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Until today the 'clan organization' is the basis of the Bedouin society.
Every 'Bayt' (tent) represents a family and the connected families form a clan ('Aela'). All members of the same clan consider each other as of one blood ('Dam') and the spirit of the clan demands unconditional loyalty to fellow clansmen.
A number of kindred clans form a tribe ('Qabilah') with its own land.
The clan is represented by an elder or the eldest, choosen by its members, who is powerful but has no absolute authority. In major affairs he must consult with the tribal leader: The 'Shaykh'.
In most of the Bedouin tribes, the leaders (Shaykhs) are picked for their wisdom and judgment. In others, such as the Allegat and the small Hamada tribe, leadership passes from father to eldest son.
You could say, that the Bedouin is a born democrat who meets his 'Shaykh' with respect but on equal base...
The 'Quabilah' is a union of extended families and is the major family unit. It is a kinship structure of several generations that encompasses a wide network of blood relations descended through the male line.
In the past, the 'Quabilah' provided its members with economic security and protection (land, labour and water are tribal property), but today with the loss of the Bedouin’s traditional livelihoods, the 'Quabilah' is less able to fulfil all these functions but it still serves as a major source of identity, psycho-social support and social status.
The 'Bayt' and the 'Aela' are the basic social and economic unit of the Bedouin society, but the leaders of these units generally form a council of elders, directed by the head of the 'Quabilah'.
The smallest family unit of parents and children and the tribe are closely bound by extensive mutual commitments and obligations, such as 'Hamula', the bringing of gifts.
This social network of the Bedouins is underpinned and maintained by a deeply ingrained system of values and expectations that govern the behaviour and the relationships of the members.
In practice, age, religious piety, and personal characteristics such as generosity and hospitality, set some men above others in the organization of the group.
The 'Shaykh' traditionally exercises authority over the allocation of pasture and the arbitration of disputes. His position is usually derived from his own astute reading of the majority opinion.
He generally has no power to enforce a decision and therefore has to rely on his moral authority and the concurrence of the community with his point of view.
In a sense, the Bedouins form a number of 'nations.' That is, groups of families are united by common ancestry and by shared territorial allegiance. The exploitation and defence of their common territorial area is effected through a universally accepted system of leadership.
For centuries, these "nations" of Bedouin tribes and their leaders operated in the ecologically and politically shifting landscapes of the Middle East and North Africa.
Only in the course of the twentieth century has their traditional flexibility and mobility been checked. Factors foreign to their universe have damaged the territorial mainstay of their societies, necessitating the adoption of new bases of identification with their 'nations' and its leaders. |
