Syria Tribes and Clans: Difference between revisions

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The following published works include information useful for tracing Syrian tribal lineages. These works include lineages, tribal history, biographies of prominent individuals, poetry, or encyclopedic entries of tribes and their sub-divisions.
The following published works include information useful for tracing Syrian tribal lineages. These works include lineages, tribal history, biographies of prominent individuals, poetry, or encyclopedic entries of tribes and their sub-divisions.
===Online Resources===
===Online Resources===
*''Al-Ghanama clans in the Middle Euphrates'' by Charles, Henri; French Institute for Arab Studies in Damascus. Damascus, Syria:al-Maʻhad al-Faransī lil-Dirāsāt al-ʻArabīyah bi-Dimashq, 1997. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|938322}}
**"عشائر الغنامة في الفرات الأوسط /'' معهد الفرنسي للدراسات العربية بدمشق
* [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
* [https://www.familysearch.org/en/library/MENA/syria-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.
* ''The Arab Tribes: Their Historical Origins and Roots (in Arabic)'', by Jamal Mashari al-Rafdi. '''''Online at''''': [https://archive.org/details/20240502_20240502_1126/page/n1/mode/2up Archive.org].
**''القبائل العربية: أصولها جذورها التاريخية''، جمال بن مشاري الرفدي.
*''Arabs of Bahrain: A History of the Local States of the Bani Uqayl in the Gulf and Eastern Arabia'' by Khalil, Muhammad Mahmoud. Cairo, Egypt:Maktabat al-Thaqāfah al-Dīnīyah, 2007. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|932296}}
**"عرب البحرين : تاريخ الدويلات المحلية لبني عقيل في الخليج وشرق الجزيرة العربية /'' خليل، محمد محمود
*''Banu Jama'a (the groups): lineage and notables'' by Collective, Ahmed Othman Rafah. Amman, Jordan:Dar Al-Awam for Publishing and Distribution: Dar Al-Farqad for Printing, Publishing and Distribution, 2020. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|932064}}
**"بنو جماعة (الجماعات) : نسب واعلام /'' الجماعي، احمد عثمان رفة
*''Banu Wa'il in History: A Comprehensive Historical Study of the Genealogy of the Current Anza Tribe and Its Relationship to the Famous Wa'il Rabi'ah'' by Al-Ruwaili, Muhammad ibn Abdullah. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:Maktabat al-Tawbah, 2007. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|939941}}
**"بنو وائل في التاريخ : دراسة تاريخية شاملة في نسب قبيلة عنزة الحالية و علاقتها بوائل ربيعة الشهير /'' الرويلي ، محمد بن عبد الله
*''Bloody Hauran: A general study of the history of its people, their lineage, customs, beliefs, monuments, wars, and their geniuses who have emigrated from us, and a study of the Jabal al-Druze revolution and the lineage of its inhabitants, detailing their tribes and customs, and the reasons for the transformation of their national revolution into a general war between Syria and the colonial state, and completing the investigations of its important events, unveiling the curtain on the secrets of the mysterious, publishing its dangerous documents, and mentioning the secret scientific negotiations and the explosion of the intellectual revolution in parts of the world'' by Abu Rashid, Hanna. Damascus, Syria:Dar al-Earab Lilnashr, 2016. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|935320}}
**"حوران الدامية : بحث عام، في تاريخ شعوبها، ونسبهم، وعاداتهم، واعتقاداتهم، واثارهم، وحروبهم، ونوابغهم النازحين عنا وبحث عن ثورة جبل الدروز ونسب سكانه القاطنين به، وتفصيل عشايرهم وعادتهم، واسباب انقلاب ثورتهم القومية الى حرب عامة بين سورية ودولة الاستعمار، واسيفاء مباحث وقايعها المهمة، وكشف الستار عن اسرار الغامضة، ونشر وثايقها الخطيرة، وذكر المفاوضات العلمية السرية وانفجار الثورة الفكرية في انحاء العالم /'' ابو راشد، حنا،
*''From the genealogies of the pure Arabs: the Jabour and Zubaydi Qahtaini tribes and their ancestor Sultan Jabr Qahtaini'' by Maslat, Saleh Hawash. Damascus, Syria:Dār ʻAlāʼ al-Dīn, 2007. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|936632}}
**"من أنساب العرب العاربة : قبائل الجبور والزبيدية القحطانية وجدهم السلطان جبر القحطاني'' مسلط، صالح هواش
* [https://olomlnassb.blogspot.com/ Genealogical Science Library (Arabic - <big>مكتبة علوم النسب</big>)] - digital catalogue of Arabic books on family and tribal genealogies; open source books are linked and accessible
* [https://olomlnassb.blogspot.com/ Genealogical Science Library (Arabic - <big>مكتبة علوم النسب</big>)] - digital catalogue of Arabic books on family and tribal genealogies; open source books are linked and accessible
**Email: [mailto:Olomanasb@gmail.com olomanasb@gmail.com]
**Email: [mailto:Olomanasb@gmail.com olomanasb@gmail.com]
* ''The Arab Tribes: Their Historical Origins and Roots (in Arabic)'', by Jamal Mashari al-Rafdi. '''''Online at''''': [https://archive.org/details/20240502_20240502_1126/page/n1/mode/2up Archive.org].
*''The history of the tribe of Ould Ali and its contemporary reality in the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant desert'' by My passengers, Naif. Beirut, Lebanon:al-Dār al-ʻArabīyah lil-Mawsūʻāt, 2021. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|937238}}
**''القبائل العربية: أصولها جذورها التاريخية''، جمال بن مشاري الرفدي.
**"تاريخ قبيلة ولد علي وواقعها المعاصر في الجزيرة العربية وبادية الشام /'' ركابي، نايف
*''The Kalbids and their role in the Arab presence throughout history'' by Attar, Adnan. Damascus, Syria:Dar Al-Awam for Publishing and Distribution: Dar Al-Farqad for Printing, Publishing and Distribution, 2007. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|932113}}
**"الكلبيون ودورهم في الوجود العربي خلال التاريخ /'' العطار، عدنان
*''Levant Clans'' by Zakaria, Ahmed Wasfi . Damascus, Syria:Dar Al-Fikr, 2020. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|927915}}
**"عشائر الشام /'' زكريا، أحمد وصفي
*''The Nour clans in the Levant: Al-Qarbat, Al-Qarj, Al-Tabbala, Al-Riyas, Al-Hajjiyyat...: A field anthropological study'' by Jabawi, Ali Abdullah.  Damascus, Syria:al-Takwīn, 2006. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|932127}}
**''عشائر النور في بلاد الشام : القرباط، القرج، الطبالة، الرياس، الحجيات ... : دراسة أنتروبولوجية ميدانية /'' جباوي ، علي عبد الله
*''Tigris and Euphrates tribes'' by Kaabi, Ali Saleh. Beirut, Lebanon:Dar Al Rafidain for Printing, Publishing and Distribution, 2013. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|937205}}
**''عشائر دجلة و الفرات /'' كعبي، علي صالح،,
*''Tribes of the desert of Aleppo and Hama'' by Mustafa, Turki Farhan.  Damascus, Syria:Damascus University, 2005. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|932118}}
**''قبائل بادية حلب وحماة /'' مصطفى، تركي فرحان
*''ʻAshāʼir al-ʻIrāq v.1'' by ʻAzzāwī, ʻAbbās. Baghdād:Matbaʻat Baghdād, 1937-1956. '''''Online at:''''' [https://dlib.nyu.edu/aco/book/princeton_aco002354 New York University]; Early 20th century encyclopedia of Arab and Kurdish tribes, Bedouin and rural, in Iraq, with some extending into Syria.
**.عشائر العراق الجزء الأول .عباس العزاوي بغداد:مطبعة بغداد،‎‎ 1956-1937
*''ʻAshāʼir al-ʻIrāq v.2'' by ʻAzzāwī, ʻAbbās. Baghdād:Matbaʻat Baghdād, 1937-1956. '''''Online at:''''' [https://dlib.nyu.edu/aco/book/princeton_aco002165 New York University]; Early 20th century encyclopedia of Arab and Kurdish tribes, Bedouin and rural, in Iraq, with some extending into Syria.
**.عشائر العراق الجزء الثاني .عباس العزاوي بغداد:مطبعة بغداد،‎‎ 1956-1937
*''ʻAshāʼir al-ʻIrāq v.3'' by ʻAzzāwī, ʻAbbās. Baghdād:Matbaʻat Baghdād, 1937-1956. '''''Online at:''''' [https://dlib.nyu.edu/aco/book/princeton_aco002158 New York University]; Early 20th century encyclopedia of Arab and Kurdish tribes, Bedouin and rural, in Iraq, with some extending into Syria.
**.عشائر العراق الجزء الثالث .عباس العزاوي بغداد:مطبعة بغداد،‎‎ 1956-1937
*''ʻAshāʼir al-ʻIrāq v.4'' by ʻAzzāwī, ʻAbbās. Baghdād:Matbaʻat Baghdād, 1937-1956. '''''Online at:''''' [https://dlib.nyu.edu/aco/book/princeton_aco002157 New York University]; Early 20th century encyclopedia of Arab and Kurdish tribes, Bedouin and rural, in Iraq, with some extending into Syria.
**.عشائر العراق الجزء الرابع .عباس العزاوي بغداد:مطبعة بغداد،‎‎ 1956-1937
*''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 القاهرة:المطبعة التجارية، 1903
*''Umarāʼ Ghassān lil-mustashriq Thīyūdūr Nūldikih'' by Nöldeke, Theodor. Bayrūt:al-Jāmi‘ah al-Amīrikīyah fī Bayrūt, Kullīyat al-‘Ulūm wa-al-Ādāb, 1933. '''''Online at:''''' [https://dlib.nyu.edu/aco/book/aub_aco002074 New York University]; History and Lineage of the Ghassanids.
**.أمراء غسان للمستشرق ثيودور نولدكه .ثيودور نولدكه بيروت:الجامعة الأميركية في بيروت، كلية العلوم والآداب، 1933
*''al- Badw wa-al-ʻashāʼir fī al-bilād al-ʻArabīyah'' by Ṭāhir, ʻAbd al-Jalīl. Cairo:Jāmiʻat al-Duwal al-ʻArabīyah, Maʻhad al-Dirāsāt al-ʻArabīyah al-ʻĀlīyah, 1955. '''''Online at:''''' [https://dlib.nyu.edu/aco/book/auc_aco000389 New York University]; Overview of Arab Bedouin and clans
**.البدو والعشائر في البلاد العربية .عبد الجليل طاهر [القاهرة]:جامعة الدول العربية، معهد الدراسات العربية العالية، 1955
*''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 Publications===
===Print Publications===
==== Arabic ====
==== Arabic ====
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==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".
The importance of tribes in Syria varies according to region and ethnic group. Some prominent Arab Syrian tribes include the Shammar (<big>شمر</big>), Jubur (<big>جبور</big>), Tayy (<big>طي</big>), Bakara (<big>البقارة</big>), Anizah (<big>عنزة</big>), al-Na'im (<big>النعيم</big>), Mawali (<big>موالي</big>), and al-Hadidi (<big>الحديدي</big>)<ref>Hussain, Akil, "Analysis: Division Defines Syria's Tribes and Clans," ''The New Humanitarian,'' https://deeply.thenewhumanitarian.org/syria/articles/2018/01/16/analysis-division-defines-syrias-tribes-and-clans, accessed 8 October 2024.</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 Syria and, more broadly, Arab tribes. Both categories of books can be valuable to researchers, as many tribes found in Syria 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==
==Information Recorded in the Records==
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==
== Strategy==
The published works above include information useful for tracing Syrian tribal lineages. These works include lineages, tribal history, biographies of prominent individuals, poetry, or encyclopedic entries of tribes and their sub-divisions.
The published works above include information useful for tracing Syrian tribal lineages. These works include lineages, tribal histories, biographies of prominent individuals, poetry, or encyclopedic entries of tribes and their sub-divisions.
 
Some of the resources listed above treat with specific tribes, while others look at groups of tribes. The scope of each resource affects the level of detail it contains on actual individuals and their families. While some books contain detailed genealogies with specific names from generation to generation, others treat with tribes generally, focusing more on their history and movement. The latter type of book can be especially useful for individuals who are unsure of where their ancestors lived, as these books can provide information on towns or regions where certain tribes can be found.


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==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


[[Category:Syria]][[Category:Tribes and Clans]]
[[Category:Syria]][[Category:Tribes and Clans]]

Revision as of 11:29, 11 June 2025

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Resources[edit | edit source]

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

Online Resources[edit | edit source]

  • Al-Ghanama clans in the Middle Euphrates by Charles, Henri; French Institute for Arab Studies in Damascus. Damascus, Syria:al-Maʻhad al-Faransī lil-Dirāsāt al-ʻArabīyah bi-Dimashq, 1997. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
    • "عشائر الغنامة في الفرات الأوسط / معهد الفرنسي للدراسات العربية بدمشق
  • 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
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Arabs of Bahrain: A History of the Local States of the Bani Uqayl in the Gulf and Eastern Arabia by Khalil, Muhammad Mahmoud. Cairo, Egypt:Maktabat al-Thaqāfah al-Dīnīyah, 2007. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
    • "عرب البحرين : تاريخ الدويلات المحلية لبني عقيل في الخليج وشرق الجزيرة العربية / خليل، محمد محمود
  • Banu Jama'a (the groups): lineage and notables by Collective, Ahmed Othman Rafah. Amman, Jordan:Dar Al-Awam for Publishing and Distribution: Dar Al-Farqad for Printing, Publishing and Distribution, 2020. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
    • "بنو جماعة (الجماعات) : نسب واعلام / الجماعي، احمد عثمان رفة
  • Banu Wa'il in History: A Comprehensive Historical Study of the Genealogy of the Current Anza Tribe and Its Relationship to the Famous Wa'il Rabi'ah by Al-Ruwaili, Muhammad ibn Abdullah. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:Maktabat al-Tawbah, 2007. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
    • "بنو وائل في التاريخ : دراسة تاريخية شاملة في نسب قبيلة عنزة الحالية و علاقتها بوائل ربيعة الشهير / الرويلي ، محمد بن عبد الله
  • Bloody Hauran: A general study of the history of its people, their lineage, customs, beliefs, monuments, wars, and their geniuses who have emigrated from us, and a study of the Jabal al-Druze revolution and the lineage of its inhabitants, detailing their tribes and customs, and the reasons for the transformation of their national revolution into a general war between Syria and the colonial state, and completing the investigations of its important events, unveiling the curtain on the secrets of the mysterious, publishing its dangerous documents, and mentioning the secret scientific negotiations and the explosion of the intellectual revolution in parts of the world by Abu Rashid, Hanna. Damascus, Syria:Dar al-Earab Lilnashr, 2016. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
    • "حوران الدامية : بحث عام، في تاريخ شعوبها، ونسبهم، وعاداتهم، واعتقاداتهم، واثارهم، وحروبهم، ونوابغهم النازحين عنا وبحث عن ثورة جبل الدروز ونسب سكانه القاطنين به، وتفصيل عشايرهم وعادتهم، واسباب انقلاب ثورتهم القومية الى حرب عامة بين سورية ودولة الاستعمار، واسيفاء مباحث وقايعها المهمة، وكشف الستار عن اسرار الغامضة، ونشر وثايقها الخطيرة، وذكر المفاوضات العلمية السرية وانفجار الثورة الفكرية في انحاء العالم / ابو راشد، حنا،
  • From the genealogies of the pure Arabs: the Jabour and Zubaydi Qahtaini tribes and their ancestor Sultan Jabr Qahtaini by Maslat, Saleh Hawash. Damascus, Syria:Dār ʻAlāʼ al-Dīn, 2007. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
    • "من أنساب العرب العاربة : قبائل الجبور والزبيدية القحطانية وجدهم السلطان جبر القحطاني مسلط، صالح هواش
  • Genealogical Science Library (Arabic - مكتبة علوم النسب) - digital catalogue of Arabic books on family and tribal genealogies; open source books are linked and accessible
  • The history of the tribe of Ould Ali and its contemporary reality in the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant desert by My passengers, Naif. Beirut, Lebanon:al-Dār al-ʻArabīyah lil-Mawsūʻāt, 2021. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
    • "تاريخ قبيلة ولد علي وواقعها المعاصر في الجزيرة العربية وبادية الشام / ركابي، نايف
  • The Kalbids and their role in the Arab presence throughout history by Attar, Adnan. Damascus, Syria:Dar Al-Awam for Publishing and Distribution: Dar Al-Farqad for Printing, Publishing and Distribution, 2007. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
    • "الكلبيون ودورهم في الوجود العربي خلال التاريخ / العطار، عدنان
  • Levant Clans by Zakaria, Ahmed Wasfi . Damascus, Syria:Dar Al-Fikr, 2020. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
    • "عشائر الشام / زكريا، أحمد وصفي
  • The Nour clans in the Levant: Al-Qarbat, Al-Qarj, Al-Tabbala, Al-Riyas, Al-Hajjiyyat...: A field anthropological study by Jabawi, Ali Abdullah. Damascus, Syria:al-Takwīn, 2006. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
    • عشائر النور في بلاد الشام : القرباط، القرج، الطبالة، الرياس، الحجيات ... : دراسة أنتروبولوجية ميدانية / جباوي ، علي عبد الله
  • Tigris and Euphrates tribes by Kaabi, Ali Saleh. Beirut, Lebanon:Dar Al Rafidain for Printing, Publishing and Distribution, 2013. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
    • عشائر دجلة و الفرات / كعبي، علي صالح،,
  • Tribes of the desert of Aleppo and Hama by Mustafa, Turki Farhan. Damascus, Syria:Damascus University, 2005. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
    • قبائل بادية حلب وحماة / مصطفى، تركي فرحان
  • ʻAshāʼir al-ʻIrāq v.1 by ʻAzzāwī, ʻAbbās. Baghdād:Matbaʻat Baghdād, 1937-1956. Online at: New York University; Early 20th century encyclopedia of Arab and Kurdish tribes, Bedouin and rural, in Iraq, with some extending into Syria.
    • .عشائر العراق الجزء الأول .عباس العزاوي بغداد:مطبعة بغداد،‎‎ 1956-1937
  • ʻAshāʼir al-ʻIrāq v.2 by ʻAzzāwī, ʻAbbās. Baghdād:Matbaʻat Baghdād, 1937-1956. Online at: New York University; Early 20th century encyclopedia of Arab and Kurdish tribes, Bedouin and rural, in Iraq, with some extending into Syria.
    • .عشائر العراق الجزء الثاني .عباس العزاوي بغداد:مطبعة بغداد،‎‎ 1956-1937
  • ʻAshāʼir al-ʻIrāq v.3 by ʻAzzāwī, ʻAbbās. Baghdād:Matbaʻat Baghdād, 1937-1956. Online at: New York University; Early 20th century encyclopedia of Arab and Kurdish tribes, Bedouin and rural, in Iraq, with some extending into Syria.
    • .عشائر العراق الجزء الثالث .عباس العزاوي بغداد:مطبعة بغداد،‎‎ 1956-1937
  • ʻAshāʼir al-ʻIrāq v.4 by ʻAzzāwī, ʻAbbās. Baghdād:Matbaʻat Baghdād, 1937-1956. Online at: New York University; Early 20th century encyclopedia of Arab and Kurdish tribes, Bedouin and rural, in Iraq, with some extending into Syria.
    • .عشائر العراق الجزء الرابع .عباس العزاوي بغداد:مطبعة بغداد،‎‎ 1956-1937
  • Anṭākīyah al-Urthūdhuksīyah, aw, tārīkh al-Ābā’ Baṭāriqat Anṭākiyah by Burayk, Mīkhāʼīl. al-Qāhirah:al-Maṭba‘ah al-Tijārīyah, 1903. Online at: New York University; History of the Patriarchs of Antioch.
    • .انطاكية الارثوذكسية، أو تاريخ الآباء بطارقة انطاكية .مخائيل بريك القاهرة:المطبعة التجارية، 1903
  • Umarāʼ Ghassān lil-mustashriq Thīyūdūr Nūldikih by Nöldeke, Theodor. Bayrūt:al-Jāmi‘ah al-Amīrikīyah fī Bayrūt, Kullīyat al-‘Ulūm wa-al-Ādāb, 1933. Online at: New York University; History and Lineage of the Ghassanids.
    • .أمراء غسان للمستشرق ثيودور نولدكه .ثيودور نولدكه بيروت:الجامعة الأميركية في بيروت، كلية العلوم والآداب، 1933
  • al- Badw wa-al-ʻashāʼir fī al-bilād al-ʻArabīyah by Ṭāhir, ʻAbd al-Jalīl. Cairo:Jāmiʻat al-Duwal al-ʻArabīyah, Maʻhad al-Dirāsāt al-ʻArabīyah al-ʻĀlīyah, 1955. Online at: New York University; Overview of Arab Bedouin and clans
    • .البدو والعشائر في البلاد العربية .عبد الجليل طاهر [القاهرة]:جامعة الدول العربية، معهد الدراسات العربية العالية، 1955
  • Muʻjam qabāʼil al-ʻArab al-qadīmah wa-al-ḥadīthah v.1 by Kaḥḥālah, ʻUmar Riḍā. Dimashq:al-Maktabah al-Hāshimīyah, 1949. Online at: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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 Publications[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 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

Maps[edit | edit source]

  • Areas with the Diffusion of the Most Important Arab Tribes and Clans in Syria (in Arabic), 2021. Online at: Archive.org.
    • مناطق انتشار أهم القبائل والعشائر العربية في سورية

Background[edit | edit source]

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 "قَبيلة" (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 "بَطْن" (baṭn), "فَخْذ" (fakhth), and "عَشيرة" (ʿashīrah). The latter is translated in the Wiki as "clan".

The importance of tribes in Syria varies according to region and ethnic group. Some prominent Arab Syrian tribes include the Shammar (شمر), Jubur (جبور), Tayy (طي), Bakara (البقارة), Anizah (عنزة), al-Na'im (النعيم), Mawali (موالي), and al-Hadidi (الحديدي)[1].

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. 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.[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 Syria and, more broadly, Arab tribes. Both categories of books can be valuable to researchers, as many tribes found in Syria 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 Syrian 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. ↑ Hussain, Akil, "Analysis: Division Defines Syria's Tribes and Clans," The New Humanitarian, https://deeply.thenewhumanitarian.org/syria/articles/2018/01/16/analysis-division-defines-syrias-tribes-and-clans, accessed 8 October 2024.
  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.

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