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*''History of Beersheba and its tribes.'' Aref Al-Arf. Cairo, Egypt: Religious Culture Library, 2008. | *''History of Beersheba and its tribes.'' Aref Al-Arf. Cairo, Egypt: Religious Culture Library, 2008. | ||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
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 increasingly 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". | |||
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 are most common in the Gaza Strip, where many have formed large confederations 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>. | 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 are most common in the Gaza Strip, where many have formed large confederations 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>. | ||
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Additionally, urban regions of Palestine are typically centers of notable families, many of which served as officials or administrators under the Ottoman regime. Such prominent families include the Husayni (<big>الحسيني</big>), Abd al-Hadi (<big>عبد الهادي</big>), Nabulsi (<big>النابلسي</big>), Khoury (<big>الخوري</big>), Tamimi (<big>التميمي</big>), and others<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 28 January 2025.</ref>. | Additionally, urban regions of Palestine are typically centers of notable families, many of which served as officials or administrators under the Ottoman regime. Such prominent families include the Husayni (<big>الحسيني</big>), Abd al-Hadi (<big>عبد الهادي</big>), Nabulsi (<big>النابلسي</big>), Khoury (<big>الخوري</big>), Tamimi (<big>التميمي</big>), and others<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 28 January 2025.</ref>. | ||
Tradition holds that all Arab tribes trace their lineage to two primary ancestors: Qahtan (<big>قحطان</big>), progenitor of the "pure" Arabs originating from modern Yemen, and Adnan (<big>عدنان</big>), ancestor of the "Arabicized" Arabs and a descendent of Abraham's son Ishmael.<ref name=":0">"People of Arabia," ''Britannica'', https://www.britannica.com/place/Arabia-peninsula-Asia/People, accessed 5 September 2024.</ref> | |||
Throughout Arabian history, free, arms-bearing tribesmen, whether nomadic or settled, dominated society. Sultans, emirs, and sheikhs were often drawn from these tribes and sought their support. The descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, who hold the titles of sayyids and sharifs, traditionally enjoyed a higher social status and sometimes exercised theocratic rule as spiritual leaders. | |||
It is important to note that affiliation with a particular tribe does not necessarily entail direct kinship to that tribe. In some cases, new tribes formed as the result of alliances between pre-existing tribal groups. Individual families may have occasionally become clients of a different tribe and eventually adopted as members. On an even smaller scale, individuals were sometimes adopted into a tribe. This was particularly true during the first centuries of Islam, when 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. | |||
==Types of Records== | ==Types of Records== | ||
*'''Books''' - There are numerous books written on Palestinian and, more broadly, Arab tribes. Both categories of books can be valuable to researchers, as many tribes found in Palestine are also found elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa and can provide historical context for families and tribes in Palestine. | *'''Books''' - There are numerous books written on Palestinian and, more broadly, Arab tribes. Both categories of books can be valuable to researchers, as many tribes found in Palestine are also found elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa and can provide historical context for families and tribes in Palestine. | ||