The transformation of a pastoral economy : Bedouin and states in Northern Arabia, 1850-1950
This thesis analyses economic change among the bedouin of northern Arabia by examining four factors: the trade in camels; intertribal raiding; large-scale attacks by the Akhwan (Ikhwan); and trade and smuggling. Many writers have assumed that the sale or hiring out of camels for transport by camel-herding tribes was their main source of income, and that the spread of modern transportation caused a decline in the demand for camels, resulting in lower prices for the animals and an economic crisis for the bedouin. The well-documented case-studies in this thesis demonstrate that this assumption is flawed. The bedouin economy was more complex than the portrayals in many sources, and the reasons for economic hardship and political decline among the camel-herding tribes are more varied. In the story of how the wheel overcame the camel, it is clear that while transportation technology had some effect, even more important were such factors as drought, the rise of new states, colonial policies, intertribal politics and the varied factors pulling nomadic peoples to become sedentary.
Toth, Anthony B.
Bedouin ; Bedouin economy ; Economic history ; Camels ; Camel trade ; Arabia ; Kuwait ; Iraq ; Raiding ; Ikhwan ; Nomadism
The transformation of a pastoral economy : Bedouin and states in Northern Arabia, 1850-1950. This thesis analyses economic change among the bedouin of northern Arabia by examining four factors: the trade in camels; intertribal raiding; large-scale attacks by the Akhwan (Ikhwan); and trade and smuggling. Many writers have assumed that the sale or hiring out of camels for transport by camel-herding tribes was their main source of income, and that the spread of modern transportation caused a decline in the demand for camels, resulting in lower prices for the animals and an economic crisis for the bedouin. The well-documented case-studies in this thesis demonstrate that this assumption is flawed. The bedouin economy was more complex than the portrayals in many sources, and the reasons for economic hardship and political decline among the camel-herding tribes are more varied. In the story of how the wheel overcame the camel, it is clear that while transportation technology had some effect, even more important were such factors as drought, the rise of new states, colonial policies, intertribal politics and the varied factors pulling nomadic peoples to become sedentary.
transformation pastoral_economy state northern arabia analysis economic_change among northern arabia examine factor trade raiding large_scale attack trade many_writer assume sale transport tribe main_source income spread modern transportation cause decline demand result low price animal economic_crisis well_documented case_studies assumption flaw economy complex portrayal many source reason economic hardship political decline among tribe vary story wheel overcame clear transportation technology effect even important_factor drought rise_new state colonial_policy politics vary factor pull nomadic people become sedentary