- Howeitat
The Howeitat or Huwaytat ( _ar. الحويطات) are a large tribal confederation of historic
Transjordan , an area in present-dayJordan andSaudi Arabia . The Howeitat had several branches, notably the Ibn Jazi, the Abu Tayi and the Sulaymanniyin, in addition to a number of associated tribes.The Howeitat are unusual in claiming descent from a single ancestor, an
Egyptian named Huwayt.Harris, G. "Jordan: its people, its society, its culture", HRAF, 1958, p.56] However, their presence in the area may date from the 18th century, when tribes of the northern Arabian desert were being pushed northwards by expansion of the Wahhabite-associatedbedouin of central Arabia; by the late 18th century the Howeitat were already laying claim to areas aroundAqaba and northwards;Salibi, K. "The Modern History of Jordan", Tauris, 1998, ISBN 1860643310, pp.26-27] they also laid claim to land inEgypt . They developed into a partly settled tribe, combining farming in the fertile areas ofJabal Shara withpastoralism , but early in the 20th century were rendered more or less nomadic by the activities of two rivalshaikh s, Abtan ibn Jazi andAuda abu Tayi , who concentrated on raiding, collection of tribute and camel-herding.Alon, Y. and Eilon, J. "The Making of Jordan: Tribes, Colonialism and the Modern State", Tauris, 2007, ISBN 1845111389, p.162]The Abu Tayi section of the tribe were supporters of the
Hashemite cause during theArab Revolt , in which they formed an important part of Faisal's forces; the Ibn Jazi section remained loyal to theOttoman Empire . In later years the Howeitat returned to farming; they were also prominent in theArab Legion , the Ibn Jazi section becoming the most powerful component in the federation. The Howeitat still have possession of large areas of land aroundWadi Rum and stretching intoSaudi Arabia ; they have historically been a significant source of manpower for theSaudi Arabian National Guard and theRoyal Jordanian Land Force .The Howeitat are often mentioned in
Richard Francis Burton 's travelogue "The Land of Midian", in which he gives the following account of their origin:References
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