Cultural, Political, Social and Economic Organization of the Bedouins - Essay Example

Cultural, Political, Social and Economic Organization of the Bedouins Cultural, political, Social and Economic Organization of the Bedouins The Bedouin is an ethnic group that lives in the deserts of the Sinai, the Negev and Arabia. This group of people is found mostly in present Syria, Yemen, Saud Arabia, Israel, Iraq, Egypt, and Morocco (Cole, 2010). This group of people is found in many countries as a result of their nomadic way of life that will be discussed later in the paper. However, majority of these people are found in the Sinai in Egypt, and they are known as Tarabin Bedouins (Cole, 2010). The subsistence mode of life of the Bedouins greatly influences Social, Economic and political way of life. The Bedouins primarily depend on animal keeping as a mode of subsistence. They keep animals specifically camels, sheep, and goats (Cole, 2010). Therefore, they can be considered pastoralist since they move from one place or the other in search of water and pasture. These animals provide their daily food requirements either directly or indirectly. For example, the sheep and goats provide milk and meat essential diets among the Bedouins. They also do a little farming especially those who are close to an oasis. The mainly grow grains since it can grain can handle the tough desert weather. The Bedouins also take part in trade as a mode of subsistence. They trade with other tribes such as Roving Gypsies who provide Bedouins with items such as leather, metals and weapons in exchange for livestock (Cole, 2010). They also trade their live stock in return for security. They also trade internally with each other depending on what one needs. For example, one might trade their goats in order to get grain from the other. The primary mode of subsistence has impacted the lives of the Bedouins of the Sinai a lot. Pastoralism as a mode of subsistence has influenced the upbringing of the tribe, culture of the tribe, economic activity of the tribe, social organization of the tribe, and beliefs and values of the tribe (Cole, 2010). Upbringing of the Tribe Most of the tribes of the Bedouins are descendants of immigrants from the peninsula of Arabia (Cole, 2010). Bedouins are brought up in such a way that they value kinship very much. From when they are children they are thought on the importance of their family members and relatives. They kinship ties are build from childhood, and they grow tighter and tighter as the children also grow. This has resulted in the unity of the tribe since they consider defending ones tribes mate as defending their own. Culture Bedouins are referred to as the tribe that represents the Arab culture in its purest form. This is because their traditional cultural practices are deep in their blood even in today’s world. They are known for their oral poetry. Poetry is a large part of the Bedouins culture since it is through poems that the tribe preserves its history (Bailey, 2004). The pastoralist mode of subsistence has profoundly influenced their poetry. This is because most poems are both written and read or said while herding. The poems give stories of famous herders signifying that this mode of subsistence is a huge part of the Bedouins lives. Their mode of dressing has also been greatly influenced by their mode of subsistence. Firstly Bedouins usually cover their heads and faces with scarves. This can be attributed to the presence of sandstorms especially while herding their animals. The scarves work is to cover their hair, eye, mouth and nostrils so that when a sandstorm strikes, the sand will not enter their eyes, ears, and nostrils. They also cover their heads so as to feel warm. During the night, the Bedouins stop herding and the make temporarily structures to spend the night (Cole, 2010). These structures are not warm enough to shield them from the extremely cold weather that is experienced during the night in the desert. The Bedouins practice a culture of life that is based on simplicity. This means that they live remarkably uncomplicated life hence they do not give too much attention to material things. For example, they live in temporary or semi permanent houses that are built on simple architecture. They do not live lavish lives and only buy or trade what they need. This can also be attributed to their mode of subsistence. This is because they are always on the move since they are pastoralists. Hence they do not see the need of building lavish houses since they will have to bring them down again when it comes time to move again. Beliefs and Values Generally Bedouins are of the Islam religion. However, this people have no appointed clergy or religious authority. They normally ask for specialists or clergy men from other Muslim tribes to help in their religious operations especially teaching small children on how to read the Quran (Cole, 2010). This is as a result of their subsistence mode of life that does not allow them to settle hence making time for some people to train as sheikhs. Bedouins believe that the camel is not just an animal to keep, but it is a gift from their father Allah. Due to this fact they value the camel very much and consider it the most valuable animal in their herd. In fact, it is difficult to find a Bedouin selling their camel or slaughtering it in order to get meat (Cole, 2010). This happens on rare occasions like during drought and famine. When we consider the camel, it is very crucial in their pastoralist life. This is because the camel is used as a means of transport. It is used to carry food, tents and water as they look for pasture for their herds. As a result, it is evident that their pastoralist way of life has influenced their belief about camels. Bedouins also believe that once a woman gives birth they should be secluded from the community for around 7 to 40 days (Cole 2010). This is referred to as the rite of purification. When we consider the Bedouins mode of subsistence then we can see that it has influenced this rite of seclusion. This is because after giving birth women are weak and their children are extremely delicate. This rite works in accordance with their pastoralist way of life since the mother and child will not be around to drag the herders behind. Economic Organization As a result of their pastoralist way of life, the Bedouins mainly keep animals as their major source of income. As they migrate, they move with their animals looking for water and food for their animals. These animals provide a majority of their diet needs. The Bedouins are also traders as they trade with different tribes in the desert that they encounter. Here, they trade with these tribes for items such as grain and bread. They also trade for weapons and security as they go about their pastoralist life. The tribe does very little farming, which is for consumption and not for trade (Firestone, 2010). The pastoralist mode of subsistence of the Bedouins influences their economic activities a lot. For example, they trade their livestock to be offered security since they will look for water and food in lands that are insecure. These lands are filled with bandits and robbers (Cole, 2012). This is why they trade their animals for security. Another aspect of how the pastoralist way of life influences their economic activities is the fact that the mostly buy grain and bread. This is because bread is a staple food that does not need a lot of preparing. This is significant as pastoralists are always on the move and they do not have time to prepare food hence the bread comes in handy. Buying of grain is also significant to their life as grain does not go bad quickly. Political organization The Bedouins have a unique political structure (Cole, 2010). The political structure is organized in a way that a set of many families form a nation. These families have a common ancestry background. This group is governed by a leader who is helped to rule by a council of elders. The political organization of the Bedouins is considered unique as the leader, and the council of elders is there to make sure that the different nations are united in defending their territory (Cole, 2010). They are also charged with the responsibility to allocate pastoral grounds. It is evident that the pastoralist mode of subsistence has tremendously influenced their political structure. This is because the political structure focuses on the pastoral needs of the tribe. This can be proved by the fact that decision made by the elders and their leader are based on territory. They either make sure those territories where these pastoralists take their herds are secure or make sure that different groups do not clash over pastoral lands. Social Organization The social structure of the Bedouins is based on strong family ties and kinship. Although the family is the basic social unit it is not considered the most important. The most influential social unit of the Bedouins is the bayt (Cole 2010). It is formed by various kin groups that share a common ancestor. Many bayts form a fakhadh. Each adult male in a fakhadh has equal authority with other adult males in the fakhadh (Cole 2010). The social structure is influenced by the pastoralist mode of subsistence since social structure is designed in a way such that no one is left behind as they move from one place to another. The social structure is also designed in a way that everyone is responsible for the other making their pastoralist life easier. Conclusion It is true that pastoralists’ way of life as a mode of subsistence has greatly influenced the general way of life of the Bedouins. This has been proved by examining their social, political and economic practices that make their pastoralists way of life easier. A community’s way of life is shaped by the environment. The harsh conditions that make agriculture difficult made the Bedouins turn to the pastoralist way of life. This in turn has shaped every aspect of their life. However, their practices are changing as the world around them change. Nowadays the Bedouins are using trucks and lorries to transport their animals from one place to another. They are also using lorries to transport food and water to their animal thus changing their pastoralist way of life. The camel, an animal profoundly treasured is being replaced by vehicles as a means of transport. Reference Cole, D. (2010). Bedouins of the Empty Quarter. New Jersey: Aldine Transaction) Firestone, M. (2010). Egypt. Victoria: Lonely planet Bailey, C. (2004). A Culture of Desert Survival: Bedouin Proverbs from Sinai and Negev. New York: Yale University Read More