"A Tribal Order describes the politico-legal system of Jabal Razih, a remote massif in northern Yemen inhabited by farmers and traders. Contrary to the popular image of Middle Eastern tribes as warlike, lawless and invariably opposed to states, the tribes of Razih have stable structures of governance and elaborate laws and procedures for maintaining order and resolving conflicts with a minimum of physical violence. Historically, Razihi leaders also cooperated with states, provided the latter respected their customs, ideals and interests. Shelagh Weir considers this system in relation to Razih's rugged environment and productive economy, and in the context of four centuries of continuous state rule by Zaydi Muslim regimes and, latterly, republican governments." "This book is based on extended anthropological fieldwork on Jabal Razih and detailed study of hundreds of handwritten contracts and treaties among and between the tribes and rulers of Razih." --Book Jacket.