Tribes and the state

This chapter starts by providing an historical introduction to the relationship between Islam and the tribes in Northern Arabia. It then briefly discusses the connection between the different Islamic Caliphates that ruled the region and the tribes, until the takeover by the Ottoman Empire and later the French mandate authorities. The Ottomans and the French used different measures with the tribes, ranging from exerting direct force, to granting lands to tribal leaders in order to achieve stability in their areas and to neutralise any security challenges to their rule in these regions.