TheAl Mohannadi (Arabic:المهندي, also spelledAl-Muhannadi) tribe is anArab tribalconfederation based primarily in theArab states of the Persian Gulf, especially inQatar. The tribal confederation emerged in the coastal town ofAl-Khor, ruling the region beforeQatar gained itsindependence in 1971, the larger portion of its members belong to theBani Hajer, aQahtanite tribe.[1] It is also known as Al-Mahanda (Arabic:المهاندة). The leading family of the tribe was the Al-Misnid family. The other families are Al-Bin Ali, Al-Ibrahim, Al-Shugari, Al-Matwi of Al-Shugari, Al-Qashasha, Al-Hassan, Al-Baduh, Al-Bin Matar, and Al-Mehre.
The formation of the Al-Mohannadi Arab tribal confederacy likely involved a collective agreement among various families to defend the villages ofAl Thakhira andAl-Khor.[citation needed]
Mustafa Murad Al-Dabbagh mentioned in his book,Qatar, Its Past and Present, that the city of Al-Khor was established in 1200 AH (1785–1786 AD), and its population in the middle of the last century reached more than 2,000 people, belonging to the Al-Muhanada tribe, whose leaders were known as Al-Misanada.[2]
The settlement expanded its borders after one of their hunting groups discovered a substantial water source near the coast in the mid-19th century.[2] This led them to construct the Ain Hleetan Well, which helped sustain the villagers' basic needs.[3] Some locals believed that water obtained from the well possessed medicinal properties.[4] In turn, the villagers built theAl Khor Towers around 1900, to defend both the well and its harbor.[5]
In 1908,J. G. Lorimer, a British historian, compiled his two-volume encyclopedia, the "Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman and Central Arabia" in which he wrote that Al Khor was frequently referred to as 'Khor al-Mahandah [Mohannadi]'. He also wrote that the village consisted of 400 stone and mud houses belonging to the tribe.[6] They also settled the nearby village ofAl Thakhira. In 1908, Lorimer noted that the village comprised 100 houses of the Al Mohannadi tribe.[7]
J. G. Lorimer also noted that in 1908 there were 80 pearl boats, 90 sea-going vessels, and 30 fishing boats, just 13 km (8 mi) north of Al-Khor.[6] The maritime activities of the Al-Mohannadi contributed to Qatar’s economy and trade relations with neighboring regions.
A tale from the Al-Mohannadi tribe tells the story of a man with many pearling boats and his rival May who had even more, they competed over pearls until Ghilan inspired by a grasshopper's wings invented the sail which allowed him to reach pearl beds faster than May.
This story is known mainly in Al Khor and reflects the Al Mohannadi tribe's maritime heritage.[8]
These prefixes ignored in the alphabetical ordering: Al, Banu. | |
Part ofArab tribes |
