BEDOUINS (Ar. Bedauei, plur. Beducin, in the desert") are Arabs who lead a nomadic life, and are generally regarded. according to tradition, as the descendants of Ishmael, and the aborigines of Arabia. The most ancient notices found in Scripture agree, in their descriptions of the manners and customs of the B., with the facts of the present time. As nomads, the Bedouin Arabs have no united history, but only a collec tion of genealogies. They have but seldom appeared as a united people, taking a prominent part in the world's politics, and have never been entirely held in subjection by any foreign power. The desert of Arabia, especially the plateau of Nedjid, is their central place of abode; but, even in ancient times, they had spread themselves over the deserts of Egypt and Syria; and, in later times, after the decay of ancient civilization, they entered Syria, Mesopotamia. and Chaldea. The conquest of northern Africa, in the 7th c., opened up to them still vaster tracts, and they soon extended themselves over the Great Desert to the shores of the Atlantic ocean. At present, they are to be found scattered over an immense breadth of territory—viz., from the western boundary of Persia to the Atlantic, and from the mountains of Kurdistan to the negro countries of Sudan. In the cultivated lands of Mesopotamia, Chaldea, the Syrian confines, Barbary, Nubia, and the n. of Sudan, the Arabs are found intermingled with other nations; but in the deserts they have maintained their distinct character and independence. The characteristics of the B., as herdsmen and robbers in the desert, are intimately connected with the nature of their habitation. Their abstinent, precarious, and often solitary mode of life, makes them disposed to exercise mutual hospitality; but their independ ence, love of liberty, and other good qualities, are associated with violent passions and an infamous love of plunder, which is utterly reckless of the rights of 'property. They arc generally well-made men, lean, sinewy, and active; but, on account of frequent hardships and privations, are commonly below middle stature. Their senses, especially sight, are keen, and their carriage is free and independent. The nose is commonly aquiline, the face rather lengthened, and the eyes are well shaped and expressive of both daring and cunning. In complexion, they have various shades of brown. With the
exception of certain tribes in Syria, all the B. are professedly but by no means strict in the observance of their religious rites and duties. Their marabouts (q.v.) —a class of ascetics—take the place of priests, and exercise considerable influence in all social and public affairs. As the Arabs have no settled government or policy, religious traditions and customs form the only bond of order and union among them. Though their intellectual powers arc naturally good, they are miserably destitute of solid knowledge. Their endless tales and poetical effusions show a wonderful activity of imagination and an oriental love of hyperbole. The relation of the sexes to each other is less constrained than among the settled peoples of the east, and a substitute for polygamy is found in a frequent interchange of wives. Their favorite pastimes are the chase, ball-play, dancing, songs, stories, and the doles far niente (pleasant laziness) of drinking coffee and smoking narghiles. Their diet is principally derived from their herds, but includes a few vegetables and even locusts and lizards. Honey is also a principal luxury with all classes, and, moreover, one which has a religious sanction, for is was indulged in by Mohammed himself, who makes copious mention of it in the Koran. They manufacture their own woolen clothing, which consists of the haikh—a long, wide garment fastened on the bead and descending to the feet—and the burnoose, a large mantle. Only superior men wear breeches and linen or cotton shirts. The hair of the bead is shaven, but the beard is a favorite object of cultivation. The political condition of the B. may be styled patriarchal. One or more families, the males of which bear the title of sheik., form the core of a tribe, and, along. with the marabouts, or priests, constitute a kind of aristocracy. Out of their number, the superior sheik, or kaid. is elected, who rules in patriarchal style over the whole tribe. This general sketch of the B. applies chiefly to the true nomads, or " dwellers in the desert," and is subject to several modifications with regard to tribes located in Barbary, Syria, and Mesopo tamia, who practice agriculture, and dwell in houses.