Ruwallah
Encyclopedia
The Ruwallah are a large Arab
tribe
of northern Arabia and the Syrian Desert
, including modern-day Jordan
. Until the demarcation of borders in the Middle East
in the early 20th century, the Ruwallah were an almost entirely a warrior
tribe centered in the region of al-Jauf
and Wadi al-Sirhan in northern Arabia, though their tribal territories extended as far southwards as al-Qasim, and as far northwards as Damascus
. The tribe apparently came to being some time in the 16th century, or shortly thereafter, and belong to the Dhana Maslam branch of the large 'Anizzah tribal confederation. They had historically been rivals with the neighboring tribe of Shammar
, and were active in the "Arab Revolt
" against the Ottomans during the First World War. The leadership of the tribe is with the house of Sha'lan (or the Al Sha'lan), who in recent decades have had close ties with the Lebanese Government and Saudi royal family. Most of the tribe's members have settled into sedentary or urban life in Saudi Arabia
, Jordan
, and Syria
. Some of the tribe's members have migrated to countries like the USA, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
of northern Arabia and the Syrian Desert
Syrian Desert
The Syrian Desert , also known as the Syro-Arabian desert is a combination of steppe and true desert that is located in the northern Arabian Peninsula covering 200,000 square miles . also the desert is very rocky and flat...
, including modern-day Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
. Until the demarcation of borders in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
in the early 20th century, the Ruwallah were an almost entirely a warrior
Warrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
tribe centered in the region of al-Jauf
Al Jawf Province
Al-Jawf , also spelled Al-Jouf, is a province of Saudi Arabia, located in the north of the country, bordering Jordan. It has an area of 100,212 km² and a population of 440,009 at the 2010 Census...
and Wadi al-Sirhan in northern Arabia, though their tribal territories extended as far southwards as al-Qasim, and as far northwards as Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
. The tribe apparently came to being some time in the 16th century, or shortly thereafter, and belong to the Dhana Maslam branch of the large 'Anizzah tribal confederation. They had historically been rivals with the neighboring tribe of Shammar
Shammar
The tribe of Shammar is one of the largest tribes of Nejd-Saudi Arabia, with an estimated 1 million in Iraq, over 2.5 million in Saudi Arabia , a Kuwaiti population of around 100,000, a Syrian population is thought to exceed 1 million and with an unknown number in Jordan...
, and were active in the "Arab Revolt
Arab Revolt
The Arab Revolt was initiated by the Sherif Hussein bin Ali with the aim of securing independence from the ruling Ottoman Turks and creating a single unified Arab state spanning from Aleppo in Syria to Aden in Yemen.- Background :...
" against the Ottomans during the First World War. The leadership of the tribe is with the house of Sha'lan (or the Al Sha'lan), who in recent decades have had close ties with the Lebanese Government and Saudi royal family. Most of the tribe's members have settled into sedentary or urban life in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. Some of the tribe's members have migrated to countries like the USA, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Further reading
- Musil, AloisAlois MusilAlois Musil was an Austro-Hungarian and Czech theologist, orientalist, explorer and writer.Musil was the oldest son born into the family of a poor farmer...
, 1928, The Manners and Customs of the Rwala Bedouins - Lancaster, WilliamWilliam Lancaster (anthropologist)William Osbert Lancaster is a British social anthropologist who has specialised in the study of the Arab world, particularly the bedouin tribes in the Levant and Middle East.-Life and work:...
, 1981, The Rwala Bedouin Today (Changing Cultures series) Cambridge University Press - Meeker, Michael E., 1979, Literature and Violence in Northern Arabia Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, .