Qays and Yaman tribes
The Qays and Yaman tribes define a historic and traditional split between two groups of clans in the Levant in general and in Palestine in particular. The split began with the migrations that accompanied the Muslim conquest of Syria in the 7th century, and officially ended by a decree of the Ottoman Empire in the year 1856. However, the split is still discernible today, and in many Arab communities one can still find separate neighborhoods for the Qays and Yaman clans. Identity with one or the other of the clans is based on tradition and folklore more than on historical facts, but has deeply influenced the consciousness of tribal loyalty (which often comes before ideology and religious outlook in the region), as well as the customs, traditions, garb and so on of the region's Arab inhabitants. The divide crosses all other divisions in the Arab population, and is discernible within the Muslim, Christian and Druze communities alike.[citation needed] More than once, the divide has led to bloodshed between the two groups.
History
The Yaman or Yamaniya were already settled in Syria before the Islamic conquest or had arrived with the conquering armies. Those tribes were Banu Kalb, Kindah, Ghassanids and Lakhmids. All of these tribes trace their origin to South Arabia or Yemen[1]
The Qays tribe (also named after its patriarch-founder) is the "northern" tribe, but its origin is uncertain. According to one theory, the tribe migrated even before the Muslim period from Mesopotamia towards Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine, and therefore it is the more strongly based in Palestine. Another theory states that the Qays tribe also originates from Arabia. According to this theory, the two tribes migrated at the same time, but the stronger Yaman tribe was able to settle in the south of Palestine, while the Qays tribe was forced to consider wandering north before settling.[citation needed]
The first evidence for the tribal split comes from the Umayyad period. Each tribe supported a different caliph or local ruler, and they continually struggled and fought against each other. The battles continued between two groups of warriors, one from each tribe, who arrived from the Levant to take part in the conquest of Al-Andalus (now southern Spain).
The division between the tribes continued across the centuries, as waves of new Arab immigrants to Palestine made alliances with one of the two tribes, preserving the tribal division. Tribal affiliation was a determining factor in determining political stances, and was the basis for many conflicts which led to bloodshed and occasionally to the division of communities.
In the year 1711, the Battle of Ain Dara took place between Druze of the two tribes living in Mount Lebanon. In the battle (or "slaughter" as the Yamani Druze called it), the Qays Druze defeated the Yamani Druze, forcing them to migrate to the arid Hauran region (Jabal al-Druze). This gradually led to the lessening of the Druze population in southern Mount Lebanon.
As part of the Tanzimat reforms, in 1856 the Ottoman Empire decreed that the residents of the area cease their intertribal wars within and between communities. However, many signs of the tribal division have remained to this day. One of them was the bitter struggle between the Husseini and Nashashibi families as nationalist Arab political parties began to form in the 1930s.[citation needed]
Examples of the tribal division
As seen in sources from the 18th and 19th centuries, the tribal division is shown in the following examples:[2]
- The Zaydani tribe, to whom Galilee ruler Zahir al-Umar belonged, was part of the Qays tribe.
- The inhabitants of Bethlehem, both Muslim and Christian, belonged to Yaman and flew a white flag.
- The inhabitants of Hebron belonged to Qays, and flew a red flag.
- In Bayt Nattif and Sar'a, the Qays tribe ruled.
- The inhabitants of Abu Ghosh and Dura belonged to Yaman.
- Jerusalem was divided between the Husseini (Yaman), Nashashibi (Qays), and Khalidi (Qays) families.
- Nablus was divided between the Tuqan (Qays) and Abd al-Hadi (Yaman) families.
See also
External sources
References
- ↑ Hugh Kennedy The Armies of the Caliphs: Military and Society in the Early Islamic State p.33 Routledge, Jun 17, 2013 ISBN 1134531133
- ↑ Yitzchak Ben-Tzvi, The land of Israel and its settlement in the Ottoman period, Jerusalem: Bialik, 1955.
