DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49271#0174
112
C. G. and B. Z. Seligman
or whether the community yet called itself Kababish.12 Of the Rikabia, one Kurban
was traditionally the first to hold the headship of the tribe, which he purchased from
'Abuda of the Aulad 'Ukba. From Kurban the headship passed to his sister’s son Keradim,
whose lineal descendant in the eighth generation is the present Sheykh 'Ali wad et-Tom,
nephew of the celebrated Salih Bey Fadlulla.
II. Social organization. The Kababish are divided into a number of sections
and subsections called by themselves khasm biyut (sing, khasm beyt), this term being
applied both to the larger divisions of the tribe and to the subdivisions. The literal
translation of the expression is “mouth of the house” or tent, hence “threshold”. The
members of a khasm beyt are all closely related, and live under the authority of one sheykh.
While instances occurring at the present day indicate that the khasm biyut arose as
extended patriarchal families, and while some weak sections are still practically such, the
majority are too large to be so regarded; perhaps, too, the authority of the sheykh is not
sufficiently absolute.
There is a paramount sheykh of the tribe by whom in the old days the sheykhs of
the khasm biyut were said to have been appointed; as a matter of fact they appear always
to have held office by hereditary right. Appeals against the judgement delivered by
the sheykh of the khasm beyt can be taken to the sheykh of the tribe, and such appeals
are not uncommon. In the matter of tribute paid to the government the paramount
sheykh decides how much each khasm beyt shall provide, and tells each sheykh to levy
so much from his division. The sub-sheykhs thus act as the executive officers of the
paramount sheykh, who, in theory, is entirely responsible for the policy of the tribe as
far as it relates to external affairs. But it must not be forgotten that in all internal matters
the sheykhs of the khasm biyut wield a very real authority, while at all times the freest
discussion goes on and the fullest weight is given to tradition. In periods of distress the
sheykhs, and even the heads of families, may take each his own line. This occurred
during the Mahdia, when the Kuraysh section of the sheykh’s family, as well as certain
sections of foreign origin who had for years reckoned themselves Kababish, went over to
the Mahdi, in spite of the fact that the majority of the tribe remained loyal under the
leadership of Salih Bey, whom the Mahdi later beheaded. The relation to each other of
the members of a khasm beyt is well seen during the dry season, when the divisions scat-
tered over the tribal territory are encamped wherever there is prospect of sufficient water.
/ / /
The members of each encampment, or fertk (“separavit, distinxit”), belong to the
12 With regard to the tribal designation no ancestor called Kabsh, or by any variant of this name, appears in the
more orthodox genealogies, though MacMichael notes that Kababish when asked may say that they had an ancestor
called Kabsh. Nothing definite is related of him nor is any stress laid on his existence, so that it may well be that
the tribal name was derived from kabsh, a ram, the term having been coined and applied slightingly at a time when
the community owned no such great herds of cattle as they do at present.
C. G. and B. Z. Seligman
or whether the community yet called itself Kababish.12 Of the Rikabia, one Kurban
was traditionally the first to hold the headship of the tribe, which he purchased from
'Abuda of the Aulad 'Ukba. From Kurban the headship passed to his sister’s son Keradim,
whose lineal descendant in the eighth generation is the present Sheykh 'Ali wad et-Tom,
nephew of the celebrated Salih Bey Fadlulla.
II. Social organization. The Kababish are divided into a number of sections
and subsections called by themselves khasm biyut (sing, khasm beyt), this term being
applied both to the larger divisions of the tribe and to the subdivisions. The literal
translation of the expression is “mouth of the house” or tent, hence “threshold”. The
members of a khasm beyt are all closely related, and live under the authority of one sheykh.
While instances occurring at the present day indicate that the khasm biyut arose as
extended patriarchal families, and while some weak sections are still practically such, the
majority are too large to be so regarded; perhaps, too, the authority of the sheykh is not
sufficiently absolute.
There is a paramount sheykh of the tribe by whom in the old days the sheykhs of
the khasm biyut were said to have been appointed; as a matter of fact they appear always
to have held office by hereditary right. Appeals against the judgement delivered by
the sheykh of the khasm beyt can be taken to the sheykh of the tribe, and such appeals
are not uncommon. In the matter of tribute paid to the government the paramount
sheykh decides how much each khasm beyt shall provide, and tells each sheykh to levy
so much from his division. The sub-sheykhs thus act as the executive officers of the
paramount sheykh, who, in theory, is entirely responsible for the policy of the tribe as
far as it relates to external affairs. But it must not be forgotten that in all internal matters
the sheykhs of the khasm biyut wield a very real authority, while at all times the freest
discussion goes on and the fullest weight is given to tradition. In periods of distress the
sheykhs, and even the heads of families, may take each his own line. This occurred
during the Mahdia, when the Kuraysh section of the sheykh’s family, as well as certain
sections of foreign origin who had for years reckoned themselves Kababish, went over to
the Mahdi, in spite of the fact that the majority of the tribe remained loyal under the
leadership of Salih Bey, whom the Mahdi later beheaded. The relation to each other of
the members of a khasm beyt is well seen during the dry season, when the divisions scat-
tered over the tribal territory are encamped wherever there is prospect of sufficient water.
/ / /
The members of each encampment, or fertk (“separavit, distinxit”), belong to the
12 With regard to the tribal designation no ancestor called Kabsh, or by any variant of this name, appears in the
more orthodox genealogies, though MacMichael notes that Kababish when asked may say that they had an ancestor
called Kabsh. Nothing definite is related of him nor is any stress laid on his existence, so that it may well be that
the tribal name was derived from kabsh, a ram, the term having been coined and applied slightingly at a time when
the community owned no such great herds of cattle as they do at present.