the Ottomans tried to declare independence from them and establish an independent Obaidi Sultanate, this created an opportunity for Shammar who broke their initial alliance with the Al-Obaidis and formed a new alliance with the Ottomans. Faced with the prospect of a joint Ottoman-Bedouin force suppressing their rebellion, the Al-Obaidis fled into the desert of Syria where it is said that they lived as Nomad Bedouins for almost 15 years, mixing with bedouins and keeping a low profile as to be forgotten about before re-emerging in the 1860s and building up their influence again. From the time of the monarchy to the present day, the Al-Obaidis have been seen influencing the politics of Iraq. Most recently the Al-Obaidi family has taken a strong and leading role in controlling the defense ministry in Iraq. Indeed, the two most recent Iraqi Defence Secretaries belong to the Al-Obaidi family: Abdul Qadir Obeidi and Khaled al-Obaidi. Furthermore, it is not unusual to find that many of the most experienced Generals of the Iraqi army come from this family. Their influence in the military is almost as large as that in the political sphere of Iraq. The tribe itself directly descends from Amru bin Ma'adi Yakrib, a sahabi (companion) of Muhammad. Amru was known for his extreme bravery and valour, being one of the commanders of the Muslim armies during the battles of Al-Qādisiyyah, Al-Yarmouk, and Nahawand. He was a martyr during the battle of Nahawand. He was honored with the title Faris Al Arab (meaning Knight of the Arabs). He was a knight-king of Yemen before Islam, coming from a long line of Royal dynasty. Lineage 1) Sultan Obaid 2) Sultan Jabr 3) Sultan Maktoum 4) Sultan Laheeb 3) Sultan Mahjoub 4) Malik Baheej 5) Sheikh Dhibyaan 6) Sheikh Muhammad 7) Sheikh Amir 8) Sheikh Sohaib 9) Sheikh Imraan 10) Sheikh Hussein 11) Sheikh Abdullah 12) Sheikh Jaahesh 13) Sheikh Hazim 14) Sheikh Iyada 15) Sheikh Ghalib 16) Sheikh Fares 17) Sheikh Karam 18) Sheikh Ikrimah 19) Sheikh Thawr 20) Amru bin Ma'adi Yakrib Al-Zubaidi Al-Madh'hiji Al-Qahtani Al-Arabi (Fares Al Arab, knight of the Arabs) References Arab groups Tribes of Arabia Tribes of Saudi Arabia Tribes of Iraq Noble families Arab families