Near Eastern tribal societies during the nineteenth century : economy, society and politics between tent and town / Eveline van der Steen.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Steen, E. J. van der (Eveline J.), author.

Series:

Approaches to anthropological archaeology.

Approaches to anthropological archaeology

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Tribes--Middle East.

Tribes.

Middle East--Social conditions.

Middle East.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xvii, 302 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Sheffield : Equinox, 2013.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Until the First World War, Near Eastern society was tribally organised. In the Levant and the Arabian peninsula, where the Ottoman empire was weak, large and powerful tribes such as the Anaze, Beni Sakhr and Shammar competed for control of the land, the people and the economy. This in-depth study explores the history, archaeology and anthropology of tribal society, economy and politics in the villages, towns and deserts of the Near East in the nineteenth century. Drawing on a wide range of historical accounts from travellers, adventurers and explorers as well as archaeological evidence, the book sheds new light on tribal life and tribal organisation as a driving force in Near Eastern society. While a straight comparison between ancient and more recent tribal communities must be treated with caution, the book shows how a better understanding of nineteenth-century tribal ethics and customs provides useful insights into the history and power relations of the more distant past and the underlying causes for the present conflicts of the region. The book is an important addition to new research on Bedouin life and culture and will be of interest to historians, archaeologists, anthropologists and scholars of the Near East.

Contents:

What is a tribe

Travellers in the Levant in the nineteenth century

The dynamics of territorial and power structures

Oral traditions

Tribal society and its relation to the landscape

Tribal institutions

Relations between the tribes and the state

From tribe to tribal state: three case studies

Economy of tribal societies

Ethnicity and the sense of belonging

Women in tribal societies

Religion and folklore

Back in time: historical parallels.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 02 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on metadata supplied by the publisher and other sources.

ISBN:

1-317-54347-5

1-315-72862-1

1-317-54348-3

1-84465-782-5

9781315728629

OCLC:

894170603