The Tribes of Jordan

by Ghazi bin Muhammad

The purpose of this treatise is to reveal the essential nobility of the tribes of Jordan (and by extension of all the Arab tribes) - and thus how they can fall short of it - for the benefit not only of foreign observer, but of the tribesmen themselves, many of whom now badly need to be reminded of it.

70 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1999

About the author

H.R.H. Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal (born in Amman on the 15th of October 1966) is the nephew of the late King Al-Hussein bin Talal of Jordan. He received his BA from Princeton University in 1988 Summa cum laude; his first PhD from Cambridge University, U.K., in 1993, and his second PhD from Al-Azhar University in Cairo 2010. Prince Ghazi has held many official positions in Jordan including: Cultural Secretary to H.M. King Hussein; Advisor for Tribal Affairs to H.M. King Hussein; Personal Envoy of and Special Advisor to H.M. King Abdullah II, and Chief Advisor for Religious and Cultural Affairs to H.M. King Abdullah II. He has also served as Regent of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. In 1996 Prince Ghazi founded the Al-Balqa Applied University, and in 2008 he founded the World Islamic Sciences and Education University. In 1997 he founded the National Park of the Site of the Baptism of Jesus Christ, and in 2001 he established the Great Tafsir Project (www.Altafsir.com), the largest online project for exegesis of the Holy Qur’an. Prince Ghazi is also Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought; he was the author of the historical Open Letter ‘A Common Word Between Us and You’ in 2007, and the author of the World Interfaith Harmony Week United Nations General Assembly Resolution in October 2010.

Reviews

[Kathleen McKim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning about the differences among nomadic, Semi-Nomadic and settled tribes. The breakdown of Jordanian family names was also quite interesting and informative. The discussion of honour killings from the perspective of tribal law, Islamic law and modern constitutional law is enlightening and sheds light on some stereotypes of Arabs in the modern world. A good book to read for insights into Jordanian history and culture.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought and read this book on a recent trip to Jordan. It is a concise (70 pages) and well-written introduction to the tribes that inhabit the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, written by a member of the royal house. Bin Muhammad sympathetically covers the history and location of the tribes, but more important is his depiction of how the nomads and semi-nomads cope (or don't) with the modern world, the truth behind "honor killings" and what must be preserved from the many positive aspects of Bedouin culture. If you're interested in the role of nomads in the modern Arab world, or even if you're planning a trip to Jordan, you'll find this book useful.