KUWAIT AND AL-SABAH tribal politics and power in an oil state;tribal politics and power in an oil state

"The Emirate of Kuwait hardly resembles the city-State it was at the start of the 20th century. The discovery of oil in 1938 rapidly transformed the tiny tribal sheikhdom of the Al-Sabah into a modern oil-producing state where, by the early 1980s, citizens were enjoying one of the highest standards of living in the world. While much has been written on the reasons why and how the Al-Sabah became a ruling dynasty, little is known about the nature of their authority and its relationship to Kuwait's social structure. Rivka Azoulay shows how despite the rapidity of change in the oil-rich, family-run emirate, it is the pre-oil dynamics of social and political life that dictate how society operates. The author shows that Kuwait's ambitious diversification plans to reduce oil-dependence by 2035 require a renegotiation of the regime's pact with society, which threatens the pre-oil alliances upon which the Al-Sabah's regime has been built."-- Provided by publisher Cover Contents Acknowledgements Authoritarian regimes and the crucial role of the periphery Tribal authority and the periphery in Kuwait The argument The periphery in early postcolonial Arab republics Losing the support of the periphery: neoliberal Arab republics The periphery as a driver of political change Monarchies versus republics and the periphery: path-dependent legacy Conclusion Part 1 Traditional politics and the pre-oil authority system of the Al-Sabah (1716–1938) 1 Deconstructing the dominant Sunni hadar narrative Introduction The rise of the Al-Sabah and the ruler–merchant nexus Republican equality for those with equal status: Sunni Najdi families The divided nature of Kuwait’s merchant class: different diasporas The Shi’a and the tribes’ contending narratives of participation 2 Communal segregation and stratification in pre-oil Kuwait: hadar, Shi’a and the early-settled tribes Introduction Traditional politics in Arabia: the politics of notables Kuwait’s merchant elite in perspective: local elites in the pre-oil Gulf Governance of old Kuwait: intermediation and representation in a plural society The old neighbourhoods of Kuwait city: Al-Sharq, Al-Qibla and Al-Murqab The ‘Awazem and Rashaida areas of old Kuwait A short note on the desert tribes 3 Changes in the authority system: Mubarak al-Sabah, colonialism and alliances with non-core elites Introduction Mubarak al-Sabah: Amir al-Badia Regional context of Mubarak’s rise: great power rivalry and small Arab leaders Muhammad al-Sabah (r. 1892–6): usurpation of the family’s budget and the alienation of the desert Mubarak al-Sabah’s alliance-building with desert tribes Mubarak’s coup d’état and the crucial role played by tribal allies The signing of the British protection agreement (1899) and the role of Shi’a merchants 4 The crystallization of alliances with non-core elites: the 1938 Majlis movement Introduction The protection agreement divides Kuwait’s merchants The 1938 Council events: alliance-building with the Shi’a and tribes Part 2 Oil and the consolidation of a tribal authoritarian shaykhdom: ruler–ruled relations 1961–90 5 External threat consolidates inter-elite power-sharing (musharaka) Iraqi irredentism and Kuwait’s adoption of a liberal constitution The crucial role of merchants in Kuwait’s constitutional design Kuwait’s semi-democratic design breeds crises 6 The hadar elite’s power in early parliamentary life: 1962–76 Political tribalism Power relations within the Al-Sabah under Abdallah al-Salim Abdallah al-Salim (r. 1950–65) and the merchant and nationalist elites Redistribution of oil-derived rents to the merchants Sabah al-Salim (r. 1965–77) and the hadar elite 7 The rise of new middle-class elites and the decline of the hadar elites Fragmentation of the nationalist movement after the 1967 defeat Economic patronage outside the established elite: Souq al-Manakh Revivalist Sunni Islamism supported by the government The social foundations of Sunni Islamism in Kuwait (1960s–90) 8 Socio-political change within Kuwait’s Shi’a population Introduction Different diasporas and merchants as political notables Political Shi’ism, middle-class political entrepreneurs and the decline of notables Recompositions of power of the old merchant elite Revival of merchant elites in a strategy of co-optation 9 Competitive authoritarians: parliamentary life (1961–90) Introduction 1967–76 parliamentary life 1976–90: former allies becoming restless, the threat of cross-cutting alliances Repression and co-optation to maintain the periphery’s crucial support Conclusion Part 3 New forces of globalization and the rise of the tribal periphery in Kuwait (1990–2014) 10 The birth of a tribal opposition Introduction Fragmenting tribal hierarchies and new leadership patterns Social change and the rise of politically minded young tribesmen The reinvention of tribalism and its encounter with globalization Discursive strategies to counter dominant hadar citizenship myths 11 Beyond tribalism: social dimensions of a broader middle-class struggle ‘Drop the consumer debts!’ (Isqat al-qurud) ‘Allow us to build our diwaniyyas!’ Transparency and competition in attributing tenders (munaqasat) ‘Waiting a House’ Challenges to its social contract: austerity and Kuwait 2035 12 Splits in the regime’s ‘asabiyya: royal infighting and succession Introduction Breaking the balance of power: the consolidation of the Jabir branch The rise of a second generation of princes Nasser al-Muhammad al-Ahmad al-Sabah and the Shi’ite alliance Ahmad al-Fahd al-Ahmad al-Sabah: ‘opposition’ supporter 13 Limits of political patronage vis-à-vis non-core elites (2011–14) The tribal volte-face: interdicting the far’iyyat (primaries) The crystallization of the anti-corruption movement (2009–14) The demise of traditional intermediaries and reasserted authoritarianism The Bahraini crisis emboldening regime patrons within the Shi’a community The Royal aura of respectability erodes, the Emir intervenes Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index The Emirate Of Kuwait Hardly Resembles The City-state It Was At The Start Of The 20th Century. The Discovery Of Oil In 1938 Rapidly Transformed The Tiny Tribal Sheikhdom Of The Al-sabah Into A Modern Oil-producing State Where, By The Early 1980s, Citizens Enjoying One Of The Highest Standards Of Living In The World. While Much Has Been Written On The Reasons Why And How The Al-sabah Became A Ruling Dynasty, Little Is Known About The Nature Of Their Authority And Its Relationship To Kuwait's Social Structure. Rivka Azoulay Shows How Despite The Rapidity Of Change In The Oil-rich, Family-run Emirate, It Is The Pre-oil Dynamics Of Social And Political Life That Dictate How Society Operates. The Book Starts With An Analysis Of Pre-oil Society In Kuwait By Focusing On The Ruling Elite's Relationship With Its Periphery. It Then Provides An Account Of The Fundamentals Of The Al-sabah's Authority Structure Since The Mid-19th Century And Regime-society Relations Following Kuwait's Consolidation Into An Oil State. The Last Part Looks At The Rise Of Previously Marginalized Tribesmen In Politics Since The Invasion And How Their Emancipation Transcends The Divisions Between Kuwait's Traditional Social Groups (hadar, Shia And Badu) And Represents A Broader Middle-class Struggle. Rivka Azoulay Shows That Kuwait's Ambitious Diversification Plans To Reduce Oil-dependence By 2035 Require A Renegotiation Of The Regime's Pact With Society, Which Threatens The Pre-oil Alliances Upon Which The Al-sabah's Regime Has Been Built. The Book Makes A New Argument About The Relationship Between The Ruling Elite And The Periphery And Gets To The Heart Of The Nature Of Political Authority Of The Al-sabah Dynasty.