Page 82 - A Hand book of Arabia Vol 1 (iii) Ch 3

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82 THE BEDOUIN TRIBES

For the past year, however, the paramount Sheikh, Hamud ibn
Suweit, has been at peace with Ibn Rashid, though he is said to
have rejected the latter’s proposal that he should join him in
aiding ‘Ajeimi ibn Sa'dun and the Turks against the British. The
Shammar sub-tribe of the Ajil are still hostile to the Dhaflr. With
the Anazah they are always at feud, and though the Anazah sheikhs
seldom approach within four or five days’ journey of their country,
the Dhaflr carry their raids as far north as Shifathah; and west
into the Anazah pastures. They are on good terms with some of
the Muntefiq group, of whom the Budur camp habitually under their
protection in the spring, when the latter go out with their sheep
into the desert. But with the Sa‘dun themselves their relations
have been anything but cordial, and since 1915 Hamud has definitely
sided against ‘Ajeimi; but he has not succeeded in carrying his
whole tribe with him, and the Husein and Dhar'an sections, as well
as other smaller sheikhs of the Samid, have followed ‘Ajeimi’s lead
against us.
The Dhaflr are composed of two main sub-tribes, the Butun
and the Samid, of which the Butun is the more numerous. It is
not a homogeneous tribal unit, but has been formed from sections
of other tribes which have been welded together. The various
constituents have preserved the memory of their origin ; the Suweit
and the Beni Husein are Ashraf of the Hejaz ; the Sa'id, ‘Areif, and
Beni Khalid, with the Kathlr who are an offshoot of the Beni
Khalid, are Qahtan; the ‘Adwan are Ahl esh-Shimal, descended from
Rabl‘ah or Mudhar ; the Misamir and the small Tuluh clans are
Anazah ; the Rasimi are Shammar, the Mu'aleim are Beni Tamim,
and the Juwasim are from the neighbouring Sebei‘. The important
Dhar'an section are ‘Abld, that is to say, they spring from the slaves
of some nomad group.
The Dhaflr are wholly nomadic and do not engage in any trade.
Their country is sufficiently supplied with wells, and they own
large flocks of sheep, besides being breeders of camels. In religion
they are Sunnis of the Maliki sect. They are well armed with
modern rifles and may number some 3,000 fighting men. They
maintain good relations with the Sultan of Koweit and come into
Koweit for needful provisions and utensils. Sections of the tribe
near the Koweit territory have occasionally paid the Sultan tribute ;
while in the days of Mohammed er-Rashld the western sections of
the Dhaflr yielded tribute to the Shammar. The paramount
Sheikh, Hamud ibn Suweit, is a man of about 45, intelligent, and
reckoned a fairly good politician and tribal administrator.& His son,
Barghash, is a boy of 17.