商品詳細

This is an anthropological account of the rise and fall of a small tribal dynasty, that of Ibn Rashid, in central Arabia in the later part of the 19th century. It is concerned with the process by which nomadic, pastoral societies develop stable political institutions. The book deals with the emergence of the dynasty in the oasis and market town of Hail, its relations with tribal leaders, and the way it was drawn into the struggle for influence between the Ottoman government, the rival Saudi dynasty, and the British in the Gulf. The book also contains material on marriage rites and on the oral poetry which records the deeds of the dynasty.