# Battle of Sarif (17 March 1901)

URL: https://allhistories.com/saudi/timeline/1901-battle-of-sarif
Themes: Key Events

In late 1900 Mubarak Al-Sabah invaded Najd with a large tribal coalition that included Abdul Rahman bin Faisal, while young Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman besieged the Masmak fort in Riyadh. On 17 March 1901 Abdulaziz bin Mutaib Al Rashid routed Mubarak's army at Sarif in Qassim. Abdulaziz abandoned the siege of Riyadh and withdrew to Kuwait. Ibn Rashid pursued the retreating Kuwaitis as far as al-Jahra but failed to take the town and withdrew.

## Why it matters
The defeat showed that Kuwaiti-backed invasions could not dislodge the Rashidis, pushing the Saudis towards a bolder approach.

Ruler at the Time: [Abdulaziz bin Mutib Al Rashid](https://allhistories.com/saudi/rulers/abdulaziz-bin-mutib-al-rashid)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Battle of Sarif](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Sarif)
- [Wikipedia — Kuwaiti–Rashidi war](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuwaiti–Rashidi_war)
- [Wikipedia — Abdulaziz bin Mutaib Al Rashid](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdulaziz_bin_Mutaib_Al_Rashid)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Battle of Sarif](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Battle+of+Sarif)
- [Wikipedia — Emirate of Jabal Shammar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emirate_of_Jabal_Shammar)
- [Wikipedia — History of Saudi Arabia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Saudi_Arabia)