Ancient Water Agreements, Tribal Law and Ibadism

Ancient Water Agreements, Tribal Law and Ibadism
Author: Katariina Simonen
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 198
Release: 2021-10-19
Genre: Law
ISBN: 3030852180

This book traces the development of Oman's inclusive agreements and highlights their importance for international negotiations, dealing with issues most relevant to humanity's own survival today, nuclear weapons or climate change. In Oman, a historical seafaring nation on the south-eastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, a culture of agreement that accommodates the interests of everyone has developed around the division of scarce water resources. Life in the arid inland of the Omani Hajar mountains would not have been possible without water. Irrigation channel (falaj) construction is extremely old and skilful therein. Local practices evolved around the division of water and land on the basis of fairness. The community would be best served by inclusion and the avoidance of conflict. A specific Islamic school called Ibadi arrived at Oman early on in the eighth century. Ibadi scholars conserved local practices. Consultation and mediation by sheikhs and the religious leader, Imam, became the law of the land. The Omanis were known as the People of Consultation, Ahl Al Shura. In time, the practice of inclusive agreements would extend far beyond the village level, affecting Oman ́s foreign policy under Sultan Qaboos. Oman ́s water diplomacy succeeded in uniting the contestants of the Middle East Peace Process in the 1990s to work together on common problems of water desalination.

People, Land and Water in the Arab Middle East

People, Land and Water in the Arab Middle East
Author: William Lancaster
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 490
Release: 2013-07-04
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1134411413

The result of twenty-five years of research with different tribal groups in the Arabian peninsula, this study focuses on ethnographic descriptions of Arab tribal societies in five regions of the peninsula, with comparative material from others. Having become aware of the depth in time of Arab tribal structures, the authors have developed a view of Arabic tribal discourse where 'tribe' is seen as essentially an identity that confers access to a social structure and its processes.

Water and Power in Past Societies

Water and Power in Past Societies
Author: Emily Holt
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2018-05-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1438468776

Water, an essential resource in all cultures, is at the heart of human power structures. Utilizing a diverse range of theoretical perspectives, the contributors to Water and Power in Past Societies provide a broad introduction to the archaeology of water-related power structures. The studies herein explore the long history of water politics in human society, offering new insights into the power structures and inequalities surrounding irrigation systems, the collection of rainwater as a component of ancient industrial production, and sea water as a facilitator of communication, trade, and aggression. In addition to examining the role of different types of water in creating power relationships, the volume presents case studies from a variety of climatic regions, ranging from the very dry to the tropical. This geographical breadth facilitates cross-cultural comparison, making Water and Power in Past Societies an essential resource for instructors and students of the archaeology of water. Finally, in addition to reaching conclusions with significant implications for archaeologists and anthropologists, the volume has real contemporary relevance, often drawing explicit parallels with issues of current and future water management.

Water and Tribal Settlement in South-East Arabia

Water and Tribal Settlement in South-East Arabia
Author: J. C. Wilkinson
Publisher: Georg Olms
Total Pages: 276
Release: 2013-05
Genre: History
ISBN: 9783487148847

This book is a study of the traditional relationships that exist in Oman between land and social organization, and how they have evolved. The author starts with the theme of aridity and, using the extensive literature of the 1200 year old Ibadi community to supplement his field work, shows how the techniques of water exploitation have influenced the country’s social organization and its political ideology. He describes how the settlement organization has evolved in two stages; the first in the years before Islam when the Persians irrigated the land using aflaj or horizontal water channels; the second after the Arabs had overthrown the Persians and, influenced by Ibadism, established a more democratic society dominated by a strong tribal structure in the villages. The tribal structure is then examined in detail and the author shows how close the links are between the Islamic ideology, land use, and social organization. As a contribution to the human geography of Oman as well as to general knowledge of the Middle East the book will interest Arabists, Islamic historians and social anthropologists, as well as hydrologists and geographers.

CITIES IN EVOLUTION. DIACHRONIC TRANSFORMATIONS OF URBAN AND RURAL SETTLEMENTS Book of abstracts VIII AACCP (Architecture, Archaeology and Contemporary City Planning) symposium

CITIES IN EVOLUTION. DIACHRONIC TRANSFORMATIONS OF URBAN AND RURAL SETTLEMENTS Book of abstracts VIII AACCP (Architecture, Archaeology and Contemporary City Planning) symposium
Author: Alessandro Camiz
Publisher: Alessandro Camiz
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2021-01-11
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 1716221870

CITIES IN EVOLUTION. DIACHRONIC TRANSFORMATIONS OF URBAN AND RURAL SETTLEMENTS Book of abstracts VIII AACCP (Architecture, Archaeology and Contemporary City Planning) symposium, 2021 Edited by: Alessandro Camiz, Zeynep Ceylanlı, Zeren Önsel Atala and Özge Özkuvancı, DRUM Press, Istanbul, 2021. ISBN: 978-1-716-22187-3

The Cohesion of Saudi Arabia (RLE Saudi Arabia)

The Cohesion of Saudi Arabia (RLE Saudi Arabia)
Author: Christine Helms
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2020-07-26
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1000112934

Saudi Arabia is no longer regarded as quite the invincible pillar of Islam it so recently seemed. Its authority within the Islamic world has been challenged by the Ayatollahs in Iran and its dominant position within Opec has been seriously eroded. Most importantly, the dramatic assault on the Mosque at Mecca has raised serious doubts about the internal security of the Saudi regime. This study provides essential background to the contemporary problems of Saudi Arabia in its focus on the early years of the Saudi state and the way in which King Abd al-Aziz first created a nation state and asserted his family's authority. It agues that the geography of Central Arabia was a crucial factor in determining how he fused together the Bedouin tribes and the settled communities into a political entity. First published in 1981 and based on extensive new research data, this is the first study to examine more than simply a political or diplomatic history of Saudi Arabia, and concerns itself with the attitudes and perceptions of the Arabs themselves towards political initiatives of that period.

In the Time of Oil

In the Time of Oil
Author: Mandana Limbert
Publisher: Stanford University Press
Total Pages: 263
Release: 2010-06-07
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0804756260

"Compelling ethnography. Mandana Limbert offers unusual insights into contemporary Arabian Peninsula society. This is an exemplary book for a region in which such books are few and far between."--- Dale F. Elckelman, Dartmouth College --

Seasonal Knowledge and the Almanac Tradition in the Arab Gulf

Seasonal Knowledge and the Almanac Tradition in the Arab Gulf
Author: Daniel Martin Varisco
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 458
Release: 2022-05-14
Genre: History
ISBN: 3030957713

This book is the first in English to survey indigenous knowledge of seasonal, astronomical, and agricultural information in Arab Gulf almanacs. It provides an extensive analysis of the traditional information available, based on local almanacs, Arabic texts and poetry by Gulf individuals, ethnographic interviews, and online forums. A major feature of the book is tracing the history of terms and concepts in the local seasonal knowledge of the Gulf, including an important genre about weather stars, stemming back to the ninth century CE. Also covered are pearl diving, fishing, seafaring, and pastoral activities. This book will be of interest to scholars who study the entire Arab region, since much of the lore was shared and continues through the present. It will also be of value to scholars who work on the Indian Ocean and Red Sea Trade Network, as well as the history of folk astronomy in the Arab World.

Sourcebook of Alternative Technologies for Freshwater Augmentation in West Asia

Sourcebook of Alternative Technologies for Freshwater Augmentation in West Asia
Author: UNEP International Environmental Technology Centre
Publisher: UNEP/Earthprint
Total Pages: 352
Release: 2001
Genre: Appropriate technology
ISBN: 9280718118

The region is characterized for its aridity and vast deserts making water to evaporate very fast while at the same time permeating into the soil rapidly before it could be properly used or contained. The sourcebook provides a comprehensive description of the existing technologies available in West Asia so that decision makers, government and non-governmental organizations can use as a reference to promote the sound planning and management of freshwater resources in this particular region.