ABSTRACT

The socio–religious hierarchy concerns not only Islamic and spirit possession activities; it also has important political implications. In Minazini power tends to flow from high status, and as a result most of the positions of political power are occupied by the same people as occupy positions of power in the orthodox Islamic institutions—mosque, tarika and Koran schools. This chapter discusses not only this fact, but also the way in which people of high status use marriage both to maintain that status and as a political strategy. People of high socio–religious status are generally thought to be 'more fitted' to rule; they are the best–educated people, and usually have wide–ranging contacts outside the confines of the village. In Minazini, marriage for such people is also a political strategy, with intra–descent group marriage enabling power to be kept in fewer hands, and marriage with important people in other villages creating ties with a wider elite.