A Pastoral Democracy:

A Study of Pastoralism and Politics Among the Northern Somali of the Horn of Africa

LIT Verlag Münster, 1999 - History - 320 pages

First published in 1961, shortly after establishment of the independent Somali Republic, the first step towards the formation of a 'Greater Somalia', brought this North-East African Muslim nation a prominence which it had not enjoyed since the British campaigns against the 'Mad Mullah' in the first two decades of the twentieth century. Somali nationalism, however, cannot be properly understood without a knowledge of the indigenous social organization. This study by a social anthropologist describes the political system of the Northern Somali nomads in their arid ecological setting, where competition for access to water and pasture, especially in the dry season, is acute and leads to frequent and often long-drawn-out feuds. In this warlike society political status depends very largely on numerical strength. Political loyalties based on kinship are organized through a form of Social Contract which distinguishes the pastoral Somali political system from otherwise similar political structures. Today this traditional organization is being challenged in areas where cultivation has recently been adopted, and in towns which are the foci of modern developments. Somali nationalism, drawing much of its strength from the unifying force of Islam, is an important factor. With the continued dedication of the majority of the population to pastoral nomadism, however, traditional clan and contractual loyalties inevitably play an important part in party politics. This analysis has proved to be of interest not only to anthropologists and Africanists, but also to students of Islamic society and of comparative political institutions.

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Selected pages

I	xi

II	xix

III	1

IV	31

V	56

VI	90

VII	127

VIII	161

IX	196

X	242

XI	266

XII	296

XIII	305

XIV	313

Copyright

Common terms and phrases

Aadan Abokor Administration affinal African agnatic Ahmad Akisho amongst ancestor anthropology Arabic Barkad blood-wealth British Protectorate British Somaliland camel-camps camels clan clan-family clanship common compensation contract cultivation Daarood descent dia-paying group Digil Digil and Rahanwiin disputes District dry seasons Dulbahante elders Erigavo Ethiopia Faarah fighting Gadabuursi Galla Garaad genealogy Government grazing Habar Awal Habar Tol Ja'lo Habar Yuunis Hagar hamlets Hargeisa Hassan Haud Hawiye heer herds Isaaq Islam Jaama Jibriil Abokor kinship kinsmen Las Anod Lewis lineage system lise livestock living Mahammad Mahamuud Majeerteen marriage ment Mogadishu movement Muslim nationalist nomadic hamlets northern Somali northern Somaliland party pastoral pastoralists political units primary lineage-group Reer region relations religious Sa'ad Muuse segmentary segments settlement Shariah sheep and goats Sheikh social solidarity Somali political Somali society Somali Youth League Somalia League southern Somalia structure Sultan tariiqa tion towns traditional treaty Ugaas uterine wadaads Zeila

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References from web pages

JSTOR: A Pastoral Democracy: A Study of Pastoralism and Politics ...
A Pastoral Democracy: A Study of Pastoralism and Politics among the Northern Somali of the Horn of Africa. gwb Huntingford ...
links.jstor.org/ sici?sici=0041-977X(1963)26%3A1%3C223%3AAPDASO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-9

A Pastoral Democracy: A Study of Pastoralism and Politics among ...
A Pastoral Democracy: A Study of Pastoralism and Politics among the Northern Somali of the Horn of Africa Book by IM Lewis; 1961. Read A Pastoral Democracy: ...
www.questia.com/ PM.qst?a=o& d=6093392

im Lewis, A Pastoral Democracy: a study of pastoralism and ...
IM Lewis, A Pastoral Democracy: a study of pastoralism and politics among the northern Somali of the Horn of Africa, third edition.
findarticles.com/ p/ articles/ mi_hb3103/ is_200109/ ai_n7761590

im LEWIS MASTER ETHNOGRAPHER OF THE SOMALI
im LEWIS. MASTER ETHNOGRAPHER OF THE SOMALI. Recipient of the. iuaes Commission on Nomadic Peoples. Lifetime Achievement Award. Philip Carl Salzman ...
www.berghahnbooksonline.com/ journals/ np/ abs/ 2003/ 7-2/ NP0702_awards.pdf

American Anthropologist aa 0002-7294 American Anthropological ...
CO;2-T Book Reviews Ethnology aa Castagno, Jr. April 1964 April 1964 66 2 468 469 A Pastoral Democracy: A Study of Pastoralism and Politics among the ...
www.anthrosource.net/ doi/ xml/ 10.1525/ aa.1964.66.2.02a00500

im Lewis
Geneva, 6 April 2008. International Humanitarian Law Reader. Children as Killers. Reports from the Field. Muhammad Agha, Afghanistan ...
unjobs.org/ authors/ i.m.-lewis

Togane.org
Togane.org. Home · About · Articles · News · Photos. THE MINDLESS MUDULOOD MULES OF MOGADISHU. Mogadishu was now effectively divided into two principal ...
www.togane.org/ index.php/ extended/ the_mindless_mudulood_mules_of_mogadishu/

Analysis: Somalia, Pastoral society and transnational refugees ...
Source: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Date: 31 Aug 2002. Print Print Email E-mail Save to My reliefweb ...
www.reliefweb.int/ rw/ rwb.nsf/ db900SID/ OCHA-64C2VJ?OpenDocument

The situation in somalia
im Lewis, A Pastoral Democracy: A Study of Pastoralism and Politics among the Northern Somali of the Horn of Africa (London: Oxford University Press, 1961), ...
www.forces.gc.ca/ somalia/ vol1/ v1c11e.htm

Traditional Governance in Somalia South Central Somalia DRAFT REPORT
A pastoral democracy: a study of pastoralism and politics among the Northern Somali of the. Horn of Africa. London, Published for the International African ...
info.worldbank.org/ etools/ docs/ library/ 153065/ southcentralsomalia.pdf

About the author (1999)

Lewis is Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at the London School of Economics. He is also Chairman of the Africa Educational Trust.

Bibliographic information

Title	A Pastoral Democracy: A Study of Pastoralism and Politics Among the Northern Somali of the Horn of Africa Classics in African Anthropology
Author	Ioan Myrddin Lewis
Contributor	Said S. Samatar
Edition	3, reprint
Publisher	LIT Verlag Münster, 1999
ISBN	3825830845, 9783825830847
Length	320 pages
Subjects	History › Africa › General History / Africa / General

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