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4 results

  • 1 - Introduction

  • Beatrice Forbes Manz, Tufts University, Massachusetts
  • Book:
    Nomads in the Middle East
    Published online:
    12 November 2021
    Print publication:
    02 December 2021, pp 3-27

  • Summary

    This chapter introduces the lifestyle and economy of pastoral nomadism, differentiating between the camel nomadism of the Bedouin and the nomads of the Eurasian steppe, who raised sheep, goats and horses. The definition of tribe is discussed, as are the controversies surrounding the concept. The chapter shows that nomadic and settled societies have been interdependent from the beginning of history. The development of mounted nomadism in the first millennium BC increased the power of nomads; a new type of camel saddled enabled trade across the Syrian desert and Arabian peninsula, with nomad dynasties controlling major trade routes. With the development of efficient horse riding, the Eurasian nomads became formidable mounted archers and formed powerful states.

Nomads in the Middle East
  • Beatrice Forbes Manz
  • Published online:
    12 November 2021
    Print publication:
    02 December 2021
  • A history of pastoral nomads in the Islamic Middle East from the rise of Islam, through the middle periods when Mongols and Turks ruled most of the region, to the decline of nomadism in the twentieth century. Offering a vivid insight into the impact of nomads on the politics, culture, and ideology of the region, Beatrice Forbes Manz examines and challenges existing perceptions of these nomads, including the popular cyclical model of nomad-settled interaction developed by Ibn Khaldun. Looking at both the Arab Bedouin and the nomads from the Eurasian steppe, Manz demonstrates the significance of Bedouin and Turco-Mongolian contributions to cultural production and political ideology in the Middle East, and shows the central role played by pastoral nomads in war, trade, and state-building throughout history. Nomads provided horses and soldiers for war, the livestock and guidance which made long-distance trade possible, and animal products to provision the region's growing cities.