Qatar Tribes and Clans: Difference between revisions

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==Resources==
==Resources==
===Online Resources===
===Online Resources===
*''Al-Majdi in the genealogies of the Taliban'' by Ibn al-Sufi, Ali ibn Muhammad. Qom, Iran:Maktabat Āyat Allāh al-Marʻashī al-ʻĀmmah, 2002. {{FSC|4530102|item|disp=FS Catalog book 953 D2sam}}
 
**""المجدي في أنساب الطالبيين / ابن الصوفي، علي بن محمد،
* [https://shamela.ws/category/27 Al-Maktabah al-Shamilah (The Comprehensive Library) - Genealogy Category (Arabic)] - catalogue of Arabic books on genealogy with detailed descriptions; books not accessible directly on website
* [https://shamela.ws/category/27 Al-Maktabah al-Shamilah (The Comprehensive Library) - Genealogy Category (Arabic)] - catalogue of Arabic books on genealogy with detailed descriptions; books not accessible directly on website  
*''Al-Rawd Al-Mustab in the history and lineage of the Etab tribe'' by Kamel Al-Atabi. Baghdad, Iraq:Al-Murthadha Publishing, 2013. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|939975}}
**"الروض المستطاب في تاريخ ونسب قبيلة عتاب / كامل العتابي
*''The Anza tribe, its history, men, and lineages in Iraq, the Peninsula, and the Levant'' by Reza Nasser Hossein. Beirut, Lebanon:Dār al Raafidayni, 1994. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|936637}}
**"قبيلة عنزة تاريخها، رجالتها، انسابها في العراق والجزيرة والشام / ضا ناصر حسين
* [https://www.familysearch.org/en/library/MENA/qatar-books Arab Genealogy Books Online] at FamilySearch Library; open access collection of Arabic genealogy books that have been digitized and can be browsed by country/region. They contain valuable information about tribal histories and family lineages.
*''Attention to the tribes of narrators Ibn Abd al-Barr'' by Ebiary, Ibrahim. Beirut, Lebanon:Dār al-Kitaab al-Earabiu, 1983. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|935312}}
**"الإنباه على قبائل الرواة ابن عبد البر / إبياري، إبراهيم
*''Baloch: Arab Baloch tribes and their role in defending Arabs and Muslims'' by Attar, Adnan.  Damascus, Syria:ʻA. al-ʻAṭṭār, 2009. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|932166}}
**"البلوش : قبائل البلوش العربية و دورها في الدفاع عن العرب و المسلمين / عطار، عدنان
*''The Bani Kaab tribe: political and social history in the Arabian Peninsula and the Arabian Gulf'' by Faras, Mohammed Fahd. Beirut, Lebanon:al-Dār al-ʻArabīyah lil-Mawsūʻāt, 2020. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|937246}}
**"قبيلة بني كعب : التاريخ السياسي والإجتماعي في شبه الجزيرة العربية والخليج العربي / فرس، محمد فهد
*''Bani Khalid tribe in history : flags, events, places, poems, maps, pictures and documents published for the first time, the tribe in some Arab countries, Iraq, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, the Emirates ... '' by Nāṣirī, Aḥmad al-ʻĀmirī. Beirut, Lebanon:Al Rafidayn, 2009. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|883261}}
**"قبيلة بني خالد في التاريخ : أعلام ، أحداث ، أماكن ، قصائد ، خرائط و صور و وثائق تنشر لأول مرة ، القبيلة في بعض الدول العربية ، العراق ، فلسطين ، السعودية ، الكويت ، قطر ، البحرين ، سوريا ، الأردن ، لبنان ، عماّن ، الإمارات ... /  الناصري ، أحمد العامري.
*''The Bani Yas tribe in the book “Glimpses from the History of Qatar: Between the fabrications of the author and the transgressions of the investigator and the reviewer”'' by Mahri, Abdullah Mohammed. United Arab Emirates:Masār lil-Ṭibāʻah wa-al-Nashr, 2017. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|932042}}
**"قبيلة بني ياس في كتاب لمحات من تاريخ قطر : بين افتراءات الواضع وتجاوزات المحقق والمراجع / مهيري، عبد الله محمد
*''Banu Tamim tribe: its history, lineage, and notable figures'' by Dhahabī, Muḥammad ʻAbd al-Riḍā. Beirut, Lebanon:Al Dar Al Arabiyah lil-Mawsu'at, 2004. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|883247}}
**"قبيلة بني تميم : تاريخها، أنسابها، أعلامها /  ذهبي، محمد عبد الرضا.
*''The Book of Bahr al-Ansab or al-Mashjar al-Kashfah of the Origins of the Noble Sayyids'' by Musa, Nevin Mohamed. Cairo, Egypt:Dar al-Kutub Walwathayiq al-Qawmiati, 2020. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|932190}}
**"كتاب بحر الأنساب أو المشجر الكشاف لأصول السادة الأشراف / موسى، نيڤين محمد
*''Chosen from the Adnan and Qahtan tribes'' by Al Mubarak, Khalaf bin Hadid. Kuwait:Maktabat Āfāq, 2011. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|938338}}
**"المختار من قبائل عدنان وقحطان / آل مبارك، خلف بن حديد
*''Dictionary of Arabic Genealogy'' by Al Qasimi, Khalid bin Mohammed. Alexandria, Egypt:Dar al-Kutub Waldirasat al-Earabiati, 2017. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|932102}}
**"معجم الأنساب العربية / القاسمي، خالد بن محمد،
*''Dictionary of genealogies of the tribes of the Arabian Peninsula'' by Zubaydi, Majid Nasir. Beirut, Lebanon:Al-Rafidain House, 2010. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|883940}}
**"معجم انساب قبائل الجزيرة العربية /
*''Dictionary of the land of Bani Kalb, the Sahul tribe, and its most important families in the Arabian Peninsula'' by Sahlī, Fahhād ibn Saʻd ibn Hamalān. Beirut, Lebanon :Al Dar Al Arabiyah lil-Mawsu'at, 2004. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|883263}}
**"معجم بلاد بني كلاب وقبيلة السهول وأهم أسرها في الجزيرة العربية /  سهلي، فهاد بن سعد بن هملان.
*''Encyclopedia of Arab tribes: field and historical research'' by Ok, Muhammad Suleiman. Madīnat Naṣr, Cairo:Dār al-Fikr al-ʻArabī, 2005. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|927934}}
**"موسوعة القبائل العربية : بحوث ميدانية وتاريخية / طيب، محمد سليمان
*''Encyclopedia of the genealogies of the Prophet’s family'' by Sultan, Fathi Abdel Qader. Amman, Jordan:al-Dār al-ʻArabīyah lil-Mawsūʻāt, 2009. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|932132}}
**"موسوعة أنساب آل البيت النبوي / سلطان، فتحي عبد القادر
*''Genealogies of Arab tribes according to historical sources'' by Maslat, Farhan Abdul Aziz. Damascus, Syria:Dār al-Shajarah lil-Nashr wa-al-Tawzīʻ, 2002. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|939973}}
**""أنساب القبائل العربية وفق المصادر التاريخية / مسلط، فرحان عبد العزيز,
*''Gold bullion in the knowledge of Arab tribes'' by Swede, Muhammad Amin and Qalqashandi, Ahmad ibn Ali. Beirut, Lebanon:Dār al-Kutub al-ʻIlmīyah, 2016. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|883161}}
**"سبائك الذهب في معرفة قبائل العرب / سويدي، محمد أمين،, قلقشندي، أحمد بن علي،
*''The Gulf, its countries and tribes'' by Miles, S. B.  and Abdullah, Muhammad Amin. Muscat, Oman:Wizāraẗ at-turāt̲ wa-al-t̲aqāfaẗ, Salṭanaẗ ʻUmān, 2016. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|927913}}
**"الخليج بلدانه وقبائله / عبد الله، محمد أمين
*''The history of the Hawla Arabs: a historical and documentary study'' by Hatem, Muhammad Gharib. Beirut, Lebanon:al-Muʼassasah al-ʻArabīyah lil-Dirāsāt wa-al-Nashr, 2003. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|939970}}
**"تاريخ عرب الهولة : دراسة تاريخية وثائقية / حاتم، محمد غريب،
*''The history of the Juhayna tribe and its migrations from the Arabian Peninsula, and its role in spreading Arabism and Islam in East Africa'' by Ali, Ismail Hamid Ismail.  Damascus, Syria:Nūr Ḥūrān lil-Dirāsāt wa-al-Nashr wa-al-Turāth, 2021. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|932128}}
**"تاريخ قبيلة جهينة وهجراتها من جزيرة العرب، ودورها في نشر العروبة والإسلام في شرق أفريقيا / علي، إسماعيل حامد إسماعيل
*''The Kinda tribe and its role in Arab-Islamic history until the end of the Umayyad era 132-41 AH / 750-661 AD'' by Abdul Basit Abdul Razzaq Hussein Ali Al-Alusi. Damascus, Syria:Nour and Arrab Publishing House, 2011. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|938752}}
**"قبيلة كندة ودورها في التاريخ العربي الإسلامي حتى نهاية العصر الأموي ١٣٢-٤١ه/٧٥٠-٦٦١م / عبدالباسط عبدالرزاق حسين علي الألوسي
*''The Mutair tribe: its history, lineages, civilized families, figures, poets, horses and camels'' by Sanah, Abdul Aziz bin Saad. Beirut, Lebanon:al-Dār al-ʻArabīyah lil-Mawsūʻāt, 2005. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|935280}}
**"قبيلة مطير : تاريخها، أنسابها، أسرها المتحضرة، أعلامها، شعراؤها، خيلها وإبلها / سناح، عبد العزيز بن سعد،
*''The Mutair tribe: its lineage, history, poetry, horses, camels, and its abandonment during the Brotherhood movement'' by Sanah, Abdul Aziz bin Saad and Nayef bin Awad bin Ghaben. Kuwait:Manshūrāt Dhāt al-Salāsil, 2023. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|940905}}
**"قبيلة مطير : نسبها، تاريخها، وأشعارها، وخيلها، وإبلها، و هجرها أثناء حركة الإخوان / سناح، عبد العزيز بن سعد، وسمي، نايف بن عوض بن غبن
*''Mutair tribes'' by Maslat, Saleh Hawash.  Damascus, Syria:Dar al-Maktabi, 2014. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|932098}}
**"قبائل مطير / مسلط، صالح هواش
*''Origins of tribes in the world'' by Abu Saeeda, Hussein. Beirut, Lebanon :Dār al-Maḥajjah al-Bayḍāʼ lil-Ṭibāʻah wa-al-Nashr wa-al-Tawzīʻ 2020. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|932119}}
**"أصول القبائل في العالم / أبو سعيدة، حسين
*''The Taghlib tribe in pre-Islamic times and Islam: lineage, notables, poetry, literature'' by Harfoush, Abdelkader Fayyad. Damascus, Syria:Dār al-Bashāʼir, 1999. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|927894}}
**"قبيلة تغلب في الجاهلية والإسلام : نسب، أعلام، شعر، أدب / حرفوش، عبد القادر فياض
*''Tamimi families in Hotat Bani Tamim'' by Tamimi, Ibrahim bin Rashid and Abu Haimed, Abd al-Rahman. Beirut, Lebanon :al-Dār al-ʻArabīyah lil-Mawsūʻāt, 2004. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|935284}}
**"الأسر التميمية في حوطة بني تميم / تميمي، إبراهيم بن راشد أبو حيمد، عبد الرحمن
*''The various tribes and their combinations'' by Ibn Habib, Abu Ja'far Muhammad and Ebiary, Ibrahim. Cairo, Egypt:Dār al-Kitāb al-Misriu, 2008. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|932266}}
**"مختلف القبائل ومؤتلفها / ابن حبيب, أبو جعفر محمد إبياري، إبراهيم
*''The various tribes and their combinations'' by Muhammad bin Habib and Wüstenfeld, Ferdinand. London, England :Al-Warrak Publishing, 2021. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|932062}}
**"مختلف القبائل ومؤتلفها / محمد بن حبيب
*''Anṭākīyah al-Urthūdhuksīyah, aw, tārīkh al-Ābā’ Baṭāriqat Anṭākiyah'' by Burayk, Mīkhāʼīl. al-Qāhirah:al-Maṭba‘ah al-Tijārīyah, 1903. '''''Online at:''''' [https://dlib.nyu.edu/aco/book/aub_aco000353 New York University]; History of the Patriarchs of Antioch.
**.انطاكية الارثوذكسية، أو تاريخ الآباء بطارقة انطاكية .مخائيل بريك القاهر:المطبعة التجارية ,1903
*''Muʻjam qabāʼil al-ʻArab al-qadīmah wa-al-ḥadīthah v.1'' by Kaḥḥālah, ʻUmar Riḍā. Dimashq:al-Maktabah al-Hāshimīyah, 1949. '''''Online at:''''' [https://dlib.nyu.edu/aco/book/aub_aco003046 New York University]; Encyclopedia of Arab tribes
**.معجم قبائل العرب القديمة والحديثة الجزء الأول .عمر رضا كحالة دمشق:المكتبة الهاشمية ,1949
*''Muʻjam qabāʼil al-ʻArab al-qadīmah wa-al-ḥadīthah v.2'' by Kaḥḥālah, ʻUmar Riḍā. Dimashq:al-Maktabah al-Hāshimīyah, 1949. '''''Online at:''''' [https://dlib.nyu.edu/aco/book/aub_aco003047 New York University]; Encyclopedia of Arab tribes
**.معجم قبائل العرب القديمة والحديثة الجزء الثاني .عمر رضا كحالة دمشق:المكتبة الهاشمية ,1949
*''Muʻjam qabāʼil al-ʻArab al-qadīmah wa-al-ḥadīthah v.3'' by Kaḥḥālah, ʻUmar Riḍā. Dimashq:al-Maktabah al-Hāshimīyah, 1949. '''''Online at:''''' [https://dlib.nyu.edu/aco/book/aub_aco003048 New York University]; Encyclopedia of Arab tribes
**.معجم قبائل العرب القديمة والحديثة الجزء الثالث .عمر رضا كحالة دمشق:المكتبة الهاشمية ,1949
*''Sabāʼik al-dhahab fī maʻrifat qabāʼil al-ʻArab'' by Suwaydī, Muḥammad Amīn. Qum:al-Maktabah al-ʻIlmīyah, 198-. '''''Online at:''''' [https://dlib.nyu.edu/aco/book/columbia_aco002259 New York University]; Overview of Arab tribes
**.سبائك الذهب في معرفة قبائل العرب .محمد أمين سويدي قم:المكتبة العلمية، 198-
*''Nihāyat al-arab fī maʻrifat ansāb al-ʻarab'' by Qalqashandī, Aḥmad ibn ʻAbd Allāh. Baghdād:Maṭbaʻat al-Najāḥ, 1958. '''''Online at:''''' [https://dlib.nyu.edu/aco/book/columbia_aco000445 New York University]; Important classical text detailing the histories and genealogies of major Arab tribes
**.
*''Kitāb nasab Quraysh'' by Zubayrī, Muṣʻab ibn ʻAbd Allāh. al-Qāhirah:Dār al-Maʻārif lil-Ṭibāʻah wa-al-Nashr, 1953. '''''Online at:''''' [https://dlib.nyu.edu/aco/book/nyu_aco001366 New York University]; Classical genealogy of the Quraysh tribe, the tribe of the Prophet Muhammad
**.كتاب نسب قريش .المصعب بن عبد الله الزبيري [القاهرة]:‏دار المعارف ,1953نهاية الأرب في معرفة أنساب العرب .أحمد بن عبد الله القلقشندي بغداد:مطبعة النجاح ,1958


===Print Pubications===
===Print Pubications===
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====German====
====German====
*''Ǧamharat an-nasab : das genealogische Werk des Hišam Ibn Muḥammad al-Kalbī (Band I und II).'' By Werner Caskel. Leiden, Netherlands: E.J. Brill, 1966. {{FSC|4134132|item|disp=FS Catalog book INTL 953 D2c}}
*''Ǧamharat an-nasab : das genealogische Werk des Hišam Ibn Muḥammad al-Kalbī (Band I und II).'' By Werner Caskel. Leiden, Netherlands: E.J. Brill, 1966. {{FSC|4134132|item|disp=FS Catalog book INTL 953 D2c}}
*''Register zu den genealogischen Tabellen der Arabischen Stämme und Familien : mit historischen und geographischen Bemerkungen (Register to the genealogical tables of the Arabian tribes and families : with historical and geographical remarks)'' by Wüstenfeld, Heinrich Ferdinand. London, England:Forgotten Books, 2018. {{FSC|4498758|item|disp=FS Catalog book 953 D2w 2018}}
==Background==
==Background==
===Individual Tribes and Tribal Confederations===
===Individual Tribes and Tribal Confederations===
Line 118: Line 43:


== 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".
Like many regions of the Middle East and the Gulf in particular, tribes in Qatar continue to play an essential role in shaping society and identity for Qataris. In pre-modern Qatar, tribes were the main social unit and governed all aspects of life. Although the country's rapid and extensive modernization in the last century has altered the traditional nomadic lifestyle of some Qataris, tribal identities remain an important element of society, even factoring into the nation's political structure.
Like many regions of the Middle East and the Gulf in particular, tribes in Qatar continue to play an essential role in shaping society and identity for Qataris. In pre-modern Qatar, tribes were the main social unit and governed all aspects of life. Although the country's rapid and extensive modernization in the last century has altered the traditional nomadic lifestyle of some Qataris, tribal identities remain an important element of society, even factoring into the nation's political structure.


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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.
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.
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, 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 Qatar and, more broadly, Arab tribes. Both categories of books can be valuable to researchers, as many tribes found in Qatar are also found elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa and can provide historical background for tribes and families today.
'''Books''' - There are numerous books written on Qatar and, more broadly, Arab tribes. Both categories of books can be valuable to researchers, as many tribes found in Qatar are also found elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa and can provide historical background for tribes and families today.

Revision as of 09:11, 31 January 2025

Qatar Wiki Topics
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Qatar Beginning Research
Record Types
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Local Research Resources
Geographylogo.png In other languages: العربية

Resources[edit | edit source]

Online Resources[edit | edit source]

Print Pubications[edit | edit source]

Arabic[edit | edit source]

  • جمهرة النسب. أبو المنذر هشام بن محمد بن السائب الكلبي. بيروت، لبنان: عالم الكتب, ٢٠٠٤
  • جمهرة أنساب العرب. أبو محمد علي بن أحمد بن سعيد بن حزم الأندلسي. بيروت، لبنان: دار الكتب العلمية, ٢٠١٨
  • قلائد الذهب في معرفة أنساب قبائل العرب. مصطفى حميدي بن أحمد الكردي البالوي الدمشقي. بيروت، لبنان: دار ومكتبة الهلال بئر العبد , ٢٠٠٠
  • مشجرات أنساب قبائل والعوئل العربية: مع مراصظات تاريخية وجغرافية. فرديناند فوستنفلد. بيروت: دار الورَّك, ١٨٥٢
  • نسب معد واليمن الكبير. أبو المنذر هشام بن محمد بن السائب الكلبي. بيروت، لبنان: عالم الكتب, ٢٠١٠
  • نهاية الارب في معرفة انساب العرب. أبو العباس أحمد بن علي بن أحمد بن عبد الله القلقشندي. بيروت، لبنان: دار الكتب العلمية
  • The Arab Tribes: Their Historical Origins and Roots (in Arabic), by Jamal Mashari al-Rafdi. Online at: Archive.org.
    • القبائل العربية: أصولها جذورها التاريخية، جمال بن مشاري الرفدي.
  • The Glorious Pearls in the News of the Latest Arabs (in Arabic), by Sheikh Muhammad al-Bisam al-Najdi. Online at: Archive.org; description of Arab tribes at time of writing in the 19th Century
    • الدرر المفاخر في أخبار العرب الأواخر، الشيخ محمد البسام النجدي.

German[edit | edit source]

  • Ǧamharat an-nasab : das genealogische Werk des Hišam Ibn Muḥammad al-Kalbī (Band I und II). By Werner Caskel. Leiden, Netherlands: E.J. Brill, 1966. FS Catalog book INTL 953 D2c

Background[edit | edit source]

Individual Tribes and Tribal Confederations[edit | edit source]

Arabic[edit | edit source]

  • سيرة آل هذال: شيوخ قبيلة عنزة، أخوان بتلا. الشيخ احمد العامري الناصري. لبنان - بيروت: الرفدين, ٢٠٠٩
  • قبيلة بني تميم : تاريخها، أنسابها، أعلامها. محمد عبد الرضا ذهبي. بيروت: الدار العربية للموسوعات, ٢٠٠٤ FS Catalog book 953 D2d v. 1
  • قبيلة بني خالد في التاريخ. الشيخ احمد العامري الناصري. لبنان - بيروت: الرفدين, ٢٠٠٩
  • قبيلة عنزة تاريخها، رجلاتها، أنسابها في العراق والجزيرة. الشيخ محروث الهذال (أمير عنزة). لبنان - بيروت: دار الرفدين, ٢٠٠٥

English[edit | edit source]

  • Area Handbook for the Persian Gulf States. By Richard F. Nyrop. Washington DC: Foreign Area Studies of The American University, 1977.

Background[edit | edit source]

Like many regions of the Middle East and the Gulf in particular, tribes in Qatar continue to play an essential role in shaping society and identity for Qataris. In pre-modern Qatar, tribes were the main social unit and governed all aspects of life. Although the country's rapid and extensive modernization in the last century has altered the traditional nomadic lifestyle of some Qataris, tribal identities remain an important element of society, even factoring into the nation's political structure.

Some larger Qatari tribes include the ruling Al Thani (الثاني), Al Khalifa (آل خليفة), al-Sudan (السودان), Al Saud (آل سعود), 'Utubi (العتوب), Banu Khalid (بنو خالد), Qawasim (القواسم), al-Musallam (آل مسلم), Al Bu Ainain (آل بو عينين), al-Attiyah (العطية), and al-Kuwari (الكواري)[1]. 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 Qatar.

Tradition holds that all Arab tribes trace their lineage to two primary ancestors: Qahtan (قحطان), progenitor of the "pure" Arabs originating from modern Yemen, and Adnan (عدنان), ancestor of the "Arabicized" Arabs and a descendent of Abraham's son Ishmael.[2]

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, as 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.[3] Therefore, association with a tribe does not automatically imply descent or kinship relationship within a given lineage.

Types of Records[edit | edit source]

Books - There are numerous books written on Qatar and, more broadly, Arab tribes. Both categories of books can be valuable to researchers, as many tribes found in Qatar are also found elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa and can provide historical background for tribes and families today.

Information Recorded in the Records[edit | edit source]

Tribal histories and genealogies can contain a variety of data useful for family history researchers. Depending on the type and detail of tribal genealogy, typically include the names of fathers and sons but may exclude wives or daughters. Additionally, these genealogies may not include exact birth or death dates, although background information can often allow the researcher to estimate these data for individuals in the records.

Even without detailed lineages, tribal histories can still be useful for researchers. These records often contain details on tribal origins, migrations and movement, and traditional beliefs and culture.

Strategy[edit | edit source]

The published works above include information useful for tracing Qatari tribal lineages. These works include lineages, tribal histories, biographies of prominent individuals, poetry, or encyclopedic entries of tribes and their sub-divisions.

As with all genealogical research, start with what you know. If you know your ancestor's tribal affiliation already, search books on that tribe. If not, search for resources on their country or region of origin, which can often identify the major tribes located there. Become familiar with the various branches within the tribe to better understand where your ancestors fit within the larger tribal structure. Within tribal lineages, search for the names of familiar individuals or places as clues to identify your exact family line.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Contributors, "Tribal Families in Qatar," Harvard Divinity School, https://rpl.hds.harvard.edu/faq/tribal-families-qatar, accessed 30 January 2025.
  2. "People of Arabia," Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/place/Arabia-peninsula-Asia/People, accessed 5 September 2024.
  3. Wikipedia contributors, "Spread of Islam," Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spread_of_Islam, accessed 8 October 2024.