Not much is known about the life of Shammar Yahr'ish. He was from the tribe of
Himyar. In the year 275 CE, Shammar Yahr'ish was first mentioned in inscriptions. In the same year, he conquered the cities of
Najran and
Ma'rib. By 280 CE, he had united most of
Yemen under his rule. Later in 296 CE, he assumed the title ''King of Saba', Dhu Raydan, Hadramawt and Yamnat''. Subsequent rulers would hold the same titles until the reign of
Malikikarib Yuhamin. He strove for diplomatic relations with contemporary kingdoms such as the
Roman Empire, the
Sasanian Empire and the ruling Arab tribes of
al-Azd and
Tanukh. The
Lakhmid ruler
Imru al-Qays I ibn Amr claimed to have defeated Shammar Yahr'ish in 328 CE at the borders of
Najran, and the victory over Shammar is mentioned on Imru al-Qays' stone epitaph. The last inscription of Shammar Yahr'ish is dated to 312 CE. == Diplomacy ==