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Predominantly Sunni Islam; largest minority: Shia Islam |
Dulaim or Dulaimi or Al Duliam or Dulaym (Arabic: الدليم) is one of the largest of Arab tribes, with over seven million people. The confederation's history goes back to pre-Islamic times and millions descend from the original tribe today in Iraq and neighboring countries such as Syria and Jordan.[2]
The Dulaim tribe is best categorized as a tribal confederation of several other tribes. Originally considered sub-tribes, most Dulaim tribes now self-identify as tribes in their own right of the Dulaim Confederation. The leadership tribe of the Dulaim Confederation is the Albu Assaf tribe, which the hereditary leaders of the tribe are from.
It is pronounced locally as "Al-Dulaim" but written as Dulaim. Also spelled Dulaimi, Dulaym, Dalaimy. Members of this confederation are commonly identifiable by the surnames of their own tribes or by the name Al-Dulaimi.
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The Dulaims are a large Sunni tribe in Iraq, living on the Euphrates from a point just below Al Hillah and southern Baghdad to Fallujah, Ramadi, al-Qaim, Samarra and Mosul.[3] Some scholars believe they were part of the first Arab Conquests in the 7th century.
The Shiite Arabs in Iraq believe the Dulaim tribe descends from Iranian Dailamites, however, the Dulaimis now consider themselves Arabs.
The Dulaimis originally were Bedouins living between Ramadi and Al-Qa'im, but at the end of the fifteenth century The clans of Dulaim began migration towards the east until they arrived to Fallujah and south of Baghdad. The Principality of the Dulaim tribe (Amirate Al-Dulaim; أمارة الدليم) was almost a state of self-rule, the Dulaim tribe flourished in the eighteenth century, and continued their emigration and settlement on agricultural and pastoral areas on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates, and controlled on the areas and subject the other tribes in the region.
At the beginning of the eighteenth century the Dulaimis had a role in fighting opponents of the Ottoman Empire from tribes and Persians.
When the Turkish nationalists reached to power and when the tribe have abstained paying taxes to the Ottoman Caliphate for nearly a century and a half. occurred between them and the Ottoman troops series of battles from 1790, 1824 and 1890.[4]
During and after World War I, most of the clans of the Dulaim tribe were considered well-armed. Their proximity to the desert made it relatively easy for them to obtain arms and ammunition. The Dulaim tribe also had a reputation as raiders who displayed good fighting skills both against other tribes and against Ottoman troops before World War I. Each year when the Ottoman authorities tried to assess the crops of the Dulaim clans, the Dulaimis came into contact with Ottoman troops. In many cases, the Ottoman troops were defeated by the tribesmen.[3]
During World War I, the Ottoman Army occupied al-Ramadi and much of the Dulaim tribal area. As a result, the Dulaim assisted the Ottomans in their operations against the British. This changed when the British forced the Ottomans out of the Dulaim’s tribal lands in September 1917, at which time Shaikh Ali Sulaiman made “submission” to the British. Despite this, many clans of the Dulaim whose lands were still occupied by Ottoman forces continued to assist the Ottomans until their lands were occupied by the British.[5]
Following World War I, most Dulaim clans went their own way and fought the British – particularly the Al-Bu Nimr, the Al-Bu Qartan, and the Al-Bu Alwan and the Al-Bu Mahal, along with the Zoba' tribe. The Abu Nimr, Albu Mahal, Al-Bu Ubaid, Al-Bu Risha and the Al-Mahamda also joined with the Jaghaifa and the Aqaidat to fight the British during the insurrection of 1920.[6]
The Dulaimis had a big role in founding the modern Iraqi state. They contributed to the stability in political and economic situation and the emergence of institutions of the modern state from army and police and other services especially during the monarchy period and during the rule of president Abdul Salam Arif Al-Jumaili.[3]
During the Saddam era the Dulaimis formed 10% to 20% of the Iraqi army (Iraqi Republican Guard).
The large Dulaim confederation is composed of more than 1000 clans, found mostly in Iraq and Syria. The Dulaim confederation is composed mostly of Sunni Muslims. The Dulaim confederation forms the majority of the Sunnis in north - west Iraq. However, a Shiite branch exists in Najaf, Karbala, Basra, Babil and Baghdad . They are mostly from the Al-Mahamda clans, Al-Bu Alwan, Al-Bu Sultan, and Al-Fatlah clans.[3] The Dulaimi Shi’ites were converted to Shi’ism only from the late 18th century.[7] However, the Daghara section (of the Dulaim) converted to Shi’ism only in the latter part of the 19th century.[8]
The confederation is located primarily in Anbar (western Iraq), however, the other Dulaimis are spread over the area between Ctesiphon (currently known as Salman Pak) stretching south to Babylon (Al Hillah) and west to Ramadi in Anbar Province and to the north Taji, Samarra and Mosul.
There also a large presence of the Dulaimis in Baghdad, especially in the western part of the Capital, areas such as Al-A'amiriya, Adhamiyah, Dora and Al-Saydiya in Baghdad and the areas surrounding Baghdad from the south, west and north, the region that lies between Baghdad and Al Hillah.[3] Sunni Muslims in Iraq are predominantly from Dulaim, Al Jubour, Al Janabi, Al Azza, Shammar and Al Ubaid.