male warriors…When the warriors were stirred to a frenzy, the battle queen mounted her camel and led them into battle. Sometimes this woman functioned merely as a ritual figure with little direct military purpose: a combination cheerleader, symbolic commander in chief, goddess, and living pinup. At other times, however, when not a weapon-wielding combatant, she served as a field general. The center of the battle was always occupied by the battle queen in her litter with her accompanying retinue. She acted as a visual and spiritual rallying point for her soldiers.
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Among the more colorful of the Arabian battle queens were Hind al-Hunud and Khawlah Bint al-Kindiyyah. Hind al-Hunud fought the prophet Mohammed in battle in the seventh century A. D. Chroniclers of the fight describe her as “brandishing a broadsword with great gusto.” After victories, she reputedly stood atop her slain enemies and rhapsodized about her martial prowess. When her husband surrendered Mecca to Mohammed against her wishes, the Hind argued for his death for cowardice and treason. Khawlah Bint al-Kindiyyah and her female captains were riding in front of an Arab army when they were confronted by a large Greek invasion force. The disciplined and highly organized Greek forces soon routed the Arab army. Khawlah and her captains, Alfra’Bint Ghifar al-Humayriah, Oserrah, and Wafeira, assumed control of the fleeing Arab forces and turned them back on the Greeks. When a Greek soldier knocked Khawlah to the ground and advanced for the kill, Wafeira severed his head with her sword and displayed it for all to see. The Arabs rallied and routed the Greeks One historian who saw Khawlah in battle described her as a “tall knight muffled in black and fighting with ferocious courage.” She and her captains were eventually captured in battle near Damascus. Khawlah viewed their treatment by their captors as rude and roused her captains to escape. The women took on their Greek guards with tent poles and forced them to flee.
- The improbability of a woman wielding a tent pole matching a Greek knight armed with a sword can be addressed by appealing to the training methods of the fighting systems of the Orient (kung fu, Kempo, karate, etc.). The staff (tent pole in this case) is generally the first and the last weapon taught. A Chinese kung fu master once remarked to the author, only half in jest, that in China one should most fear having to fight ‘some old person with a stick.’ Khawlah and her retinue were experienced warriors with the strength and know-how to control a camel in battle, fight with the sword and lance, and render a simple tent pole into a very effective weapon (Jones).
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These are just two of the women representing a tradition dating back as far as 1700 B.C. While not all battle queens in Arabian history were as martial as these two, their very presence on the battlefield is unexpected. The very idea of Arab women as an integral part of warfare is astonishing when faced with modern stories of the restrictions placed upon women in the Middle East.
Zabibi and her successor Samsi reigned as Arabian warrior queens from approximately 740 to 720 BC. Both commanded armies containing large numbers of women.
 Septima Zenobia governed Syria from about 250 to 275 AD. She led her armies on horseback wearing full armor and during Claudius' reign defeated the Roman legions so decisively that they retreated from much of Asia Minor. Arabia, Armenia and Persia allied themselves with her and she claimed dominion over Egypt by right of ancestry. Claudius' successor Aurelian sent his most experienced legions to conquer Zenobia but it took almost 4 years of battles and sieges before her capital city of Palmyra fell and Zenobia along with nine other martial queens of allied provinces were paraded through the streets of Rome in chains. Aurelian exiled Zenobia to Tibur. Her daughters married into influential Roman families and her line continued to be important in Roman politics for almost three centuries.
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250ad Septima Zenobia - Zenobia (flourished 3rd century AD), queen of Palmyra, wife of King Odenathus, born in Palmyra (now Tadmor, Syria). Following the assassination of her husband, in which she is believed to have been implicated, Zenobia succeeded to power as regent for their young son. Within three years, she extended her rule to all of Syria, to Egypt, and to most of Asia Minor, ostensibly in alliance with Rome. In 271, however, because of Zenobia's aggressiveness in the East, the Roman emperor Lucius Domitius Aurelian took up arms against her. After gaining control of nearly all of Zenobia's domain, Aurelian besieged the city of Palmyra. It fell, and Zenobia was captured and taken to Rome. Later she was given an estate at Tibur (now Tivoli, Italy), where she spent the rest of her life in pensioned retirement. A beautiful and brilliant woman, Zenobia is remembered for her ruthless ambition.
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Mavia, was Queen of the Bedouin Saracens from 370 to 380 AD. Between 373 and 380 A.D. she led them into battles in Palestine, Phoenicia and Egypt. After confronting her in a battle in Phoenicia, a general of the Roman army requested assistance from the supreme commander of the eastern Roman army. Despite this, Mavia continued winning battle after battle until the Roman army retreated from her domain. The Romans remembered the effectiveness of her forces and when they were later attacked by Goths, they requested Mavia's assistance. She complied by sending a fleet of her cavalry. She led her troops in defeating a Roman army then made a favorable peace and married her daughter to the Roman commander in chief of the eastern Emperor Valens.
Kahula, an Arabian army commander in the battle of Yermonks (circa 600 AD) joined her forces with those of another female commander, Wafeira. Together they turned back the Greek army. Salaym Bint Malham is described by Rosalind Miles as a war leader who, "with an armory of swords and daggers strapped round her pregnant belly fought in the ranks of Muhammad and his followers".
An 8th century religious leader, the Kahina, united the Byzantine and Berber forces against the invading Arab army. She maintained an independent Berber monarchy for many years before her death in battle against the Arabs.
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Dehia's career began when she took charge of the Amazigh army after Koceila, who had battled and been victorious over the Muslim invading army led by Okba. According to several histories, Dehia may have taken over at a very advanced age. When she was still young, she had freed her people from a cruel and tyrannical local leader, whom she agreed to marry, then murdered on their wedding night. Her love life after this particular event is not known other than she gave birth to three sons, each probably fathered by different men. Ibn Khaldoun states that she possessed the gift of prophecy and "never failed" to correctly foretell the future. Because of her gift, probably a result of her intelligence and persuasive manner, she became queen of her tribe, and later, of all the Imazighen of the region.  Dehia became the fiercest opponent of the invading Arab-led armies, but finally, realizing that her people were too weak to fight the invaders indefinitely, she decided that the only way to force them to leave was to give them no reason to want to stay. She had the countryside burned and sacked to impoverish the area and remove its beauty, thus making it undesirable. This decision did not affect her mountain people much, but the rest of the population was angry. She began to lose her power.
Instead of discouraging the Arab armies, her desperate decision hastened defeat. According to some accounts, she died fighting the invaders, sword in hand, a warrior's death (other accounts say she committed suicide rather than be taken by the enemy). This was around 693 AD, when she was, according to ancient accounts quoted by Ibn Khaldoun, "127 years old." This was probably not meant literally. Great age was often depicted with exaggerated numbers, as is also found in the Torah (Old Testament to the Christians). Legend also has it that she was beautiful and passionate to the end. |
a modern Berber woman in a traditional headdress 
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