The Bedouins and the Desert: Aspects of Nomadic Life in the Arab East (S U N Y Series in Near Eastern Studies)

An extensively illustrated account of traditional bedouin life in the Arab east that extends from desert wildlife and lore on the camel to marriage customs and the history of the enigmatic tribe of Slayb.Jibrail Jabbur (1900-1991) was Professor of Arabic literature and Semitic Studies at the American University of Beirut. He was a renowned historian of Arabic literature, a leading figure in modern Arab education, and chair of the committee responsible for the modern Arabic translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. His many publications include editions of several medieval Arabic texts, a three-volume study of the early Arab poet'Umar inb Abi Rabi'a, and numerous monographs on historical and cultural topics. His memoirs were published in Beirut only days before his death. Lawrence I. Conrad is Historian of Near Eastern Medicine at the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine in London and the author of numerous studies on medical history and medieval Arab history and historiography. Suhayl J. Jabbur, Jibrail Jabbur's son, is a neurophysiologist and Professor of Physiology at the American University of Beirut. The Bedouins and the Desert CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS LIST OF TABLES TRANSLATOR'S NOTE PREFACE INTRODUCTION The Desert and Bedouin Life: A Personal Perspective Books and Studies on Desert Affairs The Meaning and Character of Nomadism Types of Nomadism The Ethnic and Social Significance of Nomadism The Economic Significance of Nomadism The Military and Political Significance of Nomadism The Pillars of Bedouin Life THE FIRST PILLAR THE DESERT Chapter I The Desert Homeland Defining and Describing the Desert Deserts and Sand-Deserts of Arabia Chapter II Trees and Plants of the Desert Fruit-Bearing Trees Non-Fruit-Bearing Trees Desert Grasses and Shrubs Fungal Plants Desert Flowers Chapter III Carnivorous Desert Animals The Lion The Wolf The Hyena The Shib The Badger The Fox and Jackal The Qurayta (Wildcat) The Panther Chapter IV Herbivorous Desert Animals The Gazelle The Ibex The Onager (Wild Ass) The Oryx, or "Wild Cow" (Wudayhi) The Roebuck The Wild Boar The Porcupine The Marmot The Hedgehog The Jerboa The Rabbit Chapter V Desert Birds The Sand Grouse The Ostrich The Falcon Acquisition and Training of Falcons The Eagle and Vulture The Bustard The Francolin Cranes and Herons The Stork Other Birds Chapter VI Desert Reptiles and Insects The Dhabb The Locust Chapter VII Domesticated Animals in the Desert The Horse The Origins of the Horse Characteristics of the Horse The Donkey The Guard Dog The Saluki Sheep, Goats, and Cattle THE SECOND PILLAR THE CAMEL Chapter VIII The Camel1 The Origins and Habitats of the Camel Domestication and References in Ancient Records The Camel as an Important Pillar of Bedouin Life Types of Camel Attributes of the Camel The Diet of the Camel Its Endurance and Strength on the March Thoroughbreds Traits of Thoroughbred Camels Benefits of the Camel Disadvantages of the Camel The Temperament of the Camel The Breeding of She-Camels Stages in a Young Camel's Life THE THIRD PILLAR THE TENT Chapter IX The Bedouin's Tent The Bedouin Tent Tent Fabric The Bedouin Camp THE FOURTH PILLAR THE ARAB BEDOUIN Chapter X The Arab Bedouin and His Tribes Who is the Arab Bedouin? The Origin of the Arab Bedouin Bedouin Solidarity and Pride in Descent Some of the Best-Known Tribes The 'Imarat (from Dana Bishr) The Sba'a (from Dana 'Ubayd ibn Bishr) The Fid'an (from Dana 'Ubayd ibn Bishr) Dana Muslim The Hsana (from Dana al-Husayn ibn al-Munabbih, from the Banu Wahb branch of Muslim) The Rwala (from the al-Jlas branch of Muslim) The Hadidiyin The Fawa'ira The Mawali Banu Sakhr Shammar The 'Aqaydat The Wild 'Ali Chapter XI The Tribal Order The Family: the Foundation of the Tribal Order Descent-Group Solidarity Tribal Territories in the Tribal Order The Master of the Household The Mistress of the Household Marriage Boys and Girls Bedouin Justice The Office of Shaykh among the Bedouins The Search for Water and Pasturage Chapter XII The Bedouin Character Endurance and Patience Courage and Combat Individuality Generosity è‡3Øà¿ôÁÅádg‹o/êéö#ÿßïEw4•ÖQD Bedouin Eloquence Loyalty Circumspection The Bedouin's Zeal for Vengeance Morality His Ability to ̃ ̇{ ́Š2-ô4Ì ̆ ̆flzÖ(oŒufi· Chapter XIII Bedouin Appearance, Dress, and Adornment Bedouin Appearance Bedouin Dress and Adornment Women's Dress Chapter XIV Raiding and the Brother-Right Raiding The "Brother-Right" Chapter XV The Bedouins and the Hunt Gazelle-Hunting with the Trap Method Gazelle-Hunting without Recourse to Dogs Gazelle-Hunting with Dogs and Falcons Gazelle-Hunting with the Automobile Gazelle-Hunting from a Blind Hunting the Ibex Rabbit Hunting Bustard Hunting Hunting the Sand Grouse Hunting the Ostrich and Oryx Chapter XVI The Bedouins and Religion The Bedouin's Profession of Islam Sacrifices among the Rwala The Markab, or Sacred Litter Chapter XVII Education and Cultural Life Education and Instruction The Majalis as Centers of Education Cultural Life in the Desert §§ÑGùaJ⁄c?Ç{à} ̨Î ̊Óà4 °¿ÝhYGLı Bedouin Folk Tales The Subject Matter of the Stories The Aim of the Story The Bond between Story and Qasid Genuine Historical Events Examples of Such Lore Other Bedouin Genres Chapter XVIII Nomads of the Nomads the Slayb A Curious Tribe Modern Scholarship on the Slayb The Views of al-Bustani Objections to the Views of al-Karmali Views of Other Scholars Later Europeans Who Wrote on the Slayb The Emergence of the Slayb The Donkeys of Slayb The Slayb and Hunting The Slayb and Handicrafts The Slayb and Their Knowledge of the Desert Poetry and Music The Slaybi Woman Slayb Origins: A View in Critique of al-Bustani A Theory on Their Origins The Clans of Slayb Changes in Their Way of Life Chapter XIX The History of the Bedouins in Northern Arabia In Ancient Times In Pre-Islamic Times In Early Islamic Times up to the 'Abbasid Era In the Era of the Declining 'Abbasid Caliphate In the Era of the Crusaders and Mongols In the Mamluk Period In Ottoman Times Chapter XX The Transformation of Bedouin Life Land Owned by Syrian Bedouin Tribes (1956) APPENDICES Appendix I Syrian Documents on the Bedouins from the Royal Egyptian Archives 1 2 Appendix II British Foreign Office Documents on the Bedouins F.O. 195/170 F.O. 195/207 F.O. 195/302 F.O. 195/416 F.O. 195/595 F.O. 195/761 F.O. 195/800 F.O. 195/902 F.O. 195/927 F.O. 195/976 F.O. 195/1027 F.O. 195/806 F.O. 195/927 F.O. 195/965 F.O. 195/994 F.O. 195/1027 APPENDIX III Plants and Shrubs in Arab Desert Lands Bibliography of Works Cited GENERAL INDEX A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z "The author approaches his subject from the perspective of a historian of Arab history and Arabic literature. Originally published in Arabic in 1988, the book is based on a lifetime of experiences with the Syrian tribes of the Arab east and decades of research in Arabic literary sources, travelers' and explorers' accounts, modern studies, and archival resources. Many sources are here utilized for the first time, and of particular note are Jabbur's extensive use of ancient Arabic poetry to convey the spirit of his subject and his many observations on parallels with Old Testament accounts. The Bedouins and the Desert has been superbly translated from the Arabic by Lawrence I. Conrad, a historian of the early-Islamic period and translator of several other classics in Arabic scholarly literature. It includes a number of corrections and revisions made by the author after the publication of the Arabic text, and is profusely illustrated with photographs taken mostly by the author and the famous Beirut photographer Manoug Alemian during visits to the Syrian desert." Jibrail S. Jabbur ; Translated From The Arabic By Lawrence I. Conrad ; Edited By Suhayl J. Jabbur And Lawrence I. Conrad. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [643]-653) And Index.