The Bedouin clans are an essential element in the composition of the Syrian society, as their presence dates back to many centuries, when Arab tribes immigrated from the Arabian Peninsula andYemen To Badia Al -Sham in search of water and pasture. andThese clans settled in the eastern, central and north regions SyriaAnd she maintained a Bedouin lifestyle based on traveling, breeding camels and sheep, protecting caravans and desert trade.
In the absence of official statistics, some estimates indicate that there are about 25 Arab tribes in Syria, from which hundreds of tribes descend, and are mainly concentrated in the valley that extends between hummus AndHama AndDeir Al -Zour AndTenderness AndHasaka Distinguish to outbreaks As -Suwayda Horan south.
The Bedouins of Syria have played prominent roles throughout history, some of whom were leaders who participated in resisting the Ottomans, and others who resisted French colonialism, and among them leaders had an impact on formulating political and economic alliances in the region.
The Bedouins are characterized by a strict social system based on the tribe and the sheikh, which represents the symbol of governance and power, and adhere to the habits of hospitality, generosity and generosity, in addition to Nabati poetry and Bedouin singing that documents collective memory, and their daily life is related to breeding camels, sheep and horses, while the tent is a symbol of their Bedouin identity.
Sections of the Arab tribes in Syria
Tribes in Syria are divided into 3 major categories according to the degree of their association with the life of the desert and their way of living:
- Civilized clans: They are the clans that have been settled in villages and cities for generations and merged into agricultural or commercial life in cities and their suburbs. Often these clans maintain their names and tribal genealogies, despite their abandonment of the full nomadic pattern, and it has become part of the social fabric of cities and rural areas.
- Semi -civilized clans: They are the clans that combined partial stability in villages and countryside and the practice of some traditional Bedouin activities such as livestock and seasonal movement, and this category represents a median case, as it maintained many tribal customs and at the same time adopted a more stable pattern in housing and living.
- Bedouin clans: They are clans that are closely related to the life of the desert and the travel, and mainly depends on raising camels and sheep and mobility according to seasons in search of water and pasture, and are characterized by their strong adherence to the traditional values and customs of the Bedouins. A large number of Bedouin clans were forced to settle in the cities as a result of the instability of the security situation due to the outbreak Syrian revolution 2011And despite their stability, they remained conservative in their Bedouin lifestyle, as they also retained the “Bedouin Tribes”, which remained associated with them.
Historical stations for the relationship of clans to the central authority
The tribal presence in Syria dates back to ancient times when Arab tribal groups migrated from Yemen and the south of the Arabian Peninsula and spread in Iraq And the Levant, while other tribes crossed the desert Sinai North Africa.
Some of these tribes settled in cities and villages, preferring to grow and trade, while others maintained the Bedouin lifestyle based on travel and grazing.
The demographic composition of the region has evolved according to the kingdoms and countries that followed its rule. In the chest of Islam during the era of the adult caliphs and the time of the Umayyad state, the Arabs remained the predominant element in the Levant, before the Persian element entered the late Abbasid state, then the Turkmen, the Kurds, the Armenians, and the Circassians during the Ottoman rule, which added a wide diversity to the social structure in Syria.
The Arab tribes established their relations with The Ottoman Empire On the principle of mutual benefit, as the Ottomans entrusted to it the task of securing the desert and commercial roads in exchange for material support (money, gifts) and moral (symbolic grants and a legal status for some of the tribal sheikhs), but most of them stood later with “Arab Revolution“Against the Ottoman Empire in the second decade of the 20th century.
After the fall of the Ottoman caliphate, the French mandate sought to gain the loyalty of the tribal elders by registering wide lands with their names and giving them privileges, in an attempt to settle them and integrate them into the modern state project. The French classified the clans into two parts: the clans that were allowed to carry weapons, and almost left clans that were prevented from armament.
Most clans stood on the neutral line towards colonialism, as some of their elders chose to preserve the privileges they enjoy, which later prompted the Syrian parliament to cancel the French “tribal law” and issue the “tribal decree” that aimed to convert the nomads into a stable society.
And with the announcement Syrian -Egyptian unity In 1958, the President issued Gamal Abdel Nasser The Agricultural Reform Law, which limited the ownership of the vast lands, which led to the reducing the influence of the tribal elders and pushing some of them to migrate outside Syria.
The wimp received Baath Party To the rule of Syria, the state adopted additional policies to confront tribalism, re -distributed lands for farmers, and prevented some tribal symbols such as wearing the headquarters, and the clan was depicted as a “traditional, backward structure” whose influence must be reduced.
After seizing power, adopted Hafez al -Assad A different approach in dealing with the clans, so its elders returned some of their consideration and position through their representation in Parliament and assigning them to security roles in the face of Islamic currents. Kurdish By resettlement in it.
With the passage of time, the representation of clans in Parliament increased to 10%, and their presence in ministries and security services increased.
And with the beginning of the ruling Bashar al -Assad In 2000, the Authority continued to invest tribal groups in its favor, so some of the security men became proud of their tribal affiliation to enhance the regime’s presence in their areas, and the tribes were also used to confront the Kurdish protests in 2004.
However, the failure of the irrigation and agriculture policies adopted by the government, and the drought that struck the Al -Jazeera region (the provinces of Hasaka, Raqqa and Deir Al -Zour) between 2007 and 2008, led to the deterioration of the economic situation in the region that was classified in the country’s poorest in the country, which created a crack in the relationship of clans with the regime.
With the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in 2011, the clans were divided in their positions, so some of their sons supported the popular movement and opposition formations, and others preferred neutrality or alignment alongside the regime in order to preserve their “historical gains”, which led to the emergence of local armed groups, and in the same clan, armed men fighting within the conflicting factions, which caused deep social divisions, especially in the areas of Deir Al -Zour and Al -Raqqa And chickpeas.
After retreating “ISISAnd ascendingSyrian Democratic Forces“The traditional role of tribal leaders decreased, and a new generation of activists and local militia leaders replaced them, and some clans turned into social incubators of armed factions supported by some of them from external forces.
In light of this situation, the “Syrian island” clans (Al -Jazeera region: the provinces of Hasaka, Raqqa and Deir Al -Zour) demanded a greater share of autonomy and wealth, and protests led by these clans erupted against the “Syrian Democratic Forces”, which were previously an ally.
After the fall of the Assad regime in late 2024 and formation A new Syrian governmentThe approach to the clans has changed, as the authority considered it an essential partner in rebuilding the state. This was represented in appointing tribal representatives to official positions, and launching reconstruction programs in the tribal areas.
The government also sought to restore the role of traditional tribal councils within a legal framework, in exchange for a commitment not to establish armed militias outside the state authority. Despite the continued challenges of external influence and internal divisions, these policies expressed a motive in integrating clans within a comprehensive national project after decades of security and political employment.
The geographical distribution of clans
- Hasaka Governorate
It is home to the largest tribal gatherings in Syria, and the “Shamar” tribe is the most prominent of which is, and it branches into main stomachs, Abdo, Al -Aslam and Zoubaa, and are characterized by a strong historical tribal extension in Iraq, while preserving the Bedouin traditions and wide alliances that exceed the borders.
In the Al -Qamishli region, north of the governorate, the Al -Assaf, Al -Harith, Al -Yasar, Al -Jalala, Al -Rashid, Bani Seven, War, Al -Ghanama and Al -Bulaasi, are settled, which belong to the Tayeh tribe, in addition to a branch of Al -Muamara, as well as the Baggara (Al -Bakara).
The Jabour clan, which is located from the Zabid tribe, which lives mainly between agriculture and sheep raising, and also has a prominent presence in northern and western Iraq. The governorate also includes smaller clans such as Al -Bushaban and the drinks that are spread south.
The tribal composition in Raqqa vary between major tribes and its various stomachs, as there are the Shammar clans that maintain their historical extension on the Syrian island. The Baggara tribe, which includes clans such as Al -Bouhssen and Al -Boumaish, is also highlighted, and its children depend on agriculture and livestock, benefiting from their proximity to the cities.
The Bani Khalid tribe, which is a branch of Al -Qahtanian tribes, is also settled in the region, and includes a group of tribes known historically for its control over the caravan routes and the Badia paradox.
- Deir Al -Zour Governorate
Various Bedouin and Arabic clans are distributed in Deir Al -Zour, and the Al -Aqdat tribe (nodules) is the largest of which includes the Bosraya clans, Bokhabur, Al -Borshma, Al -Qara’an, Al -Baqasan, and Al -Busalama. These groups maintain a strong Bedouin identity inherited across generations.
The Baggara tribe also spreads in the governorate, and its children combine agriculture and livestock, in addition to the Al -Buslibi clan, which is the smaller Adnaniya clan that lives in the countryside and depends on the activity of agriculture and livestock and is characterized by a great social overlap with both Al -Akdidat and Al -Baqara.
- Homs Governorate and the Central Badia
The Badia region between Homs and Deir Al -Zour is a home to a number of the most prominent clans of the Anza tribe, among them the Seven clan, which maintained the lifestyle of traveling and raising camels and continues to practice its authentic Bedouin traditions.
It is also concentrated in the eastern Badia from Homs to the outskirts of a city Destroy; The Al -Fawara clan, known as its traditional role in protecting trade convoys and its activity in transporting goods between cities and villages across the desert. There are also some clans of the Bani Khalid tribe on the outskirts of Homs.
- The provinces of Hama, Aleppo and the northern Syrian
In this region, there is a large Adanian Bedouin tribe, which includes multiple stomachs and clans, and is mainly centered in the Aleppo and Hama Badia, and is famous for its ancient history in raising authentic Arabian horses and equestrian skills, which made it a symbol of equestrian in northern Syria.
- As -Suwayda Governorate (East and South Houran Badia)
The endosperm is a stronghold For the Druze community Stable in Jabal Al -Arab, but at the same time embraces Bedouin Arab clans with a deep historical extension in the region, the most prominent of which is the Al -Sarhan clan, one of the clans that descend from the Al -Jouf region in the north of the Arabian Peninsula and settled in eastern villages, including salt and Khirbet Awad.
The Al -Salt clan, which is one of the branches of the Anza tribe stationed in the southeast of the province, is located near the Jordanian border, in addition to the Zuweid clan, which is also from Anza, and the Eastern Badia is inhabited, while the Al -Harafsha clan, who are the ones who gradually endured in the same Badia.
The presence of Bedouins of As -Suwayda is focused in villages and towns in the north and east of the governorate, while some of them settled inside the city of As -Suwayda, specifically in the Al -Maqous neighborhood.
Despite the stability of most Bedouin clans and their abandonment of the pattern of nomadism, they have maintained the traditions of Bedouin life, and through decades, close relations with the Druze were characterized by economic integration, intermarriage, and cooperation in protecting caravan roads.
This interaction was reflected in the local cultural scene, and one of its most prominent manifestations is the transfer of the “underground” dance to the Druze society.
For decades, this relationship marked accumulated tensions, and clearly manifested in the events of mid -July 2025, when violent clashes erupted, the forces of the Ministries of Defense and Interior pushed to intervene to impose security, and this intervention ended with an agreement to a ceasefire, followed by the withdrawal of government forces from the areas of tension.
However, groups described by Damascus as “out of the law” violated the agreement and attacked the Bedouins, and committed massacres against them, causing forced waves of displacement according to local reports, and this led to the renewal of clashes and the escalation of confrontations after other Bedouin clans in defense of the Bedouin of As -Suwayda.