Of Sand or Soil: Genealogy and Tribal Belonging in Saudi Arabia

The book "Of Sand or Soil" explores how genealogy and tribal belonging have informed the lives of past and present inhabitants of Saudi Arabia and how the Saudi government's tacit glorification of tribal origins has shaped the powerful development of the kingdoms genealogical culture. It also examines the interplay between the major twentieth-century Saudi scholar Ḥamad al-Jāsir's genealogical project and his many hundreds of petitioners, mostly Saudis of nontribal or lower status origin who sought validation of their tribal roots in his genealogical texts.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 302 pages
Publication date: 08 January 2019
Publisher: Princeton University Press

Why do tribal genealogies matter in modern-day Saudi Arabia? What compels the strivers and climbers of the new Saudi Arabia to want to prove their authentic descent from one or another prestigious Arabian tribe?

Of Sand or Soil delves into the intricate relationship between genealogy and tribal belonging in Saudi Arabia, exploring how these factors have shaped the lives of both past and present inhabitants of the kingdom. The book also examines how the Saudi government's tacit glorification of tribal origins has played a significant role in the development of the kingdom's genealogical culture.

Nadav Samin, the author, presents the first extended biographical exploration of the major twentieth-century Saudi scholar Ḥamad al-Jāsir, whose genealogical studies provide a framework for understanding the story of belonging and identity in the modern kingdom. Samin examines the interplay between al-Jāsir's genealogical project and his many hundreds of petitioners, primarily Saudis of nontribal or lower status origin who sought validation of their tribal roots in his genealogical texts. By investigating the Saudi relationship to this opaque, orally inscribed historical tradition, Samin considers the consequences of modern Saudi genealogical politics and how the most intimate anxieties of nontribal Saudis today are amplified by the governing strategies and kinship ideology of the Saudi state.

Challenging the impression that Saudi culture is determined by puritanical religiosity or rentier economic principles, Of Sand or Soil reveals how the exploration and establishment of tribal genealogies have become influential phenomena in contemporary Saudi society. Beyond Saudi Arabia, this book casts important new light on the interplay between kinship ideas, oral narrative, and state formation in rapidly changing societies.

In conclusion, Of Sand or Soil offers a valuable insight into the complex dynamics of genealogy, tribal belonging, and state formation in Saudi Arabia and beyond. By examining the lives of individuals and communities, the book sheds light on the ways in which these factors shape identity, power, and social hierarchy in modern societies.

Weight: 490g
Dimension: 155 x 234 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691183381