| Languages | |
|---|---|
| Arabic | |
| Religion | |
| Islam |
TheSolluba, also known as theSleb, Solubba and theSulayb (Arabic:صُلبة,صليب), were aHutaym tribal group in the northern part of theArabian Peninsula who were clearly distinguishable from theArabs. Due to social stigma, very few people openly identify as Ṣulayb today.
The Solluba have been identified with theSelappayu inAkkadian records, and a clue to their origin is their use ofdesert kites and game traps, first appearing in archaeological records around 7000 BC.[1] Cambridge linguist and anthropologistRoger Blench sees the Solluba as the last survivors ofPalaeolithic hunters and salt-traders who once dominated Arabia. Those were assimilated in the next wave of humans consisted of cattle herders in the 6th millennium BC who introduced cows, wild donkeys, sheep and dogs, wild camels and goats. Those peoples may have engaged in trade across theRed Sea with speakers ofCushitic languages orNilo-Saharan languages. In the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC speakers ofSemitic languages arrived from the Near East and marginalised and absorbed the rest.[2]
Western travellers reported that theBedouin did not consider the Solluba to be descendants ofQaḥṭān. One legend mentions that they originated from ancient Christian groups, possiblyCrusaders (known as Salibiyin in Arabic) who were taken into slavery by the Bedouin.[3]Werner Caskel criticizes the Crusader origin theory and instead proposes that the term "Solluba" describes a host of groups hailing from different backgrounds: those ofal-Ḥasā being of 12th- to 13th-century AD migrants from southern Persia, and the group to the west being composed of communities emerging after their defeat by theWahhabis.[4]Another theory sees the Solluba as a former Bedouin group that lost their herds and fell in the eyes of other Bedouin.[5][6]
The Solluba were reported by Western travellers as having different physical features than other Arabs, often with fairer eyes and hair. They also spoke a distinct variety of Arabic that contained several words exclusive to their dialect.[3]The Bedouin usually differentiated between the Solluba and otherHutaymi groups, since unlike Hutaymis the Solluba were independent and did not require protection from the Bedouin. The Arab Bedouin despised the Solluba and counted them as men of no honor and thus inferior to them.[5] Their deep knowledge of the desert however earned them the titleAbu al-Khala (Fathers of the empty spaces).[3]
The Solluba followed occupations such as carpentry, and metal- and leather-working. They were also known as fortune-tellers and magicians, as well as musicians and poets. The Bedouin valued their knowledge of the desert, often hiring them as scouts, and depended on them to heal their animals. Despite their dependence on the Solluba, the Bedouin did not appreciate them and often looked down upon them.[7] Unlike other nomadic Hutaymi and Bedouin groups, the Solluba did not engage in plundering and were in turn viewed as neutrals and often spared when raids took place.[5][7] Despite their low status, their hospitality was accepted, especially when a warrior was sick or wounded as they were famed as healers.[8]
During spring the Solluba lived close to Bedouin settlements and lived off the milk of their cattle. In summer they trekked deep in the desert accompanied only by their wild asses and lived on hunting.[9] The Solluba owned certain slopes and valleys in the desert and young men gave portions of their territory as dowry to the family of brides to hunt on.[7]
Although formally Muslims, few Solluba were observant. They seem to have retained some of their traditional beliefs, worshipping the boulderal-Weli Abu Ruzuma, located in theSyrian Desert. Their emblem, which was shown at ceremonial festivities, was a cross wrapped with a dress. Generally, they were seen asKafir (non-Muslims) and suffered Wahhabi raids, with a notorious massacre in theʿArʿar valley.[7]
Clear estimates of Solluba numbers are difficult as a result of their spread over a large geographical area. In 1898 their total number was put at 3,000. Some 1,700 were thought to be spread in the Syrian Desert. Ottoman records show around 500 Sollubas in the region ofMosul.[10] Their numbers continued to dwindle in the 20th century,[10] and many were massacred by Wahhabis during theIkhwan rebellion, they were however compensated byIbn Saud. After the Second World War many Solluba were employed in the Iraqi, Jordanian and Kuwaiti armies as reputable trackers. Solluba and other nomads were settled in new urban centres along pipelines after the discovery of oil, many became identified with the Arab tribes where they settled while others continued to be known as Ṣulayb.[7]