Abdul Aziz bin Muhammad bin Saud [1765-1803]
Muhammad bin Saud's son, Abdul Aziz bin Muhammad bin Saud, ruled from 1765 (1179 AH) through 1803 (1218 AH), retaining the association with Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab in the same capacity as his father and continuing to reform Islam in the peninsula. Abdul Aziz successfully captured the city of Riyadh in 1773 (1146 AH). The combination of a deeply held theological conviction and military success proved irresistible to many. As a result, the Saudi state began to spread rapidly and within fifteen years had extended its authority all over Nejd.
In l802, Wahhabi fighters raided and damaged one of the most sacred Shia shrines, the tomb of Husayn, the son of Imam Ali and grandson of the Prophet, at Karbala in Iraq.
Unlike many other ruling families of their time, the Saudis were distinguished by their emphasis on holding open majlis sessions where every tribal chief and Bedouin could meet the ruler. By allowing free access to the independent-minded and self-reliant tribesmen and their leaders, Emir Abdulaziz and the other Saudi rulers managed to attract great following among the tribes beyond the Najd.
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