Genealogical culture among the Arabs until the 3rd century after hijrah

In this study, the Arab genealogical culture is discussed until the end of the 3rd century after Hijrah. In the first chapter, the genealogy and the hasab (nasab and hasab) are examined as the two complementary phenomenons. The hasab is considered as an integral part of the genealogy. It supports the idea of a pure lineage with behaviorals. These two concepts are among the symbols of the two main areas of discussion. While the nasab reflects the traditional Arab point of view; the hasab is a concept adopted by the non-Arab point of view, which prioritizes the acquired behaviorals over the genealogy. It is a broad term that refers to one's ties to the tribe and all Arabs, starting with their close relatives. A person is connected to a family, a family to a tribe, a tribe to higher structures by the genealogy. This has revealed the genealogy-based layers that contain each other. There are many narratives about their number and order. In addition, to what extent these concepts overlap with the existing social structure, and to what extent the possibility of their being a theoretical stage is compatible with the reality in the field are among the questions sought to be answered in this section. In this respect, although there are very detailed rankings on the genealogical layers, our study has been based on the six-fold division + raht (due to being a frequently used key concept) in general. In addition, determinations were made about the philological origins and boundaries of these layers. In the second part, the origins of the Arabian genealogical culture are emphasized. In this context, evaluations were made on the genealogies in the North and South Arabian inscriptions. The similarities and differences between these two sets of inscriptions and the Arabic genealogical culture are revealed. In addition, the cultural background of the genealogies is given; The genealogical thought surrounding the person in Arab culture has been discussed. In this context, the importance of the genealogy of the mother and father in terms of the genealogy of the person has been mentioned. In the following, the content of the genealogies has been discussed under the headings of personal genealogies, tribal genealogies, supra-tribal genealogies and post-Adnan-Kahtan genealogies. In this framework, attention has been drawn to the flexible, dynamic and nominal structure of genealogies at the tribal and higher levels, as opposed to the rigid structure that produces asabiyya in the parts close to the person. In the part of the Adnan-Kahtan distinction, how they are perceived as a genealogical level and their formation processes are emphasized. The historical origins of both names have been evaluated. In addition, at a higher level, the genealogies of different nations and Arabs reaching Adam are discussed. Furthermore, the mentality embedded in the emerging schemas has been evaluated. In this context, instead of generalizing judgments, it has been tried to produce results based on the data transferred from the field. In the third chapter, two different forms of the genealogy, written and oral, are discussed. The transition processes of lineages from the oral environment to the written one were evaluated, and a way beyond the existing generalizing theories regarding the transformation between these two was envisaged. This suggests a smoother transition between the two structures within the framework of the tribal leaders, pre-Islamic cities and diwans. In this context, beside the Arab-genealogy relationship which is fed by the idea of inheritence and riveted by the importance of the genealogy for the tribe, the effects of factors such as the formation of armies and encampments and the establishment of diwans in the Islamic period on the genealogical culture, are discussed. In addition, the relation of genealogy with politics and factors such as shuubiyyah have been analyzed. The new understanding of the genealogy brought by Islam has been touched upon and the resulting encouraging environment has been evaluated. In the third chapter, the subject of Arab matriarchy has been also mentioned. In this context, the supporting and the opposite opinions have been given, and an evaluation has been made. Throughout the study, the relevance of the genealogy with the political, social and economic environment has been revealed. By emphasizing the cyclicity between these structures and genealogy, the flexible and dynamic aspect of genealogy that transcends blood ties is highlighted.