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*''The Ait Waryaghar of the Moroccan Rif: An Ethnography and History.'' By David Montgomery Hart . Arizona: The University of Arizona Press, 1976. | *''The Ait Waryaghar of the Moroccan Rif: An Ethnography and History.'' By David Montgomery Hart . Arizona: The University of Arizona Press, 1976. | ||
==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 their legacy continues to influence family structures in Morocco. Tribes in Morocco typically have either Arab or Amazigh (Berber) origins, given that those are the two main ethnic groups in the country<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Demographics of Morocco," ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,'' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Morocco, accessed 28 January 2024.</ref>. Arab tribes include the Banu Hilal (<big>بنو هلال</big>), Banu Ma'qil (<big>بنو معقل</big>), Beni Hassan (<big>بني حسان</big>), Ahl Rachida (<big>أهل رشيدة</big>), and Beni Moussa (<big>بني موسى</big>). Amazigh tribes are concentrated in the Rif, Middle and Central High Atlas Mountains, and Western High Atlas regions, and include the Aith Waryaghar, Iqar`ayen, Zimmur, Ait Ndhir, Ihahan, and Ait n-Nuss<ref>Hart, David, "Berbers of Morocco," ''eHFAF World Cultures,'' https://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/cultures/mx03/summary, accessed 28 January 2024.</ref>. | Tribes have traditionally played a critical role in the structure of Arab society and their legacy continues to influence family structures in Morocco. Tribes in Morocco typically have either Arab or Amazigh (Berber) origins, given that those are the two main ethnic groups in the country<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Demographics of Morocco," ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,'' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Morocco, accessed 28 January 2024.</ref>. Arab tribes include the Banu Hilal (<big>بنو هلال</big>), Banu Ma'qil (<big>بنو معقل</big>), Beni Hassan (<big>بني حسان</big>), Ahl Rachida (<big>أهل رشيدة</big>), and Beni Moussa (<big>بني موسى</big>). Amazigh tribes are concentrated in the Rif, Middle and Central High Atlas Mountains, and Western High Atlas regions, and include the Aith Waryaghar, Iqar`ayen, Zimmur, Ait Ndhir, Ihahan, and Ait n-Nuss<ref>Hart, David, "Berbers of Morocco," ''eHFAF World Cultures,'' https://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/cultures/mx03/summary, accessed 28 January 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 Moroccan and, more broadly, Arab and Amazigh tribes. Both categories of books can be valuable to researchers, as many tribes found in Morocco are also found elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa and can provide historical context for families and tribes in Morocco. | *'''Books''' - There are numerous books written on Moroccan and, more broadly, Arab and Amazigh tribes. Both categories of books can be valuable to researchers, as many tribes found in Morocco are also found elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa and can provide historical context for families and tribes in Morocco. | ||