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would not marry at all unless she had permission from him. Such
endogamic marriage united all the members of the tribe by a blood
bond which encouraged co-operation from all in protecting the tribe
interests in the knowledge,, that no foreign element was included.
By contrast, the purpose of exogamy was to strengthen the
relationship with other-tribes.
, In addition. as far as the husband
was concerned, marriage with a woman not of the kin was often
preferred because it was thought that the children of such a match
were stronger.
2
The exogamous marriage started with marriage to
captives who were used as a way of begetting
ýchildren to increase the
power of the tribe; but later on, they used to get married outside
the tribe to a free woman to make an alliance with other tribes in order
to belong to a strong tribe who could protect them from, danger.
Marriage between different tribes might take various forms:
(a) The first one was if the woman left her tribe and found herself
a permanent home among strange kin. In this case. the children would
belong to the father.
(b) If the woman by tribal rules is not allowed to leave, her. tribe,
she might take in a stranger as her husband, In this case, the
children would belong to their mother.
Exogamy encouraged the growth of wider relationships and co-operation
4
1- t
between tribes. Thus. alliances through marriage increased the
tribe's strength.
In spite of the fact that these two kinds of marriage were ',
different. they had the common aim of ensuring, the survival of the
community. Therefore. women were the means of fulfilling this aim.
1. Smith. Robertson. Kinship and Marriage in Early Arabiat P. 75*
2* lbid,
3. Uaýab, op. cit. P. 75
*
4. Smith, op. cit., P. 76
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