ABSTRACT
Colonial officials have contributed an important collection of writ ings, such as those by Sir Arnold Wilson, Lorimer, Ingram, Lady Bell, Dickson, Sir John Glubb, and Longrigg.3 Most of these writings were written from the standpoint of colonial interests and concentrate on attempts to understand the tribal-ethnic structure of the region’s population, the way in which tribal affiliations operated and the extent of their influence upon the population. In the case of the travellers, they have attributed an exaggerated poetic dimension to the mode of tribal living, emphasizing nomadic values and traditions by transforming them in their writings from a merely verbal to an actual mode of behaviour.
