Kuwait Tribes and Clans: Difference between revisions

In the Middle East and North Africa, the term "tribe" refers to large collection of inter-related families that can trace their lineage back to a common ancestor; although, as is discussed in greater detail below, a shared ancestry is not always necessary for a family to join a tribe. It is typically used as a translation for the Arabic word "<big>قَبيلة</big>" (qabīlah), although in the Research Wiki "tribe" is also used for other Arabic terms. Tribes in the region can number in the hundreds to tens of thousands; some are relatively localized, while others are stretched or scattered over vast areas. Tribes are often divided into smaller and smaller kinship groups, including "<big>بَطْن</big>" (baṭn), "<big>فَخْذ</big>" (fakhth), and "<big>عَشيرة</big>" (ʿashīrah). The latter is translated in the Wiki as "clan".  

Like many regions of the Middle East and the Gulf in particular, tribes in Kuwait continue to play an essential role in shaping society and identity for Kuwaitis. In pre-modern Kuwait, tribes were the main social unit and governed all aspects of life.

 

Some larger Omani tribes include the ruling Al Bu Said (<big>آل بوسعيد</big>), Ghafiri (<big>الغافري</big>), and Al Hanawi (<big>آل حناوي</big>). Given that the Arabian Peninsula is the ancestral homeland of Arabs and the area from which Arabic and Islam spread throughout much of the Middle East and North Africa, many of these tribes extend beyond the borders of Kuwait.