The Role Of The Tribe In The State-Building Of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia,as the largest country in the Arabian peninsula,the land area more than about 80%of the total area of the peninsula.The climate of Saudi Arabia is hot and dry,only some seasonal rivers,no perennial river,the 50%of the land area covered by desert.In the long-term historical development,The Harsh natural environment caused that the nomadic life was dominated in the Arabian peninsula.Tribal is the major social unit in the Arabian peninsula.For nomads in the Arabian peninsula,tribal tradition is rooted in the every aspect of their lives.In the late 19th century and the early 20th century,Ibn Saud,the leader of the Saudi family,under the banner of wahhabi Islam doctrine,He led more than 20 years of tribal conquests,finally mergers the most parts of areas of the Arabian peninsula in 1932,and set up the kingdom of Saudi Arabia based on the Saudi family as the rule core.The establishment of the Saudi Arabian greatly impact on the Arabian peninsula.Since the ancient times in the Arabian peninsula,due to the limitations of natural conditions and mode of production,the Arabian peninsula had been a lack of the practice of"national" or "state".Before the birth of the early Saudi kingdom,in addition to the individual brief history,There is almost no produce any kind of regime form that possess complex structure and function in the Arabian peninsula.For nomads in the Arabian peninsula,the concept of "state" or "national consciousness" is strange.The nation state is a common form of state,and the main body of international relations since modern times.The political system of church-state unity in Saudi Arabia have the particularity in the Middle East and even the world.In the decades after its founding,whatever other Middle East countries regime change,how the international situation changes,The political system of traditional family rule always maintained in Saudi Arabia,and the transition of kingship had been realized in a stable political environment.Therefore,the study of State-Building of Saudi Arabia has a practical significance.In the process of State-Building of Saudi Arabia,tribal factors play a double role.In order to break the clan tribal groups and resect the nomadic society,Ibn Saud launched the Ikhwan movement under the banner of wahhabi Islam in the process of unification.The Ikhwan movement led to the deep tribal traditions had been changed in the Arabian peninsula.Wahhabi brotherly love replaced the traditional clan tribal blood ties.the tribes were united around Ibn Saud,common to defend Nejd and Saudi regime;At the same time,In the process of Ibn Saud mergered tribes and unified state,the thousands of Ikhwan soldiers played a importment role and possessed strong fighting capacity in the Saudi army team.And later the overheated momentum of Ikhwan movement,also made Ibn Saud faced many disputes and problems.Wahhabi Saudi family,Wahhabi Islam,and Ikhwan movement were three pillars in the pocess of the Ibn Saud competed for power and established the new country eventually.After established the new regime,Ibn Saud faced the historical mission that build state machines and integrate the tribal society sequentially.Ibn Saud adopt a series of political means to overcome the influences of traditional consanguinity and tribal structure in the early days after foundation,consolidate the monarchal centralized system.Improve the family rule based on the core of centralized system,build a consultation system and break down the barriers of tribal society,set up local administrative agencies and independent judicial system.Trying to suppress a tribal conservatives rebellion,in order to avoid the centralized country replaced by tribal alliances.The rise of the oil industry,along with the formation of transportation and network made huge change to Saudi Arabia society.The traditional tribal society of Saudi Arabia face enormous challenges.Saudi Arabia from a single nomadic and agricultural society structure transition to a modern diverse society.But no matter someone come from which social class of the Saudi society structure,the notions of tribe and family still have deep roots for him.The traditions of tribe and family have obvious effect on all aspects of Saudi Arabia's society,the family is still the center of the social structure,the key factors that determine a person's social status is still his birth,which belongs to the tribe or clan.The influence of tribal factors on the Saudi society still exist.