“Bordering” the Shammar Jarbā: The Case of the Shaykh Dahhām al-Hādī in the Post-Ottoman Jazira

Abstract This article considers the historical continuities and ruptures in the transition from empire to nation-state in the Middle East by focusing on the Bedouin tribal confederation of the Shammar Jarbā in the Jazira region. It looks at the case of Shaykh Dahhām al-Hādī during the period from 1918 to 1939, examining in particular his role in “bordering” the Bedouin populations of the Jazira. In this context, “bordering” refers to the reconfiguration of tribal groups as administrative and social categories and the renegotiation of their political affiliations in relation to an emerging nation-state order. By shedding light on this process, this article seeks to explore how different state and non-state actors interpreted, used, and contested tribal categories and hierarchies, revealing the dynamic and evolving nature of the social constitution of tribal groups.