View source for Najd

{{Short description|Region in central Saudi Arabia}}
{{Other uses|Najd (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Najd
| native_name             = {{native name|ar|نجد}}
| native_name_lang        = ar
| settlement_type         = [[Historical region]] of [[Arabia]]
| subdivision_type        = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name        = {{flag|Saudi Arabia}}
| seat_type               = Largest city
| seat                    = [[Riyadh]]
| image_skyline           = {{multiple image
  | total_width            = 290
  | border                 = infobox
  | perrow                 = 1/2/2
  | caption_align          = center 
 | image1          = At-Turaif District of Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.jpg
 | caption1        = [[At-Turaif District]], a [[List of World Heritage Sites in Saudi Arabia|World Heritage Site]]
 | image2          = Tuwaiq.jpg
 | caption2        = [[Tuwaiq]]
 | image3          = شعيب جو بجبال أجـــا - panoramio.jpg|The [[Shammar Mountains]]
 | caption3        = [[Shammar Mountains]] of [[Ha'il]]
 | image4          = Riyadh Skyline.jpg
 | caption4        = Skyline of [[Riyadh]]
 | image5          = Masmak Fort (12753717253).jpg
 | caption5        = [[Al Masmak Palace]]
}}
| image_map               = Map of Najd.svg
| population              = 10627701 (2022 census)
| parts_type              = [[Regions of Saudi Arabia|Provinces]]
| parts                   = [[Riyadh Province|Riyadh]], [[Al-Qassim Province|Al-Qassim]], [[Ḥa'il Province|Ha'il]]
| map_caption             = Map of the Najd region in the central region of the [[Arabian Peninsula]]
| coordinates             = {{coord|25|N|44|E|display=title,inline}}
}}

'''Najd'''{{efn|{{IPA|en|nad͡ʒd|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Najd.wav}}, {{langx|ar|إقليم نجد|Igleem Najd}}}}{{efn|alternatively romanized as '''{{Transliteration|ar|Nejd}}'''}} is a [[Historical region|historical region]] of the [[Arabian Peninsula]] that includes most of the central region of [[Saudi Arabia]]. It is roughly bounded by the [[Hejaz]] region to the west, the [[Nafud desert]] in [[Al-Jawf Province|al-Jawf]] to the north, [[ad-Dahna Desert]] in [[Al-Ahsa Governorate|al-Ahsa]] to the east, and [[Rub' al Khali|Rub' al-Khali]] to the south, although its exact boundaries cannot be determined due to varying geographical and political limits throughout history. 

Administratively, Najd is divided into three main [[Provinces of Saudi Arabia|regions]]: the [[Riyadh Province|Riyadh]] region which features [[Wadi Hanifa]] and the [[Tuwaiq]] escarpment, which houses easterly [[Al-Yamama|Yamama]] with the Saudi capital, [[Riyadh]] since [[Emirate of Nejd|1824]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=History {{!}} The Embassy of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia |url=https://www.saudiembassy.net/history |access-date=2023-04-16 |website=saudiembassy.net}}</ref> and the [[Sudair]]i region, which has its capital in [[Al Majma'ah|Majmaah]]. The second region, [[Al-Qassim Province|Al-Qassim]], houses the fertile oases and [[date palm]] orchards spread out in the region's highlands along [[Wadi al-Rummah|Wadi Rummah]] in central Najd with its capital in [[Buraidah]], the second largest Najdi city, with the region historically contested by the [[Rashidi dynasty|House of Rashid]] to its north and the House of Saud to its east and south. The third administrative unit is northerly [[Ḥa'il Province|Ḥa'il]], which features the mountains of [[Shammar Mountains|Jabal Shammar]] housing the [[Tayy]] capital of [[Ḥaʼil|Ḥa'il]].

The Najd region is where about a third of Saudi Arabia's modern population resides. It is the home of the [[House of Saud]], from which it pursued its [[unification of Saudi Arabia|unification with Hejaz]] since the time of the [[Emirate of Diriyah]].<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |title=nejd |url=https://www.definitions.net/definition/nejd |access-date=2023-08-30 |website=Definitions.net}}</ref>

== Toponymy ==
The term ''Najd'' ({{Langx|ar|نجد}}) literally translates to "[[highland]]" in [[Arabic]].{{sfn|AlOboudi|2015|p=283}}

== History ==
{{History of Saudi Arabia}}

=== Ancient history ===
[[File:Pergamon-Museum - Minäische Schrifttafel.jpg|thumb|left|Plaque with a [[Minaean language|Ma'inic]] inscription and two ibexes (1st century BC – 1st century AD), [[Qaryat al-Faw]]]]
The Najd region is home to [[Al-Magar]], which was an advanced prehistoric culture of the [[Neolithic]] whose center lay in modern-day southwestern Najd. Al-Magar is possibly one of the first cultures in the world where widespread agriculture and the domestication of animals occurred, particularly that of the horse, during the [[Neolithic]] period, before climate changes in the region resulted in [[desertification]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sylvia|first1=Smith|title=Desert finds challenge horse taming ideas|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-21538969|accessdate=13 November 2016|agency=BBC News|date=26 February 2013}}; {{cite news|last1=John|first1=Henzell|title=Carved in stone: were the Arabs the first to tame the horse?|url=http://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/art/carved-in-stone-were-the-arabs-the-first-to-tame-the-horse|accessdate=12 November 2016|agency=thenational|publisher=thenational|date=11 March 2013}}</ref> [[Radiocarbon dating]] of several objects discovered at Al-Magar indicate an age of about 9,000 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://paleolithic-neolithic.com/overview/al-magar/|title=Al-Magar Civilization Domestication of Horses in Saudi Arabia?|publisher=New Public Scientific Portal for: Paleolithic & Neolithic Rock Art Cave Paintings & Rock Engravings - Thomas Kummert|accessdate=18 June 2018}}</ref>

In November 2017 hunting scenes showing images of what appear to be domesticated dogs resembling the [[Canaan dog]] and wearing leashes were discovered in Shuwaymis, an area about 370&nbsp;km southwest of the city of Ha'il. Dated at 8,000 years before the present, these are thought of as the earliest known depictions of dogs in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/these-may-be-world-s-first-images-dogs-and-they-re-wearing-leashes|title=These may be the world's first images of dogs—and they're wearing leashes|publisher= Science Magazine - David Grimm|accessdate=18 June 2018}}</ref>

[[File:قطع من أثار حضارة المقر.jpg|thumb|A large ancient stone carving, dating back to 8100 BC, of an [[equid]]—an animal belonging to the horse family, found at [[Al-Magar]]. The piece itself, measuring 86 cms long by 18 cms thick and weighing more than 135kg., is a large sculptural fragment that appears to show the head, muzzle, shoulder and withers of a horse.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/middle_east/saudi_arabia_rock_art/al_magar.php |title=The rock art of Saudi Arabia|publisher= Bradshaw Foundation - Dr. Majeed Khan|accessdate=1 August 2021}}</ref>]]
In the 5th century AD, the tribes of North Arabia became a major threat to the trade line between [[Yemen]] and [[Syria (region)|Syria]]. The [[Himyarite Kingdom|Ḥimyarites]] of Sheba decided to establish a [[vassal state]] that controlled Central and North Arabia. The Kindites, mentioned in Greek sources as the [[Kinaidokolpitai|Chinedakolpitai]] ({{Langx|el|Χινεδακολπιται}}), gained strength and numbers to play that role and in AD 425 the Ḥimyarite king Ḥasan ibn 'Amr ibn Tubba’ made Ḥujr 'Akīl al-Murār ibn 'Amr the first King ([[Hujr|Ḥujr]]) of Kindah. They established the [[Kingdom of Kinda]] in Najd in central Arabia unlike the organized states of [[Yemen]]; its kings exercised an influence over a number of associated tribes more by personal prestige than by coercive settled authority. Their first capital was Qaryat Dhāt Kāhil, today known as [[Qaryat al-Fāw]].<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/31568/history-of-Arabia/45976/Kindah#ref484269 History of Arabia – Kindah]. ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Retrieved 11 February 2012.</ref>

The [[Ghassanids|Ghassānids]], [[Lakhmids]] and Kindites were all [[Kahlani|Kahlānī]] and [[Qahtanite|Qaḥṭānī]] kingdoms which thrived in Najd. In the 5th and 6th centuries AD, the Kindites made the first real concerted effort to unite all the tribes of Central Arabia through alliances, and focused on wars with the [[Lakhmids]]. Al-Ḥārith ibn 'Amr, the most famous of their kings, finally succeeded in capturing the Lakhmid capital of [[al-Ḥirah]] in southern modern-day Iraq.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/318035/Kindah|title=Kindah (people)|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=18 June 2013}}</ref> Later however in about 529, al-Mundhir recaptured the city and put King Ḥārith and about fifty members of his family to death.

In 525, the [[Kingdom of Aksum|Aksumites]] invaded Ḥimyar, and this had a knock-on effect with the Kindites, who lost the support of the Ḥimyarites. Within three years the Kindite kingdom had split into four groups: Asad, Taghlib, Qays and Kinānah, each led by a prince of Kindah. These small principalities were then overthrown in the 530s and 540s in a series of uprisings of the [[Adnani]] tribes of Najd and [[Hijaz]]. In 540, the [[Lakhmids]] destroyed all the Kindite settlements in [[Nejd]], forcing the majority of them to move to [[Yemen]]. The Kindites and most of the Arab tribes switched their alliances to the [[Lakhmids]].

=== Islamic history ===
{{Main|List of battles of Muhammad}}

[[Muhammad]] carried out military expeditions in the area. The first was the [[Nejd Caravan Raid]] against the [[Quraysh]], which took place in 624. The Meccans led by [[Safwan ibn Umayya]]h, who lived on trade, left in summer for Syria for their seasonal trade business. After Muhammad received intelligence about the Caravan's route, he ordered [[Zayd ibn Haritha]] to go after the Caravan, and they successfully raided it and captured 100,000 [[dirhams]] worth of booty.<ref name="stoat">Mubarakpuri, The sealed nectar: biography of the Noble Prophet, p. 290.</ref><ref name=hawarey>{{cite book|last=Hawarey|first=Mosab|title=The Journey of Prophecy; Days of Peace and War|url=http://www.islamic-book.net/ar/Rihlat-Alnobowwah.htm|publisher=Islamic Book Trust|year=2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322002711/http://www.islamic-book.net/ar/Rihlat-Alnobowwah.htm|archive-date=March 22, 2012|df=mdy-all}} Note: Book contains a list of battles of Muhammad in Arabic; an [https://web.archive.org/web/20110726142128/http://military.hawarey.org/military_english.htm English translation] is available.</ref>

The [[Invasion of Nejd]] happened in [[Rabi' al-Thani|Rabi‘ Ath-Thani]] or [[Jumada al-Awwal]], 4 AH (October, 625 AD).<ref name="hawarey"/> Muhammad led his fighters to Nejd to scare off some tribes whose  intentions were  suspicious.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite book |title=The Sealed Nectar|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-ppPqzawIrIC&pg=PA192| first=Saifur|last=Rahman al-Mubarakpuri|year=2005|publisher=Darussalam |page=192 |isbn=9798694145923}}</ref> Some scholars say the [[expedition of Dhat al-Riqa]] took place in Nejd as part of this invasion.<ref name="autogenerated1"/>

The most authentic opinion according to "[[Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri|Saifur Rahman al Mubararakpuri]]", however, is that the Dhat Ar-Riqa' campaign took place after the [[Battle of Khaybar|fall of Khaibar]] (and not as part of the invasion of Nejd). This is supported by the fact that [[Abu Hurairah]] and [[Abu Musa al-Ash'ari|Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari]] witnessed the battle. Abu Hurairah embraced Islam only some days before Khaibar, and Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari came back from Abyssinia (modern day [[Ethiopia]]), and joined Muhammad at [[Khaybar|Khaibar]]. The rules relating to the prayer of fear, which Muhammad observed at the Dhat Ar-Riqa' campaign, were revealed at the Asfan invasion and, these scholars say, took place after [[Battle of the Trench|Al-Khandaq]].<ref name="autogenerated1"/>

The [[Expedition of Qatan]] also took place in Nejd. The Banu Asad ibn Khuzaymah tribe (not to be confused with the [[Banu Asad]] tribe) was a powerful tribe connected with the Quraysh. They resided near the hill of [[Katan, Saudi Arabia|Katan]], in the vicinity of [[Fayd]], in [[Nejd]]. Muhammad received intelligence reports that they were planning a raid on Medina, so he dispatched a force of 150 men under the leadership of [[Abu Salama 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abd al-Asad]] to make a sudden attack on this tribe.<ref name="Mubarakpuri p. 349">Mubarakpuri, ''The sealed nectar: biography of the Noble Prophet'', p. 349.</ref><ref name="Ibn Sa’d, vol.ii, p. 150">Ibn Sa’d, vol.ii, p. 150.</ref>

==== Ridda wars ====
{{More citations needed|section|date=February 2025}}
{{further|Ridda wars}}
After Prophet Muhammad's death, previously dormant tensions between the Meccan [[Immigration|immigrants]], the [[Muhajirun]], and the Medinan converts, the [[Ansar (Islam)|Ansar]], threatened to split the [[Ummah]]. Other Arabian tribes also wished to revert from Islam to local leadership and split from Medina's control; in some places, people such as [[Al-Aswad Al-Ansi]] and [[Musaylima]] claimed [[prophet]]hood and started to establish leaderships in opposition to Medina.<ref name="Donner">Fred M. Donner, [https://books.google.com/books?id=qBzRj7OajmEC&pg=PP1 ''Muhammad and the Believers: At the Origins of Islam''], Harvard University Press, 2010; {{ISBN|978-0-674-05097-6}}.</ref>

The [[Ansar (Islam)|Ansar]], the leaders of the tribes of Medina, met in a hall or house called [[saqifah]], to discuss whom they would support as their new leader. When Abu Bakr was informed of the meeting, he, [[Umar]], [[Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah]] and a few others rushed to prevent the Ansar from making a premature decision. During the meeting Umar declared that Abu Bakr should be the new leader, and declared his allegiance to Abu Bakr, followed by Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah, and thus Abu Bakr became the first [[caliph]].

Apostasy and rebellion in central Arabia were led by [[Musaylima]] in the fertile region of [[Yamamah]]. He was mainly supported by the powerful tribe of [[Banu Hanifa]]. At Buzakha in north central Arabia, another claimed prophet, [[Tulayha]], a tribal chief of [[Banu Asad]], led the rebellion against Medina, aided by the allied tribes of [[Banu Ghatafan]], the [[Hawazin]], and the [[Tayy]]. At Najd, [[Malik ibn Nuweira]] led the tribes of [[Banu Tamim]] against the authority of Medina.<ref>''The Encyclopaedia of Islam''. New Edition. Vol. 1, p. 110. Peter Hellyer, Ibrahim Al-Abed, Ibrahim Al Abed, "The United Arab Emirates, A New Perspective", London: Trident Press, 2001, pp. 81–84; {{ISBN|1-900724-47-2}}.</ref>

[[File:Mohammad adil rais-conquest of Arabia.PNG|thumb|right|Map detailing the route of Khalid ibn Walid's conquest of Arabia]]
On receiving intelligence of the Muslims' preparations, Tulayha too prepared for a battle, and was further reinforced by the contingents of the allied tribes. Before launching [[Khalid ibn al-Walid|Khalid ibn Al-Walid]] against Tulayha, Abu Bakr sought ways and means of reducing the latter's strength, so that the battle could be fought with the maximum prospects of victory. Nothing could be done about the tribes of [[Banu Asad]] and [[Banu Ghatafan]], which stood solidly behind Tulayha, but the [[Tayy]] were not so staunch in their support of Tulayha, and their chief, [[Adi ibn Hatim]], was a devout Muslim. Adi was appointed by Abu Bakr to negotiate with the tribal elders to withdraw their contingent from Tulayha's army. The negotiations were a success, and Adi brought with him 500 horsemen of his tribe to reinforce Khalid's army.

Khalid next marched against another apostate tribe, [[Jadila]]. Here again, [[Adi ibn Hatim]] offered his services to persuade the tribe to submit without bloodshed. Bani Jadila submitted, and their 1000 warriors joined Khalid's army. Khalid, now much stronger than when he had left Zhu Qissa, marched for [[Buzakha]]. There, in mid-September 632, he defeated Tulayha in the [[Battle of Buzakha]]. The remaining army of Tulayha retreated to [[Ghamra]], 20 miles from Buzakha, and was defeated in the [[Battle of Ghamra]] in the third week of September.<ref name="A.I. Akram, 1970">A. I. Akram (1970), ''The Sword of Allah: Khalid bin al-Waleed, His Life and Campaigns'', Rawalpindi: National Publishing. House; {{ISBN|0-7101-0104-X}}.</ref>

Several tribes submitted to the [[Abu Bakr|Caliph]] after Khalid's decisive victories. Moving south from Buzakha, Khalid reached [[Naqra]] in October, with an army now 6000 strong, and defeated the rebel tribe of [[Banu Saleem]] in the [[Battle of Naqra]]. In the third week of October, Khalid defeated a tribal chieftess, Salma, in the [[battle of Zafar]].<ref name="A.I. Akram, 1970"/>

Afterwards, he moved to Najd against the rebel tribe of [[Banu Tamim]] and their [[Sheikh]] [[Malik ibn Nuwayrah]]. At Najd, getting the news of Khalid's decisive victories against [[Apostasy in Islam|apostates]] in Buzakha, many clans of Banu Tamim hastened to visit [[Khalid ibn al-Walid|Khalid]], but the [[Banu Yarbu']], a branch of Banu Tamim, under their chief, [[Malik ibn Nuwayrah]], hung back. Malik was a chief of some distinction: a warrior, noted for his generosity, and a famous poet. Bravery, generosity, and poetry were the three qualities most admired among the Arabs. At the time of Muhammad, he had been appointed as a tax collector for the tribe of Banu Tamim. As soon as Malik heard of the death of Muhammad he gave back all the tax to his tribespeople, saying "Now you are the owner of your wealth."{{citation needed|date=February 2024}} Moreover, he was to be charged because he signed a pact with the anti-Islamic prophet [[Sajjah]]. This agreement stated that first, they would deal with local enemy tribes together, and then they would confront the state of [[Madinah]].{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}

His riders were stopped by Khalid's army at the town of [[Buttah]]. Khalid asked them about the signing of pact with [[Sajah|Sajjah]]; they said it was just because they wanted revenge against their terrible enemies.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}} When Khalid reached Najd he found no opposing army. He sent his [[cavalry]] to nearby villages and ordered them to call the [[Adhan|Athaan]] to each party they meet.

[[Dhiraar ibn al-Azwar|Zirrar bin Azwar]], a squadron leader, arrested the family of Malik, claiming they did not answer the call to prayer. Malik avoided direct contact with Khalid's army and ordered his followers to scatter, and he and his family apparently moved away across the desert.<ref>{{Harvnb|Al-Tabari|915|pp=501–502}}</ref>{{full citation needed|date=February 2024}} He refused to give [[zakat]], hence differentiating between prayer and zakat. Nevertheless, Malik was accused of rebellion against the state of Medina. He was also to be charged for his entering in an anti-Caliphate alliance with the anti-Islamic prophetess Sajjah.<ref>{{Harvnb|Al-Tabari|915|p=496}}</ref>{{full citation needed|date=February 2024}} Malik was arrested along with his clansmen.<ref>{{Harvnb|Al-Tabari|915|p=502}}</ref>{{full citation needed|date=February 2024}}

Malik was asked by Khalid about his crimes. Malik's response was "your master said this, your master said that", referring to Abu Bakr. Khalid declared Malik a rebel apostate and ordered his execution.<ref name="ReferenceA">Tabari: Vol. 2, p. 5.</ref>{{full citation needed|date=February 2024}} [[Khalid bin Walid]] killed [[Malik ibn Nuwayra]].

[[Ikrimah ibn Abi-Jahl]], one of the corps commanders, was instructed to make contact with Musaylima at [[Al-Yamama|Yamamah]], but not to engage in fighting until Khalid joined him. Abu Bakr's intention in giving Ikrimah this mission was to tie Musaylima down at Yamamah. With Ikrimah on the horizon, Musaylima would remain in expectation of a Muslim attack, and thus not be able to leave his base. With Musaylima so committed, Khalid would be free to deal with the apostate tribes of north-central Arabia without interference from Yamamah. Meanwhile, Abu Bakr sent [[Shurahbil ibn Hasana|Shurhabil]]'s corps to reinforce Ikrama at Yamamah.

However, [[Ikrimah]] attacked Musaylima's forces in early September 632 and was defeated. He wrote the details of his actions to Abu Bakr, who, both pained and angered by the rashness of Ikrimah and his disobedience, ordered him to proceed with his force to [[Oman]] to assist [[Hudaifa]]; once Hudaifa had completed his task, to march to [[Mahra Sultanate|Mahra]] to help [[Arfaja]], and thereafter go to [[Yemen]] to help Muhajir.<ref name="John Glubb 1963, p. 112">John Glubb (1963), ''The Great Arab Conquests'', p. 112.</ref>

Meanwhile, [[Abu Bakr]] sent orders to Khalid to march against Musaylima. Shurhabil's corps, that was stationed at Yamamah, was to reinforce Khalid's corps. In addition to this Abu Bakr assembled a fresh army of [[Ansar (Islam)|Ansar]] and [[Muhajireen]] in Medina that joined Khalid's corps at [[Butah]]. From Butah Khalid marched to Yamamah to join with Shurhabil's corps. Though Abu Bakr had instructed Shurhabil not to engage Musaylima's forces until the arrival of Khalid, shortly before the arrival of Khalid, Shurhabil engaged Musaylima's forces and was defeated too.

Khalid joined with the corps of Shurhabil early in December 632. The combined force of Muslims, now 13,000 strong, defeated Musaylima's army in the [[Battle of Yamama]]h, which was fought in the third week of December. The fortified city of Yamamah surrendered peacefully later that week.<ref name="John Glubb 1963, p. 112"/> Khalid established his headquarters at Yamamah, from where he despatched columns to all over the plain of [[Aqraba (region)|Aqraba]] to subdue the region around Yamamah and to kill or capture all who resisted. Thereafter all of central Arabia submitted to Medina. What remained of the [[apostasy]] in the less vital areas of Arabia was rooted out by the Muslims in a series of well-planned campaigns within five months.

==== Post–Ridda wars, until the 10th century ====
Muhammad's followers rapidly expanded the territory under Muslim rule beyond Arabia, [[Early Muslim conquests|conquering huge swathes of territory]] from the [[Iberian Peninsula]] in the west to modern day [[Pakistan]] in the east in a matter of decades. The bulk of the tribes that helped the [[Rashidun Caliphate|Caliphate]]'s expansion into Persia and the Levant were composed of Najdi tribes such as [[Banu Tamim]]. The [[Rashidun Caliphate|Caliphate]]'s use of these once-rebellious tribes allowed [[Abu Bakr]] and [[Umar]] to quickly deploy battle hardened men and experienced generals such as [[Al-Qa'qa' ibn Amr al-Tamimi]] into the front-lines against the [[Persians]] and [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantines]].

Najd soon became a politically peripheral region of the [[Muslim world]] as the focus shifted to the [[Caliphate|outside of the peninsula]]. Many of members of the conquering tribes of Najd soon shifted into the Levant, Persia and North Africa, playing a role in future conflicts in the caliphate, becoming governors and even birthing emirates such as the [[Aghlabids]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Daily Life in the Medieval Islamic World |author=James E. Lindsay |year=2005 |isbn=0-313-32270-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/dailylifeinmedie00lind/page/33 33] |publisher=Greenwood Press |url=https://archive.org/details/dailylifeinmedie00lind/page/33}}</ref> Migrations continued throughout the centuries back and forth from Nejd to Iraq and the Levant, with many Najdi tribes reaching Khorosan and the Maghreb.

=== Modern history ===
In the 16th century, the [[Ottoman Turks|Ottomans]] added the [[Red Sea]] coast (the [[Hejaz]], [['Asir Province|Asir]] and tried to add [[Al-Ahsa Oasis|al-Ahsa]]) to the Empire and claimed [[suzerainty]] over the interior. It was an attempt to [[Ottoman naval expeditions in the Indian Ocean|thwart the Portuguese]] from attacking the Red Sea (hence the Hejaz)<ref name="Bernstein">William J. Bernstein (2008). ''A Splendid Exchange: How Trade Shaped the World''. Grove Press. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ePiReZWp0NwC&pg=PA191 pp. 191 ff.]</ref>
[[File:The First Saudi State Greatest Extent.png|thumb|250px|Expansion of the [[Emirate of Diriyah]] at its short-term peak around 1810]]
Ottoman control over these lands varied over the next four centuries with the fluctuating strength or weakness of the Empire's central authority.<ref>[[#Bowen|Bowen]], p. 68.</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Muddle of the Middle East, Volume 2 |author=Nikshoy C. Chatterji |year=1973 |isbn=0-391-00304-6 |page=168|publisher=Abhinav Publications }}</ref> The emergence of what was to become the Saudi royal family, known as the [[House of Saud|Al Saud]], began in [[Nejd|Najd]] in central Arabia in 1744, when [[Muhammad bin Saud]], founder of the dynasty, joined forces with the religious leader [[Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab]],<ref>[[#Bowen|Bowen]], pp. 69–70</ref> founder of the Wahhabi movement, a strict puritanical form of Sunni Islam.<ref>{{cite book |title=Contemporary Religions: A World Guide |author=Ian Harris |author2=Stuart Mews|author3=Paul Morris|author4= John Shepherd |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-582-08695-1 |page=369|publisher=Longman }}</ref>

This alliance formed in the 18th century provided the ideological impetus to Saudi expansion and remains the basis of Saudi Arabian dynastic rule today.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Future of Islam in the Middle East |author=Mahmud A. Faksh |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-275-95128-3 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/futureofislaminm0000faks/page/89 89–90] |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |url=https://archive.org/details/futureofislaminm0000faks/page/89}}</ref> The first "Saudi state" established in 1744 in the area around [[Riyadh]] rapidly expanded and briefly controlled most of the present-day territory of Saudi Arabia,<!--Removed New York Post source. That is [[WP:RS/P|not reliable]]--> but was destroyed by 1818 by the Ottoman [[viceroy of Egypt]], [[Muhammad Ali of Egypt|Mohammed Ali Pasha]].<ref>[http://countrystudies.us/saudi-arabia/7.htm "The Saud Family and Wahhabi Islam"]. Library of Congress Country Studies.</ref>

A much smaller second "Saudi state", located mainly in Nejd, was established in 1824 by [[Turki bin Abdallah|Turki bn Abdullah]].<ref>(1992) Nineteenth Century Arabia. In [[Helen Chapin Metz]], ed. http://countrystudies.us/saudi-arabia/8.htm ''Saudi Arabia: A Country Study'']. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress.</ref> Throughout the rest of the 19th century, the Al Saud contested control of the interior of what was to become Saudi Arabia with another Arabian ruling family, the [[Rashidi dynasty|Al Rashid]]. By 1891, the Al Rashid were victorious and the Al Saud were driven into exile in [[Kuwait]].<ref name="Britannica history">{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/31568/history-of-Arabia |title=History of Arabia |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref>

At the beginning of the 20th century, the [[Ottoman Empire]] continued to control or have suzerainty over most of the peninsula. Subject to this suzerainty, Arabia was ruled by a patchwork of tribal rulers,<ref name= Murphy>{{cite book |title=The Arab Revolt 1916–18: Lawrence Sets Arabia Ablaze |author=David Murphy |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-84603-339-1 |pages=5–8|publisher=Bloomsbury USA }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Politics in an Arabian Oasis: The Rashidis of Saudi Arabia |author=Madawi Al Rasheed |year=1997 |isbn=1-86064-193-8 |page=81|publisher=Bloomsbury Academic }}</ref> with the [[Sharif of Mecca]] having pre-eminence and ruling the [[Hejaz]].<ref>{{cite book |title=The Middle East: Geography and Geopolitics |author=Ewan W. Anderson |author2=William Bayne Fisher |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-415-07667-8 |page=106|publisher=Routledge }}</ref>

In 1902, [[Abdul Rahman bin Faisal Al Saud (1850–1928)|Abdul Rahman]]'s son, AbdulAziz—later to be known to the west as [[Ibn Saud]]—recaptured control of Riyadh, bringing the Al Saud back to Najd.<ref name="Britannica history"/> Ibn Saud gained the support of the [[Ikhwan]], a tribal army inspired by Wahhabism, and which had grown quickly after its foundation in 1912.<ref>{{cite book |title=Islam in Revolution: Fundamentalism in the Arab World |author=R. Hrair Dekmejian |year=1994 |isbn=978-0-8156-2635-0 |page=[https://archive.org/details/islaminrevolutio00dekm/page/131 131] |publisher=Syracuse University Press |url=https://archive.org/details/islaminrevolutio00dekm/page/131}}</ref> With the aid of the Ikhwan, Ibn Saud captured [[Al-Ahsa Oasis|al-Ahsa]] from the Ottomans in 1913.

In 1916, with the encouragement and support of Britain (which was fighting the Ottomans in [[World War I]]), the Sharif of Mecca, [[Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca|Hussein bin Ali]], led a [[Arab Revolt|pan-Arab revolt]] against the Ottoman Empire to create a united Arab state.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Encyclopedia of World War I |author=Spencer Tucker |author2=Priscilla Mary Roberts |year=205 |isbn=978-1-85109-420-2 |page=565|publisher=Abc-Clio }}</ref> Although this revolt failed in its objective, [[Allies of World War I|the Allied]] victory in World War I resulted in the end of Ottoman suzerainty and control in Arabia.<ref>{{cite book |title=A History of the Arab Peoples |author=Albert Hourani |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-571-22664-1 |pages=315–319|publisher=Faber & Faber }}</ref>

Ibn Saud avoided involvement in the Arab Revolt and instead continued his struggle with the Al Rashid. Following the latter's final defeat, he took the title [[Sultanate of Nejd|Sultan of Najd]] in 1921. With the help of the Ikhwan, the Hejaz was conquered in 1924–25 and on 10 January 1926, Ibn Saud declared himself King of the [[Hejaz]].<ref>{{cite book |title=A Brief History of Saudi Arabia |author=James Wynbrandt |author2=Fawaz A. Gerges |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-8160-7876-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/briefhistoryofsa0000wynb/page/182 182] |publisher=Infobase |url=https://archive.org/details/briefhistoryofsa0000wynb/page/182}}</ref> A year later, he added the title of King of Nejd. For the next five years, he administered the two parts of his dual kingdom as separate units.<ref name="Britannica history"/>

After the conquest of the Hejaz, the Ikhwan leadership turned to expansion of the Wahhabist realm into the British protectorates of [[Emirate of Transjordan|Transjordan]], Iraq and Kuwait, and began raiding those territories. This met with Ibn Saud's opposition, as he recognized the danger of a direct conflict with the British. At the same time, the Ikhwan became disenchanted with Ibn Saud's domestic policies, which appeared to favor modernization and the increase in the number of non-Muslim foreigners in the country. As a result, they turned against Ibn Saud and, after a two-year struggle, were defeated in 1930 at the [[Battle of Sabilla]], where their leaders were massacred.<ref>{{cite book |title=Inside the Kingdom |author=Robert Lacey |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-09-953905-6 |pages=15–16|publisher=Arrow }}</ref> In 1932 the two kingdoms of the Hejaz and Nejd were united as the modern-day [[Kingdom of Saudi Arabia]].<ref name="Britannica history"/>

== Geography ==
{{More citations needed|section|date=February 2025}}

=== Boundaries ===
The exact boundaries of Najd cannot be precisely determined due to varying geographical and political limits throughout history.{{sfn|King|1977|p=90}} It is roughly bounded by the [[Hejaz]] region in the west, the [[Nafud desert]] in [[Al-Jawf Province|al-Jawf]] to the North, [[ad-Dahna Desert]] in [[Al-Ahsa Governorate|al-Ahsa]] of [[Eastern Arabia]] to the east, and the [[Empty Quarter]] to the south.{{sfn|King|1977|p=90}}{{sfn|AlOboudi|2015|p=284}}

Medieval Muslim geographers spent a great amount of time debating the exact boundaries between Hejaz and Najd in particular, but generally set the western boundaries of Najd to be wherever the western mountain ranges and [[lava]] beds began to slope eastwards, and set the eastern boundaries of Najd at the narrow strip of red sand dunes known as the [[Ad-Dahna Desert]], some {{convert|100|km|abbr=on}} east of modern-day [[Riyadh]]. The southern border of Najd has always been set at the large sea of sand [[dune]]s known today as [[Rub' al Khali]] (the Empty Quarter), while the southwestern boundaries are marked by the valleys of Wadi Ranyah, Wadi Bisha, and Wadi Tathlith.

The northern boundaries of Najd have fluctuated greatly over time and received far less attention from the medieval geographers. In the early Islamic centuries, Najd was considered to extend as far north as the River [[Euphrates]], or more specifically, the "Walls of [[Khosrau II|Khosrau]]", constructed by the [[Sassanid Empire]] as a barrier between Arabia and [[Iraq]] immediately prior to the advent of Islam. The modern usage of the term encompasses the region of [[Al-Yamama]], which was not always considered part of Najd historically, and became incorporated into the larger definition of Najd in the past centuries.

=== Topography ===
[[File:Lake at Wadi Hanifah (5218227168).jpg|thumb|Lake at the 120&nbsp;km long [[Wadi Hanifa]] valley that cuts through Riyadh]]
Najd is a [[plateau]] ranging from {{convert|762|to|1525|m|ft|abbr=on}} in height and sloping downwards from west to east. The eastern sections (historically better known as Al-Yamama) are marked by oasis settlements with much farming and trading activities, while the rest has traditionally been sparsely occupied by [[nomad]]ic Bedouins. The main topographical features include the twin mountains of Aja and [[Salma Mountains|Salma]] in the north near Ha'il, the high land of Jabal Shammar and the [[Tuwaiq]] mountain range running through its center from north to south. Also important are the various dry river-beds (''[[wadi]]s'') such as [[Wadi Hanifa]] near Riyadh, Wadi Na'am in the south, Wadi Al-Rumah in the [[Al-Qassim Province]] in the north, and [[Wadi ad-Dawasir]] at the southernmost tip of Najd on the border with Najran. Most Najdi villages and settlements are located along these wadis, due to ability of these wadis to preserve precious rainwater in the arid desert climate, while others are located near [[Oasis|oases]].

[[File:Saudi-desert.gif|thumb|left|The [[An Nafud]] desert in the outskirts of Riyadh with the Jabal [[Tuwaiq]] in the background]]
Historically, Najd itself has been divided into small provinces made up of constellations of small towns, villages and settlements, with each one usually centered on one "capital". These subdivisions are still recognized by Najdis today, as each province retains its own variation of the Najdi dialect and Najdi customs. The most prominent among these provinces are Al-'Aridh, which includes Riyadh and the historical Saudi capital of [[Diriyah]]; Al-Qassim, with its capital in [[Buraidah]]; [[Sudair]], centered on [[Al Majma'ah]]; Al-Washm, centered on [[Shaqra (Saudi Arabia)|Shaqra]]; and [[Jebel Shammar]], with its capital, Ha'il. Under modern-day [[Saudi Arabia]], however, Najd is divided into three administrative regions: [[Ha'il Province|Ha'il]], Al-Qassim, and [[Riyadh Province|Riyadh]], comprising a combined area of {{convert|554000|km2|abbr=on}}.

{{clear}}

== Culture ==
===Architecture===
{{main|Najdi architecture}}
[[File:Riyadh,_Saudi_Arabia._Qaṣr_al-Badi'ah,_interior.jpg|thumb|Battlements (''shurfat)'' on the railings of [[Qaṣr al-Badi'a]] in [[Riyadh]]]]

The architecture of Najd is a type [[vernacular architecture]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hernandez |first=S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qQCMEAAAQBAJ&dq=najdi+architectural+style+najd&pg=PA29 |title=Islamic Heritage Architecture IV |date=2022-09-13 |publisher=WIT Press |isbn=978-1-78466-475-6 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VOBtAAAAMAAJ&q=najdi+architectural+style+najd |title=Arabian Studies |date=1982 |publisher=C. Hurst |isbn=978-0-905906-31-7 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Institute |first=The Getty Conservation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rq9OAgAAQBAJ&dq=najdi+architectural+style+najd&pg=PA154 |title=6th International Conference on the Conservation of Earthen Architecture: Adobe 90 Preprints |date=1991-02-28 |publisher=Getty Publications |isbn=978-0-89236-181-6 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Jaidah |first=Ibrahim Mohamed |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OORmEAAAQBAJ&dq=najdi+architectural+style+najd&pg=PT8 |title=Qatari Style: Unexpected Interiors |date=2022-03-25 |publisher=Hirmer Verlag |isbn=978-3-7774-4006-4 |language=en}}</ref> The style flourished roughly between 13th and 18th centuries and is known for its desert adaptive urban patterns with low-contour earth-structured [[mudbrick]] buildings<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Pacetti |first1=M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wmk3mCrMDTQC&dq=low+contour+riyadh&pg=PA296 |title=The Sustainable City VII: Urban Regeneration and Sustainability |last2=Passerini |first2=G. |last3=Brebbia |first3=C. A. |last4=Latini |first4=G. |date=2012-05-07 |publisher=WIT Press |isbn=978-1-84564-578-6 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Anishchenkova |first=Valerie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DkrEEAAAQBAJ&dq=najdi+architectural+style&pg=PA257 |title=Modern Saudi Arabia |date=2020-06-01 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-1-4408-5705-8 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AsFUAAAAMAAJ&q=najdi+architectural+style |title=Architecture + Design |date=1996 |publisher=Media Transasia |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Long |first=David E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CuLEEAAAQBAJ&dq=najdi+architectural+style+najd&pg=PA105 |title=Culture and Customs of Saudi Arabia |date=2005-07-30 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-0-313-06279-7 |language=en}}</ref> that are characterized by elements such as triangular or rectangular openings (''furjat'') and [[battlement]]s (''shurfat'') as well as peepholes projecting outward from the main [[façade]] (''tarma'').<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 February 2023 |title="فلسفة المثلث" في العمارة الطينية |url=https://www.alriyadh.com/1998681 |access-date=28 August 2024 |website=www.alriyadh.com}}</ref> The presence of a central [[courtyard]] and open spaces also forms a distinct part of the architectural style.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mostyn |first=Trevor |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O8JtAAAAMAAJ&q=najdi+architecture+courtyards |title=Saudi Arabia |date=1983 |publisher=Middle East Economic Digest |isbn=978-0-946510-00-9 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Catalani |first1=Anna |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3z9ZDwAAQBAJ&dq=najdi+architectural+style+najd&pg=PA2261 |title=Cities' Identity Through Architecture and Arts: Proceedings of the International Conference on Cities' Identity through Architecture and Arts (CITAA 2017), May 11-13, 2017, Cairo, Egypt |last2=Nour |first2=Zeinab |last3=Versaci |first3=Antonella |last4=Hawkes |first4=Dean |last5=Bougdah |first5=Hocine |last6=Sotoca |first6=Adolf |last7=Ghoneem |first7=Mahmoud |last8=Trapani |first8=Ferdinando |date=2018-05-01 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-351-68032-5 |language=en}}</ref> The influence of Najdi style can be felt in neighboring regions, such as [[Architecture of Kuwait|Kuwait]] and inland [[Architecture of Qatar|Qatar]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=علي |first=ثويني ، معمار |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=auhFAQAAIAAJ&q=%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A9+%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A9+%D9%81%D9%8A+%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%AA |title=العمارة الإسلامية: سجالات في الحداثة |date=2009 |publisher=الدار العربية للعلوم - ناشرون، |isbn=978-9953-87-742-6 |language=ar}}</ref>

== Demographics ==
=== Social and ethnic groups ===
Unlike the [[Hejaz]] and [[Tihamah]], Najd is remote and stayed outside of the realm of important Islamic empires such as the [[Abbasids]] and the [[Ottoman Empire]]. This historical separation largely shaped its current dissimilarity to Hejaz.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Riedel |first=Bruce |title=Brezhnev in the Hejaz |journal=The National Interest |year=2011 |volume=115 |url=http://www.relooney.info/SI_Milken-Arabia/0-Important_14.pdf |access-date=April 23, 2012 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131115051640/http://www.relooney.info/SI_Milken-Arabia/0-Important_14.pdf |archive-date=November 15, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

=== Religion ===
The region is traditionally known as a [[Hanbali]] stronghold, and after the 18th century became known for its strict interpretation of Islam and is generally considered a bastion of religious conservatism. The founder of the interpretation of [[Salafi movement|Salafism]], [[Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab]], was born in [['Uyayna]], a village in the Najd.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-40633687|title=Saudi Arabia investigates video of woman in miniskirt|date=2017-07-17|work=BBC News|access-date=2017-07-19|language=en-GB}}</ref>

The majority of people in the region consider themselves as Salafi Muslims. The name derives from advocating a return to the traditions of the "ancestors" (salaf), the first three generations of Muslims said to know the "purest" form of Islam. Those generations include the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his companions (the Sahabah), their successors (the Tabi‘un), and the successors of the successors (the Taba al-Tabi‘in). Practically, Salafis maintain that Muslims ought to rely on the Qur'an, the Sunnah and the 'Ijma (consensus) of the salaf, giving them precedence over later Islamic hermeneutic teachings.<ref>Bin Ali Mohamed (2015). ''The Roots of Religious Extremism: Understanding the Salafi Doctrine of Al-wala‘ Wal Bara‘''. Bara World Scientific. {{ISBN|9781783263943}}. p. 61.</ref>

====In the ''Hadith''====
{{Main|Hadith of Najd}}
According to two narrations in [[Sahih Bukhari]], [[Muhammad|Prophet Muhammad]] asks [[Allah]] to bless the areas of [[Bilad al-Sham]] (Syria) and [[Yemen]].  When his companions said "Our Najd as well," he replied: '''There will appear earthquakes and afflictions, and from there will come out the side of the head (i.e. horns) of [[Satan]].'''<ref>[https://sunnah.com/bukhari:1037 Sahih Bukhari, Hadith no. 1037]</ref><ref>[https://sunnah.com/bukhari:7094 Sahih Bukhari, Hadith no. 7094]</ref> 
In a similar narration, Muhammad again asked Allah to bless the areas [[Medina]], [[Mecca]], Sham, and Yemen and, when asked specifically to bless Najd, repeated similar comments about there being earthquakes, trials, tribulations, and the horns of Satan.<ref>"O Allah bestow your blessings on our Medina, and bestow your blessings on our [[Mecca]], and bestow your blessings on our Sham, and bestow your blessings on our Yemen, and bestow your blessings in our measuring (fee saa`inaa wa muddinaa)." A person said, "O Messenger of Allah and in our Najd" and so he turned away from him and said, "there will occur earthquakes, trials and tribulations and there will appear the horn of Satan." From [[Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut]]: Sharh as-Sunnah' (14/206-207 fn. 2)</ref><ref>O Allah bestow your blessings on our Medina, O Allah bestow your blessings in our measuring, O Allah bestow your blessings in our Sham and our Yemen." A person said, "And Najd O Messenger of Allah?" He said, "from there arises the horn of Satan and the trials and tribulations would come like mounting waves." From al-Awsat by at-Tabaraanee from Hadith of [[Abd Allah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab|Ibn Umar]] and authenticated by [[Ali ibn Abu Bakr al-Haythami]] in  ''Mujma az-Zawaa`id'' (3/305)</ref>
<blockquote>"O Allaah bestow your blessings on our Shaam. O Allaah bestow your blessings on our Yemen." The people said, "O Messenger of Allaah, and our Najd." I think the third time the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said, "There (in Najd) will occur earthquakes, trials and tribulations, and from there appears the Horn of Satan."</blockquote>

The according to the [[Islamic scholar]] and [[Grand mufti]] of [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Ibn Baz]], the hadith is ''Sahih'' (correct).<ref>{{Cite web |title=الحكم على حديث: «اللهم بارك لنا في شامنا ويمننا» |url=https://binbaz.org.sa/fatwas/2936/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%83%D9%85-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%AD%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AB-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87%D9%85-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%83-%D9%84%D9%86%D8%A7-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A7-%D9%88%D9%8A%D9%85%D9%86%D9%86%D8%A7#:~:text=%D9%87%D8%B0%D8%A7%20%D8%B5%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%AD%D8%8C%20%D8%AD%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AB%20%D8%B5%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%AD%20%D8%A7,%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%A1%D8%8C%20%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%84:%20%D8%A3%D8%B5%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%A8%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D8%A8%D9%84. |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=binbaz.org.sa |language=ar}}</ref>

== Language ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2025}}
The people of Najd have spoken [[Arabic language|Arabic]], in one form or another, for practically all of recorded history. As in other regions of the peninsula, there is a divergence between the dialect of the nomadic Bedouins and the dialect of the sedentary townspeople. The variation, however, is far less pronounced in Najd than it is elsewhere in the country, and the Najdi sedentary dialect may be either a descended from the [[Arabic dialects|Bedouin dialect]], or due to similar conditions of isolation from foreign influence, they share similar isolated features being related dialects. The [[Najdi Arabic|Najdi dialect]] is seen by some to be the least foreign-influenced of all modern Arabic dialects, due to the isolated location and harsh climate of the Najdi plateau, as well as the apparent absence of any substratum from a previous language. Indeed, not even the ancient [[Old South Arabian|South Arabian]] language appears to have been widely spoken in Najd in ancient times, unlike southern Saudi Arabia, for example.

Within Najd itself, the different regions and towns have their own distinctive accents and sub-dialects. However, these have largely merged in recent times and have become heavily influenced by [[Varieties of Arabic|Arabic dialects]] from other regions and countries. This is particularly the case in Riyadh.

== Economy ==
[[File:Dates Palms in Buraidah resort.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|Dates Palms in [[Buraidah]]]]

In the early 20th century, Najd produced coarse [[wool]] cloth, [[dates (fruit)|dates]] and a wide range of other agricultural products.<ref name=Prothero99>{{cite book |last=Prothero |first=G. W. |title=Arabia |year=1920 |publisher=H.M. Stationery Office |location=London |page=99 |url=http://www.wdl.org/en/item/11767/view/1/99/}}</ref>

== In popular culture ==
A contest held in the Middle East brought light to a new character in famed [[SNK Playmore]] video game, ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]''. This character goes under the name Najd.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sato |date=2018-03-22 |title=The King of Fighters XIV Trailer Reveals Fan-Created DLC Character Najd |url=https://www.siliconera.com/king-fighters-xiv-trailer-reveals-fan-created-dlc-character-najd/ |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=Siliconera |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Caballero |first=David |date=2018-03-23 |title=Saudi fighter Najd is KOF XIV's 57th playable character |url=https://www.gamereactor.eu/saudi-fighter-najd-is-kof-xivs-57th-playable-character/ |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=Gamereactor UK |language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Hadhramaut]]
* [[Greater Yemen]]
* [[Eastern Arabia]]
* [[Kingdom of Hijaz and Najd]]
* [[Expedition to Najd (1817–1818)]]
* [[Al-Dukhul and Hummel Mountains]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
*{{Cite journal |last=King |first=Geoffrey |date=1977 |title=Traditional Architecture in Najd, Saudi Arabia |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41223304 |journal=Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies |volume=7 |pages=90–100 |jstor=41223304 |issn=0308-8421}}
* {{Cite journal |last=AlOboudi |first=Sharifah M. |date=2015 |title=Najd, the Heart of Arabia |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.13169/arabstudquar.37.3.0282 |journal=Arab Studies Quarterly |volume=37 |issue=3 |pages=282–299 |doi=10.13169/arabstudquar.37.3.0282 |jstor=10.13169/arabstudquar.37.3.0282 |issn=0271-3519|doi-access=free }}

== External links ==
{{Sister project links|auto=yes|d=yes}}
{{Library resources box}}

* {{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Nejd |volume=19 |pages=351–352 |short=1 |first=Robert Alexander |last=Wahab}}

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