Bedouin Culture as Viewed by Ibn Khaldoun

Left to right: Stefan Leder and Professor Maher Jarrar

Stefan Leder, the director of the German Oriental Institute in Beirut, gave a lecture in West Hall on October 31 about Bedouin life and the way it was once depicted by Ibn Khaldoun, the Arab philosopher and sociologist. Entitled "Ibn Khaldoun - A Myth Maker and His Theory on Bedouins and Arabs," the talk was organized by the Anis K. Makdisi Program in Literature.

Beginning with an overview of Bedouin life, Leder explained how the Bedouin are characterized by highly specialized and organized mobility, which determines their social and cultural habits. They are also distinguished by their tribal organization, which has led other societies to regard them as different, consequently resulting in the exaggerated image of the Bedouin.

As for the Arab Bedouins, said Leder, they set themselves apart from other Bedouins of the world through their poetry. They are depicted as coarse, having a quick wit, and possessing strong rhetorical skills. During the Seljuk period, the Bedouin were viewed as heroic and had an archaic image of the Arab past. This perception has persisted throughout the ages, resulting in the common association of the Bedouin with the Arabs.

According to Leder, Ibn Khaldoun tried to present a more accurate image of the Arab Bedouin and how they helped shape Arab identity. "History distinguishes two types of Bedouin social life, savagery and sociability," said Ibn Khaldoun. Savagery is related to Bedouin life in remote places and is associated with camel breeding. Sociability is related to the Bedouin interaction with other people. Basing his ideas on actual observations and experiences with Bedouin, Ibn Khaldoun was able to define certain characteristics of Bedouin civilization, its norms, values, and interaction with non-rural environments. Ibn Khaldoun observed that the desert environment helped shape the Bedouin identity, uniting the Bedouin people and developing the traits that set them apart from Bedouin in other regions of the world.

Leder, who served as chair of the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Martin Luther University in Halle, Germany, is deeply involved in Arab and Orientalist studies.