Nomads in the Middle East

A history of pastoral nomads in the Islamic Middle East from the rise of Islam to the decline of nomads in the twentieth century.

Beatrice Forbes Manz (Author)

9780521531634, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 2 December 2021

294 pages
22.7 x 15.2 x 1.6 cm, 0.44 kg

'Nomads in the Middle East is exceptional. Beatrice Manz offers a stunningly rich overview over more than one millennium of nomad history. Nomad and settled peoples are seen in confrontation and competition, but most of the time in cooperation, even synthesis. A must for every student of Middle Eastern history.' Jürgen Paul, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg

A history of pastoral nomads in the Islamic Middle East from the rise of Islam, through the middle periods when Mongols and Turks ruled most of the region, to the decline of nomadism in the twentieth century. Offering a vivid insight into the impact of nomads on the politics, culture, and ideology of the region, Beatrice Forbes Manz examines and challenges existing perceptions of these nomads, including the popular cyclical model of nomad-settled interaction developed by Ibn Khaldun. Looking at both the Arab Bedouin and the nomads from the Eurasian steppe, Manz demonstrates the significance of Bedouin and Turco-Mongolian contributions to cultural production and political ideology in the Middle East, and shows the central role played by pastoral nomads in war, trade, and state-building throughout history. Nomads provided horses and soldiers for war, the livestock and guidance which made long-distance trade possible, and animal products to provision the region's growing cities.

Preface
Debate between sheep and grain
1. Introduction
2. Nomads in the establishment of the caliphate
3. The rise of new peoples and dynasties
4. Turkic tradition and Seljuqid rule
5. Nomad conquest and rule
6. After the Mongols: Timurids, Turkmen and Ottomans
7. The rise of nomad tribes: 1500-1800
8. Nomads in the modern Middle East
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Middle Eastern history [HBJF1], General & world history [HBG]