__NOTOC__ The Magarha (also ''al-Magarha'', ''Meqariha'') () is one of the major

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

tribes of Libya. They originate from

Fezzan Fezzan ( , ; ; ; ) is the southwestern region of modern Libya. It is largely desert, but broken by mountains, uplands, and dry river valleys (wadis) in the north, where oases enable ancient towns and villages to survive deep in the otherwise in ...

province of Libya and have been an influential supporters and beneficiaries of

Muammar Gaddafi Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi (20 October 2011) was a Libyan military officer, revolutionary, politician and political theorist who ruled Libya from 1969 until Killing of Muammar Gaddafi, his assassination by Libyan Anti-Gaddafi ...

during his long rule and then Libya's 2011 civil war. Some Magarha have relocated to

Sirte Sirte (; , ), also spelled Sirt, Surt, Sert or Syrte, is a city in Libya. It is located south of the Gulf of Sirte, almost right in the middle between Tripoli and Benghazi. It is famously known for its battles, ethnic groups and loyal ...

and elsewhere along the coast. After the Warfalla tribe which is Libya's largest, the Magarha are Libya's second largest tribe with an estimated 1 million members. The Magarha, along with the Warfalla, have long formed an important alliance with

, with many Magarha located in the upper ranks of Libya's government and security forces. Abdullah Senussi,

's brother-in-law and the chief of military intelligence, is a Magarha.

History

The Magarha tribe has been semi-nomadic, and their alliances are mentioned in historical texts. The 14th century Islamic texts suggest that the Magarha were one of the tribes that controlled the oases and palm groves in the region that is contemporary west Libya. Their rights were acknowledged in the 16th to 18th century

Barbary Corsairs The Barbary corsairs, Barbary pirates, Ottoman corsairs, or naval mujahideen (in Muslim sources) were mainly Muslim corsairs and privateers who operated from the largely independent Barbary states. This area was known in Europe as the Barba ...

era. The historical records of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

suggest that along with Riyyah tribe, the Magarha were Arab tribes of Wadi al-Shatti region, and that they supported the Ottoman's authority in Fezzan region. In exchange for this support, the Ottoman Empire had exempted them from taxes, allowed them to collect a tribute from passing caravans and represented the Ottoman interests as its police force.

Notable Margarha

* Abdullah al-Senussi – former Libyan intelligence chief, brother-in-law of

Abdelbaset al-Megrahi Abdelbaset Ali Mohamed al-Megrahi ( , ; 1 April 1952 – 20 May 2012) was a Libyan convicted of the Lockerbie bombing of Pan Am flight 103. He was head of security for Libyan Arab Airlines, director of the Centre for Strategic Studies in Trip ...

(1952-2012) – Libyan officer convicted of the bombing of

Pan Am Flight 103 Pan Am Flight 103 (PA103/PAA103) was a regularly scheduled Pan Am transatlantic flight from Frankfurt to Detroit via a stopover in London and another in New York City. Shortly after 19:00 on 21 December 1988, the Boeing 747 "Clipper Maid of th ...

over Lockerbie *

Abdessalam Jalloud Abdessalam Jalloud (; born 15 December 1944) is a Libyan former politician and military officer who served as the prime minister of Libya from 16 July 1972 to 2 March 1977, under the government of Muammar Gaddafi. He was also Minister of Treasur ...

– Libyan politician, Prime Minister 1972-1977 * Mohammed Abdullah al-Senussi – Libyan military commander, son of Abdullah Senussi

References

Bibliography

* Obeidi, Amal S M. ''Political Culture in Libya'', Routledge, 2001. * Ahmida, Ali Abdullatif. ''The Making of Modern Libya:State Formation, Colonization, and Resistance, 1830-1932'', State University of New York Press, 2000. {{Tribes of Libya Tribes of Libya Libyan civil war (2011)

History

Notable Margarha

See also

References

Bibliography