Imam Yaḥyā Ḥamīd al-Dīn was seen as one of the most powerful monarchs in the Middle East after World War I. His claim to power was based on his genealogy as a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, or sayyid. In Yemen, a religious group known as the Zaydis recognized only such people as Yaḥyā Ḥamīd al-Dīn as having the legitimacy to be political leaders. There were two periods when Zaydi sayyids did not control the region. In the sixteenth and late nineteenth centuries, Yemen was conquered by the Ottoman Empire, and as a result, Zaydi imams lost their power. Despite this, many agreed that they represented a long continuity of rulers, which added strength to

their political aura.

All Western travelers who came to Yemen sought to meet the Imam. Despite his near-absolute political power, Yaḥyā Ḥamīd al-Dīn was facing a difficult task. He wanted his country to keep its traditions and independence from European colonialism, but at the same time, he felt the need to adjust to new, post-World War I realities. He was especially bothered by the rise of a new powerful neighbor to his North – the Saudi Kingdom. Therefore, he sought advice from Western experts.