Tunaij

Al Tunaij
Arabic: الطنيج
Arab tribe
EthnicityArab
LocationUnited Arab Emirates
LanguageArabic
ReligionIslam

The Tunaij (Arabic: الطنيج), also spelled as Tanaij (singular Al Tunaiji Arabic: الطنيجي), is an Arab tribe of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).[1] The Tunaij mostly settled in Dhaid, the inland oasis town of Sharjah, and the Ras Al Khaimah town of Rams.[2][3] A small number of Tunaij also settled at Hamriyah.[4]

At the turn of the 19th century, there were some 4,000 Tunaij in the Northern Emirates, of whom 1,500 were Bedouin. Influential in tribal politics because they could raise a force of some 500 fighting men,[1] the Bedouin Tunaij used Dhaid as a centre and a fortified tower protected the 70-odd Tunaij houses there (the Na'im maintained a similar arrangement at Dhaid). The Tunaij have been linked to the Bani Qitab.[5]

The Tunaij of Rams were mostly involved in pearl fishing and, during the pearling season, both Bedouin Tunaij and Shihuh would come to the coast to work as seasonal labour.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b Heard-Bey, Frauke (2005). From Trucial States to United Arab Emirates : a society in transition. London: Motivate. p. 75. ISBN 1860631673. OCLC 64689681.
  2. ^ United Arab Emirates Land Ownership and Agriculture Laws Handbook. International Business Publications. 2015. ISBN 978-1438760193.[permanent dead link‍]
  3. ^ Donald Hawley (1970). The Trucial States. Ardent Media. p. 294. ISBN 0049530054.
  4. ^ Lorimer, John (1915). Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. British Government, Bombay. p. 1858.
  5. ^ William Lancaster; Fidelity Lancaster (2011). Honour is in Contentment: Life Before Oil in Ras Al-Khaimah (UAE). Walter de Gruyter. p. 14. ISBN 978-3110223392.
  6. ^ Heard-Bey, Frauke (2005). From Trucial States to United Arab Emirates : a society in transition. London: Motivate. p. 459. ISBN 1860631673. OCLC 64689681.


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