12 - Raiders and Traders

Summary

“Najd belongs to him who possesses the longest lance.”

Bedouin proverb

“Poetry is the register of the Arabs.”

Arabic proverb

No country is identified with the Bedouin as much as Saudi Arabia. This identification is understandable, as the Bedouin presence has been a hallmark of its society both numerically and culturally. Yet, the prevalent association of the Saudi state (in its more than two-century history) with the tribe and nomads represents a serious misreading of the political history of the state and its nature. What follows is a study of a particular poet, Bandar bin Srur (1937–84), hailing from a Bedouin background, who captures, perhaps better than anyone, the fact that the Saudi state (and the associated manifestations of modernity it wrought) represents the antithesis of what “Bedouinism” stood for, and reflects the fundamental alienation of traditional nomads from the state and its moral order.

My earliest memories of the Bedouin and their values are related to a particular desert knight, Dghaylib bin Khnaysir, of the Bedouin Asa`ida clan of the `Utayba tribe, who died an old, impecunious man in the 1950s. Dghaylib led a nomadic existence to his last days and engaged in raiding (ghazw) and counter-raiding until the state imposed its authority while he was still a vigorous warrior. Dghaylib took a liking to staying close to our hometown, al-Zilfi, whose main inhabitants belonged to the same clan, albeit all were hadar, as the sedentary population is called. He was much admired and managed to develop strong friendships (including with my grandfather) that lasted for the rest of his life. Over time, a repertoire of his deeds and sayings became part of the local lore.