Turki bin Abdullah expelled Ottoman–Egyptian forces and local allies from Riyadh, establishing Riyadh as the capital and marking the conventional start of the Second Saudi State (Emirate of Najd).
Following Turki’s death and the removal of the immediate usurper, Faisal bin Turki emerged as ruler, initiating his first period in power over Najd.
Imam Turki bin Abdullah was assassinated in Riyadh, triggering a succession crisis that briefly disrupted political stability at the center of the Second Saudi State.
Muhammad Ali Pasha’s forces launched an expedition into Najd against the Emirate of Najd, reflecting ongoing imperial efforts to curb Saudi authority in central and eastern Arabia.
Faisal bin Turki’s first reign ended and Khalid bin Saud ruled in his place, a change associated with Egyptian-Ottoman influence and intervention in Najdi politics.
Abdullah bin Thunayan displaced the existing ruler and governed Najd until Faisal bin Turki returned, underscoring recurring intra-dynastic struggles during the Second Saudi State.
Faisal bin Turki regained control and began a long second reign, during which the state’s authority was consolidated and managed amid regional pressures.
Faisal died in 1865; his sons contested the succession, initiating prolonged internal conflict that weakened the Second Saudi State’s cohesion and resilience.
Saud bin Faisal held power for several years during the broader succession struggle, as rivalry among Faisal’s sons continued to fragment authority in Najd.
The Ottoman Empire mounted an expedition into al-Hasa (eastern Arabia), occupying the area and separating it from Najdi control—significantly reducing the Second Saudi State’s strategic and economic depth.
After the 1871 conquest, the Ottomans administered al-Hasa under the name "Najd Sanjak" (centered at Hofuf), institutionalizing imperial rule in the east and constraining Najdi authority.
Abdul Rahman bin Faisal briefly ruled as imam, reflecting the instability of the post-1865 period in which leadership shifted among Faisal’s sons.
Abdullah bin Faisal returned to rule, but repeated reversals in power illustrated the enduring weakness of central control and the growing opportunity for rivals such as the Al Rashid.
Britannica notes that in 1885 Abdullah was “invited” to Ha’il as a political hostage-like "guest" of Ibn Rashid, while a Rashidi representative was appointed governor of Riyadh—evidence of the Rashidis’ ascendancy over Najd.
Abdul Rahman bin Faisal returned to power in Najd for a second reign, attempting to resist the expanding influence of the Rashidi Emirate of Jabal Shammar.
Rashidi forces defeated Abdul Rahman’s tribal allies at Mulayda (in Al-Qassim). The defeat precipitated the collapse of the Second Saudi State, and Abdul Rahman and his family fled into exile in Kuwait.
Second Saudi State (Emirate of Nejd) (1824–1891)
