Kahlān
The other great Qaḥṭānī grouping, from which the sources reckon most of the migrating Yemeni tribes.
- Level
- Qaḥṭānī grouping
- Pairs with
- Ḥimyar
- Reckoned to it
- Hamdān, Madhḥij, Kinda, Ṭayyiʾ, al-Azd
Overview
Kahlān stands beside Ḥimyar under Qaḥṭān. The genealogists reckon to it a great many of the tribes that the migration accounts describe moving north out of Yemen — among them Hamdān, Madhḥij, Kinda, Ṭayyiʾ and al-Azd. Whether those movements happened as the accounts describe is a separate question from how the genealogies organise them.
On lineage
Branch lists and affiliations here are given as reported by the classical genealogists, who themselves disagree. Nothing on this page establishes any living family's descent: a shared name may reflect descent, alliance (ḥilf) or clientage (walāʾ), and the sources usually say which only when they know.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Ḥimyar and Kahlān?
Both are groupings under Qaḥṭān. The sources reckon most of the migrating Yemeni tribes to Kahlān, and associate Ḥimyar with the settled Yemeni kingdom.
Sources
- الحسن الهمداني، صفة جزيرة العرب، 334هـ — في ذكر كهلان
- ابن حزم الأندلسي، جمهرة أنساب العرب، 456هـ — أنساب كهلان
This page is an educational, historical reference compiled from published sources. It is not an authority on lineage. Where sources differ, we report the difference without taking a position. Corrections are welcome via our contact page.
Last reviewed: 2026-07-28