Near Eastern Tribal Societies during the Nineteenth Century Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 What is a tribe?
- 2 Travellers in the Levant during the nineteenth century
- 3 The dynamics of territorial and power structures
- 4 Oral traditions
- 5 Tribal society and its relation to the landscape
- 6 Tribal institutions
- 7 Relations between the tribes and the state
- 8 From tribe to tribal state: three case studies
- 9 The economy of tribal societies
- 10 Ethnicity and the sense of belonging
- 11 Women in tribal societies
- 12 Religion and folklore
- 13 Back in time: historical parallels
- Notes
- References
- Index
6 - Tribal institutions
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 What is a tribe?
- 2 Travellers in the Levant during the nineteenth century
- 3 The dynamics of territorial and power structures
- 4 Oral traditions
- 5 Tribal society and its relation to the landscape
- 6 Tribal institutions
- 7 Relations between the tribes and the state
- 8 From tribe to tribal state: three case studies
- 9 The economy of tribal societies
- 10 Ethnicity and the sense of belonging
- 11 Women in tribal societies
- 12 Religion and folklore
- 13 Back in time: historical parallels
- Notes
- References
- Index
Summary
What noble family, but springs from a captain among robbers? Trade alone can spoil our blood; robbery purifies it. The robbery of one age is the chivalry of the next. We may start anew, and vie with even the nobility of France, if we can once enrol but half the Doones upon our lineage.
(R. D. Blackmore, Lorna Doone, 1869)Introduction
As stated in Chapter 1, asabiyyeh, the sense of belonging, plays a dominant role in the concept of tribe. Asabiyyah is a determining factor in the ideology and in the daily life and actions of tribes. It defines how they see the concept of territory. It is instrumental in the glorious deeds of tribal heroes and determines the purpose of tribal history. Western travellers found this group ethic either baffling or were drawn to it, particularly in the second half of the nineteenth century, with its Victorian spirit that valued private enterprise and personal aspiration above all.
The various tribal institutions, such as the leadership, protection, raiding and hospitality, are all determined by the concept of asabiyyah. This chapter provides a closer look at these tribal institutions and how they are geared towards protection and advancement of the group as a whole.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Near Eastern Tribal Societies during the Nineteenth CenturyEconomy, Society and Politics between Tent and Town, pp. 105 - 128Publisher: Acumen PublishingPrint publication year: 2013