The Bedouins and the Desert: Aspects of Nomadic Life in the Arab East(SUNY 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.

Table of 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 I. The Desert Homeland Defining and Describing the Desert Deserts and Sand-Deserts of Arabia II. Trees and Plants of the Desert Fruit-Bearing Trees Non-Fruit-Bearing Trees Desert Grasses and Shrubs Fungal Plants Desert Flowers III. Carnivorous Desert Animals The Lion The Wolf The Hyena The Shib The Badger The Fox and Jackal The Qurayta (Wildcat) The Panther IV. Herbivorous Desert Animals The Gazelle The Ibex The Onager (Wild Ass) The Oryx, or "Wild Cow" (Wudayhi) The Roebuck The Wild Boa The Porcupine The Marmot The Hedgehog The Jerboa The Rabbit 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 VI. Desert Reptiles and Insects The Dhabb The Locust 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 VIII. The Camel The Origins and Habitats of the Camel Domestication and References in Ancient Records The Camel as an Important Pillar of Bedouin Life Types of Camels Attributes of the Camel The Diet of the Camel Its Endurance and Strength on the March Thoroughbreds Traits of Thoroughbred Camels Benefits of then 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 IX. The Bedouin's Tent The Bedouin Tent Tent Fabric The Bedouin Camp The Fourth Pillar: The Arab Bedouin 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 The Rwala (from the al-Jlas branch of Muslim) The Hadidiyin Banu Khalid The Fawa'ira The Mawali Banu Sakhr Shammar The 'Aqaydat The Wild 'Ali 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 XII. The Bedouin Character Endurance and Patience Courage and Combat Individuality Generosity Solicitude for Kin and Proteges Bedouin Eloquence Loyalty Circumspection The Bedouin's Zeal for Vengeance Morality His Ability to Interpret Physical Signs XIII. Bedouin Appearance, Dress, and Adornment Bedouin Appearance Bedouin Dress and Adornment Women's Dress XIV. Raiding and the Brother-Right Raiding The "Brother-Right" 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 XVI. The Bedouins and Religion The Bedouin's Profession of Islam Sacrifices among the Rwala The Markab, or Sacred Litter XVII. Education and Cultural Life Education and Instruction The Majalis as Centers of Education Cultural Life in the Desert Literary Genres-the Bedouin Qasid 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 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 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 XX. The Transformation of Bedouin Life Appendices Appendix I. Egyptian Archival Documents Appendix II. British Foreign Office Documents Appendix III. Plants and Shrubs in Arab Desert Lands Bibliography of Works Cited Index

About the Author :
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.

Review :
"I need scarcely say how important this book's subject is for anyone who wishes to understand the society and culture of the Arab peoples. There have been a number of important studies in European languages about aspects of this subject, and some valuable reports by western travelers, but in my opinion Jibrail Jabbur's book goes beyond them. It is based on a unique variety of sources: the works of Arab historians as well as European scholars and travelers; Arabic poems (of which Professor Jabbur had a remarkable knowledge), and his own personal observations during a long life which began on the edge of the Syrian desert." - Albert Hourani, author of A History of the Arab Peoples "This book is above all a mine of detailed information about many aspects of bedouin life and about the physical environment in which the bedouin live...The interplay of recent/ethnographic detail and information drawn from ancient Arabic poetry and other literary sources is remarkable...All in all, it is an invaluable compilation and synthesis of material on a rapidly vanishing way of life." - Fred Donner, The Oriental Institute, University of Chicago