ABSTRACT
As stated in Chapter 1, asabiyyeh, the sense of belonging, plays a dominant role in the concept of tribe. Asabiyyah is a determining factor in the ideology and in the daily life and actions of tribes. It denes how they see the concept of territory. It is instrumental in the glorious deeds of tribal heroes and determines the purpose of tribal history. Western travellers found this group ethic either baing or were drawn to it, particularly in the second half of the nineteenth century, with its Victorian spirit that valued private enterprise and personal aspiration above all.
