Reguibat Tribe
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The Reguibat (; variously transliterated ''Reguibate'', ''Rguibat'', ''R'gaybat'', ''R'gibat'', ''Erguibat'', ''Ergaybat'') is a Sahrawi tribal confederation of mixed
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 ...
and
Sanhaja The Sanhaja (, or زناگة ''Znāga''; , pl. Iẓnagen, and also Aẓnaj, pl. Iẓnajen) were once one of the largest Berbers, Berber tribal confederations, along with the Zenata, Zanata and Masmuda confederations. Many tribes in Algeria, Libya ...
Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...
origins. The Reguibat speak
Hassaniya Arabic Hassaniya Arabic (; also known as , , , , and Maure) is a variety of Maghrebi Arabic spoken by Mauritanian Arabs, Malian Arabs and the Sahrawis. It was spoken by the Beni Ḥassān Bedouin tribes of Yemeni origin who extended their authority o ...
, and are Arab in culture. They claim descent from Sidi Ahmed al-Reguibi, an Arab Islamic preacher from Beni Hassan who settled in Saguia el-Hamra in 1503. They also believe that they are, through him, a chorfa tribe, i.e. descendants of
Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
. They are divided into two main geographical divisions - the Reguibat as-Sahel and Reguibat ash-Sharg - who are in turn divided into sub tribes. Religiously, they belong to the
Maliki The Maliki school or Malikism is one of the four major madhhab, schools of Islamic jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. It was founded by Malik ibn Anas () in the 8th century. In contrast to the Ahl al-Hadith and Ahl al-Ra'y schools of thought, the ...
school of
Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
. Their population in 1996 exceeded 100,000 people. David Hart estimated their population to number from 200,000 to 300,000 in 1962 but this could be too high. They are today the largest tribe in Western Sahara.


Origin

The eponymous founder and ancestor of the Reguibat is said to be Sidi Ahmed al-Reguibi who turned up to the Draa valley from Fez in 1503. Sidi Ahmed al-Reguibi claimed Sharifian descent through Abd al-Salam ibn Mashish which attracted many disciples - a lot of whom of
Sanhaja The Sanhaja (, or زناگة ''Znāga''; , pl. Iẓnagen, and also Aẓnaj, pl. Iẓnajen) were once one of the largest Berbers, Berber tribal confederations, along with the Zenata, Zanata and Masmuda confederations. Many tribes in Algeria, Libya ...
origin - from his wanderings between the valleys of Draa, El-Gaada and the Saguia el-Hamra. The line of ascent between Sidi Ahmed al-Reguibi and Abd al-Salam ibn Mashish goes Sidi Ahmed al-Reguibi ibn Abd al-Wahid ibn Abd al-Karim ibn Abdallah ibn Abd as-Salam ibn Mashish.


History

Initially an important Arabic zawiya or religious tribe with a semi-sedentary lifestyle, the Reguibat gradually turned during the 18th century towards camel-rearing, raiding and
nomadism Nomads are communities without fixed habitation who regularly move to and from areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, Nomadic pastoralism, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and Merchant, trader nomads. In the twentieth century, ...
, in response attacks from neighboring tribes which provoked them into taking up arms and leaving the subordinate position they had previously held. This started a process of rapid expansion, and set the Reguibat on the course towards total transformation into a traditional warrior tribe. In the late 19th century, they had become well-established as the largest Sahrawi tribe, and were recognized as the most powerful warrior tribe of the area. The grazing lands of the Reguibat fractions extended from
Western Sahara Western Sahara is a territorial dispute, disputed territory in Maghreb, North-western Africa. It has a surface area of . Approximately 30% of the territory () is controlled by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR); the remaining 70% is ...
into the northern half of
Mauritania Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Maghreb, Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to Mauritania–Western Sahara border, the north and northwest, ...
, the edges of southern
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
and northern
Mali Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...
, and large swaths of western
Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
(where they captured the town of
Tindouf Tindouf () is the main town, and a Communes of Algeria, commune in Tindouf Province, Algeria, close to the Algeria–Mauritania border, Mauritanian, Algeria–Western Sahara border, Western Saharan and Algeria–Morocco border, Moroccan borders. Th ...
from the
Tajakant The Tajakant (also Tadjakant Morocco) is a Sahrawi tribe of Berber Sanhaja origins. They speak Hassaniya Arabic. The Tajakant mainly live in Mauritania, Morocco, Western Sahara, Algeria, and Mali. They are Muslims, adhering to the Maliki school of ...
tribe in 1895, and turned into an important Reguibat encampment). The Reguibat were known for their skill as warriors, as well as for an uncompromising tribal independence, and dominated large areas of the
Sahara Desert The Sahara (, ) is a desert spanning across North Africa. With an area of , it is the largest hot desert in the world and the list of deserts by area, third-largest desert overall, smaller only than the deserts of Antarctica and the northern Ar ...
through both
trade Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. Traders generally negotiate through a medium of cr ...
and use of arms. The Reguibat have been trading in the Algerian oasis markets of the Touat and Gourara regions. A long war started with the Tadjakant who were a tribe that founded the city of Tindouf in 1820. Ghazis happened until the end of the 20th century when in 1895 an assembly of the Reguibat including both the Reguibat as-Sahel and Reguibat Lagouacem decided on a full scale mobilisation of all able-bodied men with a warrior of the Oulad Moussa selected as ''dahman'' (the leader of the troops). This led to an attack on Tindouf by 1000 men of the Reguibat and the Reguibat were victorious. The Reguibat fought in other wars and assisted other tribes. For example, they assisted the Oulad Bou Sbaa in resisting a force from the Adrar and the Hodh led by Sidi Ahmed al-Kunti and sided with the Oulad Tidrarin in their rebellion against the Oulad Delim until the peace the Reguibat made with the Oulad Delim in 1892. Reguibat Sahrawis were very prominent in the resistance to French and Spanish colonization in the 19th and 20th century, and could not be subdued in the
Spanish Sahara Spanish Sahara (; ), officially the Spanish Possessions in the Sahara from 1884 to 1958, then Province of the Sahara between 1958 and 1976, was the name used for the modern territory of Western Sahara when it was occupied and ruled by Spain bet ...
until 1934, almost 50 years after the area was first colonized by Spain. Since the 1970s, many Reguibat have been active in the
Polisario Front The Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro (Spanish language, Spanish: ; ), better known by its acronym Polisario Front, is a Sahrawi nationalism, Sahrawi nationalist liberation movement seeking to end the occupatio ...
's resistance to Moroccan rule over the still non-sovereign Western Sahara territory. Polisario leader Mohamed Abdelaziz was a Reguibi (from the Foqra faction), as is the Moroccan CORCAS leader Khalihenna Ould Errachid.


Socio-political Organisation

There was not a single '' shaykh ash-shuyukh'' of the Reguibat. Rather, they had two shaykhs of equal standing representing the two main territorial divisions - the Reguibat as-Sahel and Reguibat ash-Sharg. Under each shaykh, there was a body of 20 councillors who were called the ''ait arba'in'' (the people of the forty). This is a
Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...
term and the ''ait arba'in'' is traditionally a feature of
Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...
political organisation meaning that the Reguibat adopted it some time ago. The ''ait arba'in'' was chosen by the shaykh of the territorial divisions and they carried out his edicts as well as the qadi's. The ''ait arba'in'' was operative on a full scale only during war time. They today do not exist.


Subdivisions

Even though the Reguibat claim to have five fifths (which is a segmentation found in many large Berber tribes in Morocco like the Aït Atta and Ait Waryaghar), they have two main subdivisions: * Reguibat as-Sahel (), and * Reguibat ash-Sharg () which is also referred to as the Reguibat Lagouacem These two main subdivisions were distinguished by a camel brand called ''nār'' () which corresponds to the ''wasm'' found among
Bedouins The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu ( ; , singular ) are pastorally nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia (Iraq). The Bedouin originated in the Sy ...
in
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
. For the Reguibat as-Sahel, their ''nār'' is ''kāf'' (ك) which is why they are also called Reguibat al-Kaf. For the Reguibat ash-Sharg, their ''nār'' is ''qāf'' (ق) which is why they are also called Reguibat al-Qaf. There are multiple traditions for how many children Sidi Ahmed al-Reguibi had ranging from 60 (20 from each of three wives) to 6 to 3 (from a woman of the Sellam called Kaouria Mint Mohammed). According to the Historical Dictionary of Western Sahara, Sidi Ahmed al-Reguibi had three sons: Ali, Amar and Qacem. the Reguibat as-Sahel and Reguibat ash-Sharg are divided in the following way: * Reguibat as-Sahel, who descend from Ali and Amar ** Oulad Moussa *** Oulad el-Qadi, Ahel Bellao, Oulad Moueya, Oulad Lahsen, Oulad Hossein ** Souadd *** Ahel Brahim Ben Abdallah, Ahel Ba Brahim, El-Gherraba, Oulad Bou Said, Ahel Khali Yahya ** Lemouedenin *** Ahel Ahmadi, Sereirat ** Oulad Daoud *** Ahel Salem, Ahel Tenakha, Ahel Baba Ammi ** Oulad Borhim ** Oulad Cheikh *** Ahel Delimi, Ahel Baba Ali, Lemouissat, Lahouareth, Lahseinat, Ahel el-Hadj ** Thaalat *** Ahel Dekhil, Ahel Meiara, Ahel Rachid ** Oulad Taleb *** Oulad Ben Hossein, Oulad Ba Brahim, Oulad Ba Aaissa, Oulad Ba Moussa, Ahel Dera * Reguibat ash-Sharg, who descend from Qacem ** Ahel Brahim Ou Daoud *** Ahel Sidi Allal, Ahel Belqacem Ou Brahim, Sellam, Selalka, Ahel Lahsen Ou Hamad, Lehmeidenet, Oulad Sidi Hamad, Jenha ** Lebouihat *** Ahel Daddah, Ahel Qadi, Ahel Haioun, Ahel Sidi Ahmed Ben Yahya, Lemrasguia, Ahel Sidi Abdallah Ben, Moussa ** Laiaicha *** Ahel Belal, Ahel Beilal ** Foqra *** Ahel Ahmed Ben Lahsen, Ahel Lemjed, Ahel Taleb Hamad, Rema, Lemnasra, Seddadgha, Oulad Sidi M'hamed According to the tradition of the six sons as recorded by David Montgomery Hart, these six sons constituted the six clans of the Reguibat. These sons and clans are: * Ali whence the Oulad Ali wuld Sidi Ahmed al-Reguibi (KĀF) * Amr whence the Oulad Amr wuld Sidi Ahmed al-Reguibi (KĀF) * Qasim whence the al-Qwasim or al-Gwasim (QĀF) * Faqir whence al-Fuqra or al-Fugra (QĀF) * Ba Bwih whence al-Bwihat (QĀF) * Brahim u Dawud whence Ahl Brahim u Dawud (QĀF)


See also

* Djema'a * Oulad Delim * Oulad Tidrarin * Tekna


References


Sources

*


Further reading

*John Mercer (1976), ''Spanish Sahara'', George Allen & Unwid Ltd () *Anthony G. Pazzanita (2006), ''Historical Dictionary of Western Sahara'', Scarecrow Press *Virginia Thompson and Richard Adloff (1980), ''The Western Saharans. Background to Conflict'', Barnes & Noble Books () {{DEFAULTSORT:Reguibat Tribe Arabized Berbers Bedouin groups Ethnic groups in Algeria Ethnic groups in Mauritania Ethnic groups in Morocco Ethnic groups in Western Sahara Sahrawi tribes Sanhaja