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'`Anizzah' (, '`Anizah', '`Aniza') are a large
Arab tribal confederation of the
Arabian Peninsula,
Iraq, and the
Levant.
Genealogy and Origins
Currently one of the largest of the
Arab tribes, `Anizzah's existence as an autonomous tribal group, unlike that of many prominent modern tribes, predates the rise of
Islam in the 7th century CE. The classical Arab genealogists placed `Anizzah within the large
Rabi`ah branch of
Adnanite (
North Arabian) tribes, alongside the tribes of
Abdul Qays,
Bakr ibn Wa'il,
Bani Hanifa, and
Taghlib. In the genealogical scheme, `Anizzah's eponymous ancestor is a great uncle of all of these.
Two main branches of `Anizzah are recorded by the early Muslim scholars. One branch was nomadic, living in the northern Arabian steppes bordering
Syria and
Mesopotamia. The other, known as
Bani Hizzan, was sedentary, living within the
wadis of the district of
Al-Yamama in eastern
Nejd, just south of their purported cousins, the
Bani Hanifa of the
Bakr ibn Wa'il, who inhabited modern-day
Riyadh. Families tracing their origin to `Annizah through Hizzan still exist in that area today.
[1]
The other tribes of Rabi'ah were far more prominent in the events of late
pre-Islamic Arabia and the early Islamic era (see
Banu Hanifa,
Taghlib, and
Bakr). According to historians such as
Al-Tabari (10th century CE), `Anizzah joined with Bakr ibn Wa'il under an alliance they called "al-Lahazim", becoming one tribe. So complete was the merging of the two tribes that it became unknown which branches belonged to which tribe; although the tribe later came to be known as "`Annizah", their battle cry was "sons of Wa'il", and the names "`Annizah" and "Wa'il" were interchangeable until at least the 19th century. Some believe that this confederation also absorbed the remnants of the once-large and powerful tribe of
Taghlib as well, and probably other smaller tribes, as the process of absorption by one tribe of another (called ''hilf'', "alliance") is a common feature of Arab tribal society.
Modern History
`Annizah in Syria and Northern Arabia
The modern tribe of `Annizah became prominent in the
Ottoman era, as masters of the oasis towns of northwestern Arabia, particularly
Khaybar and
Al-Ula. Although not farmers themselves, the `Annizah levied crops from the inhabitants, and only spent the winter months in the area, while migrating northwards into southern
Syria in the summer months, where they collected tribute from the inhabitants of the
Hawran region. The tribute was known as ''khuwwa'' ("brotherhood"), and in exchange, the tribesmen pledged to protect the farmers from other tribes. Other clans of the tribe spread across the northern Arabian steppes as far north and east as the Euphrates. According to ''Encyclopedia of Islam'', "it is not known whence they came", while many such as the Western travelers
Philby and
Anne Blunt simply assumed they had recently migrated from
Nejd, having been pushed northwards into Syria by other tribes. However, the tribe does not appear in the historical or genealogical records of Nejd, and members of the tribe posit a migration from Syria and Iraq southwards to Nejd, which comports with the original lands of the Bakr ibn Wa'il. In particular, it is believed they originated from the area of
Ayn Tamr in the Iraqi desert near
Karbala. In the 19th century, the
Swiss traveler
Burckhardt and the
British traveler
Doughty visited the tribe in their stronghold of
Khaybar and gathered from them many details of Bedouin life.
One branch of the `Annizah in that area, centered around
Al-Jouf and the valley of
Wadi Sarhan and extending into
Jordan and Syria, became so large and powerful that it practically developed into an independent tribe, known as the
Ruwallah. The Ruwallah engaged in battle with other branches of `Annizah, and also became the arch-enemy of the large tribe of
Shammar, who inhabited roughly the same area and dominated Nejd in the late 19th century after temporarily deposing the
Al Saud. A 19th century oral poetic epic telling the tale of a rivalry between two heroes from Shammar and `Annizah was published in 1992.
[2] The Ruwallah were among the tribes that took part in the "
Arab Revolt" against the Ottomans in
1916. Another northern branch of `Annizah, the `Amarat, was centered in the deserts of
Iraq.
According to the tribe's genealogists, the modern tribe in north Arabia is divided into the following branches:
★ Dhana Bishr ("children of Bishr") - which includes the `Amarat of Iraq.
★ Dhana Maslam - which includes the
Ruwallah of north Arabia.
`Annizah in Nejd
The sparse chronicles of Nejd relating to the pre-
Wahhabi era relate a process of penetration of the tribe into northern and western Nejd, where they began to claim pastures during the winter months.
[3] One 19th century historian, Ibn La'bun, a descendant of `Annizah who went by the tribal appellation of "Al-Wa'ili", recorded the story of the settlement of several `Annizi families in Nejd, which he placed in the 14th century CE. In the 15th century, the region of
Al-Qassim in northern
Nejd was being rapidly settled through migration and the majority of this activity was by members of `Annizah. In the early 18th century -- just prior to the rise of
Wahhabism -- the Bedouins of `Annizah are recorded to have reached as far as the gates of
Riyadh, killing its ruler in battle. This battle was part of a tribal war in which Riyadh and its neighboring villages took sides. However, a migration from the mountains of
Hejaz (western Arabia) by the tribe of
Mutayr pushed `Annizah back northwards shortly thereafter.
When the Wahhabi movement gave rise to the
First Saudi State in the late 18th century, `Annizah were among the tribes that adopted a favorable attitude towards this new power, but took little active part in supporting it militarily, due to their geographical location. The `Annizah have from an early date adamantly claimed the
Al Saud family to be one of their own
[4], probably due to the fact that Al Saud claimed ancestry from Wa'il, and many members of Al Saud claim descent from a branch of `Annizah. However, within Al Saud's native region they are believed to be descendents of Wa'il through the tribe of
Banu Hanifa, the region's native inhabitants, rather than through `Annizah, and unlike most other `Annizi families in Nejd, no record of an immigration by the Al Saud's ancestors from `Annizah's tribal territories exists.
The `Utub
The clans of
Al Sabah and
Al Khalifah, rulers of the states of
Kuwait and
Bahrain, respectively, also claim an `Annizzi descent through a clan known as the
Utub. The Utub were reportedly descendants of the ancient settled clans of `Anizzah in southern Nejd and left that area for the
Persian Gulf coast in the 18th century. Settling first in a hamlet in northern
Qatar known as
Zubara, the Utub moved further northwards to
Bahrain, taking over that archipelago from the vassals of the
Persia in 1783. Another branch of the Utub moved to the coastal town of
Kuwait, which had been founded in the preceding century by the large eastern Arabian tribe of
Bani Khalid, eventually becoming independent rulers of the area. Their descent from `Anizzah, promoted in the
Saudi media during the 1990-91
Gulf War in order to emphasize the ties between the ruling families of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, has been disputed.
[5]
The 20th Century
Limited settlement of Bedouin tribesmen in nearby towns and villages has always been an on-going process in the region. Settled families in `Annizah are to be found not only in
Saudi Arabia and
Kuwait, where they are most numerous, but also in
Jordan,
Iraq,
Syria, and
Palestine, where the village of
Anzah near
Jenin is reportedly named after the tribe.
The establishment of the modern borders of the
Middle East dealt a severe blow the Bedouin lifestyle of tribes such as `Annizah, which were accustomed to raising their animals over wide areas spanning many modern states. Special arrangements were made in the early 20th century for these tribes, but the vast majority ended up settling within these new states and taking Saudi, Kuwait, Iraqi, Syrian, or Jordanian citizenship. These recently settled tribesman are often distinguished from their sedentary cousins by retaining tribal appellations such as al-`Annizi or Al-Ruwaili as their surnames.
See also
★
Bedouin
★
Rabi'ah
★
Ruwallah
★
Banu Hanifa
★
Bakr ibn Wa'il
References
1. Hamad Al-Jassir, "Hizzan", ''Compendium of the Lineages of the Settled Families of Nejd'', pt. II, p. 889 (Arabic)
2. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-114519328.html
3. U.M. Al-Juhany, ''Najd before the Salafi Reform Movement'', Ithaca Press, 2002
4. C.M. Doughty, ''Travels in Arabia Deserta''
5. Hamad Al-Jassir, ''Compendium'', pt. I, p. 112
★
Review of the 'Anizah Tribe, , Gerald, De Gaury, Kutub, ,
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