TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > History > Political life in northern and central Arabia
- Two ways tribe could dominate others – warrior aristocracy, military prowess, or religious aristocracy.
- Warrior aristocracy power because mobile – mainly horses, exerted taxes over less powerful shepherding groups, seminomads and vulnerable peasantry – khuwwa tax. Occasionally defended them – some horses to defend oases and city defences but pretty rudimentary.
- Nomadic groups usually take role of warrior aristocracy – but tribal relationship in the city also powerful.
- Disparities in power among tribes north and central Arabia – sharif tribes, essentially political independent who absorbed other, weaker or “da’if” groups into own tribe. Sharif seen as noble. Claim aristocratic bearing of descent.
- Some less than noble tribes like shepherding tribes levied own khuwwa on villages and semi – nomads.
- Bottom of social hierarchy pariah tribes - roaming desert as tinkers etc. Total defencelessness
- Virtual caste system with Arabian tribes – if marrying careful not to marry below tribal status – pariah tribes not acceptable as partners.
- Even though military prowess first and then lineage – if tribe breaks up noble families from once powerful tribes often head of another tribe.
- Internal rivalry as well- ruling house or ruling lineage important and competitive.
- Warrior aristocracy provides political consolidation in this area – but controlling tribes does not mean individual tribes got on that well – concerted action by groups rare to engineer. Warrior tribes left others to fight for hierarchical position. Confederations liable to break up in power dynamic faltered. Other alliances in face of common threat – cooperative as opposed to integration.
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