Palestine Tribes and Clans: Difference between revisions

Tribes have traditionally played a critical role in the structure of Arab society and continue to be extremely important in many parts of the Arab world, including Palestine. In Palestine, the term "tribe" (<big>قبيلة</big>) typically refers to Bedouin, nomadic or semi-nomadic Arab groups that are found throughout the Middle East. Today, many Palestinian Bedouin have moved towards a sedentary lifestyle by choice or necessity, so the term today does not strictly refer to nomadic peoples. Tribal confederations are most common in the Gaza Strip and include the 'Azazmah (<big>العزازمة</big>), Tayaha (<big>التياها</big>), and Tarabin (<big>الترابين</big>). Bedouin tribes also live in the West Bank, concentrated primarily in the hill country east of Hebron, with scatterings east of Jerusalem and on the west banks of the Jordan River<ref>Robinson, Glenn, "Palestinian Tribes, Clans, and Notable Families," ''Center for Contemporary Conflict,'' https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254648296_Palestinian_Tribes_Clans_and_Notable_Families, accessed 27 January 2025.</ref>.  

A much more common familial unit in Palestine is the clan or "<big>حمولة</big>", consisting of a small group of families that trace their lineage back to a common ancestry through the fathers' lines. The clan structures are most common in rural areas. Traditionally, women who married outside of the clan are counted, along with their children, with their husbands' clan rather than their clan of birth<ref>Robinson, Glenn, "Palestinian Tribes, Clans, and Notable Families," ''Center for Contemporary Conflict,'' https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254648296_Palestinian_Tribes_Clans_and_Notable_Families, accessed 27 January 2025.</ref>. It is important to note that inclusion within a clan does not necessarily entail a direct kinship relationship to that clan. Occasionally, families are adopted into clans due to economic or other factors, sometimes leading to a fabrication of ancestral lines aimed at justifying the inclusion.   

It is important to note that affiliation with a particular tribe does not necessarily entail direct kinship to that tribe, as individuals were sometimes adopted into a tribe. This was particularly true during the first centuries of Islam, at which point non-Arab converts to Islam were required to become clients, or "mawali" (Arabic مَوالٍ), of an Arab tribe.<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Spread of Islam," ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,'' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spread_of_Islam, accessed 8 October 2024.</ref> Therefore, association with a tribe does not automatically imply descent or kinship relationship within a given lineage.