Imam Muhammad bin Saud bin Muhammad Al Saud

Imam Muhammad bin Saud (Arabic: محمد بن سعود ‎) (d. 1765), also known as Ibn Saud, is considered the first head of the House of Saud, which is technically named for his father – Saud bin Muhammad bin Muqrin. He married his son Abdul Aziz to the daughter of Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhab and founded the First Saudi State.

Alliance with Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhab

The initial power base was the town of Ad-Dar'iyah, where he met Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhab, who came to Saud for protection. Imam Muhammad bin Saud granted this and the two decided to work together to rid the Arabian peninsula of what they saw as innovations (heretics) in the practice of Islam by bringing the religion back to its purest form. They formed an alliance which was formalized by the wedding of Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhab's daughter to Abdul Aziz, son and successor of Ibn Saud.

Using the ideology of Ibn Al-Wahhab, Ibn Saud helped establish the House of Saud among other tribes in the Arabian peninsula. The use of religion as a basis for legitimacy differentiated the House of Saud from neighboring tribes and built support.

First Saudi State

Thus, Ibn Saud is considered the founder of the First Saudi State. The way he set up his government has served as model for rulers of the House of Saud until the present day. The government was based on Islamic principles and made use of shura. He ruled from 1744 till his death in 1765.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_bin_Saud