"شخصيات، شبه الجزيرة العربية" [‎١‎٩‎٥] (٣٧٤/١٩٩)

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The Turks have never been able to do anything with them, but Idrisi
is able to tax them to a certain extent, and what outside sympathies
they have are for him.
The RABI'AH WA RUFEIDAH stretch from a few miles NNW. of
Ibha to within about 15 miles of Muha'il, their country being about 35 miles
from north to south, and 20 miles from east to west on the average, though
it tapers to a point in the north. Ihe tribes which adjoin them are : on
the north the Reish, on the east the Balahmar and Beni Malik, on the
south the 'Alqam el-Hul, and on the west the Rijal el-M a and Beni
Thuwwah. The tribe is divided into four main divisions, the Rabi'at esh-
Sham, A1 'Asimah, Rufeidat esh-Sham, and A1 Harith. Ihe Rabi'at esh-
Sham and Rufeidat esh-Sham have no relationship or connexion with the
Rabi'at el-Yemen and Rufeidat el-Yemen as might be supposed.
The Rabl'at esh-Sham occupy the southern portion of the territory,
being entirely settled in villages along the Ibha-Athalif road.
They have no Chief Sheikh, having expelled 'A idh ibn Hasan, their
former Sheikh, on account of his desertion to the Turks.
The A1 'Asimah are partly settled and partly nomad, chiefly along the
Beni Thuwwah boundary.
Their Chief Sheikh, 'Ali ibn Hamud, fought for Idrisi in 1910, was
captured by the Turks, and after a year's imprisonment was released and
reinstated.
The A1 Harith, who are both settled and nomad, live in the Wadi
Tayyah, along which is the main road from Ibha to Muha il, and for years
have given a great deal of trouble to the Government. The W adi 1 ayyah
is the head-quarters of all the bad characters in the neighbouring country,
and a caravan has to be very strong to pass through without paying toll.
The A1 Harith are notoriously treacherous, and their hand is against
the whole world, including their own tribe. 1 hey engage in the camel-
carrying trade to a certain extent between Muha il and the Rijal el-M a,
but they seldom venture near Ibha, nor can the Turks levy taxes fiom
them, as they sometimes do from the rest of the tribe. 1 heir Sheikh,
Mohammed ibn Shahir, has a very bad reputation.
The tribe as a whole favours Idrisi, chiefly because it is discon
tented with the Government. It is, however, notoriously fiekle and
unreliable, and goes with the side which pays it best. It maintains a
hereditary feud with the Rijal el-M'a. It is descended from Qahtan.
(a) Rabiat esh-Shdm. Settled, 1,500 men.
Chief clan is Beni Ghanmi. Sheikh : El-Fejih.
Chief villages are :—
41. Rabl'ah wa Rufeidah.
Teihan
Umm Sheraf
Umm Sauli
'Amr ibn 'Abdullah.
'Abdullah ibn 'Abdillah.
Ahmed ibn Ghanmi.
b b 2