Ouled Birri
Encyclopedia
The Ouled Birri is a Moorish
tribe
in the Trarza
region of northern Mauritania
. It is a Zawia (religious) tribe. The Oulad Birri have produced a number of important Marabout
s of the Qadiriyya
Sufi tariqa: most famous among them was Shaykh Sidya Baba, who aided the Frenchman
Xavier Coppolani
in bringing the Mauritanian emirate
s under colonial
rule in the first years of the 20th century. This secured French protection for Zawia tribes from extortion by warrior Hassane
groupings, and a prominent position for Sidya Baba and his family in the colonial and postcolonial state.
Other members of the tribe Mauritania's first President, Moktar Ould Daddah
; and his half-brother, Ahmed Ould Daddah
, who was one of the main contenders in the 2007 Presidential elections in Mauritania
.
The tribe generally adheres to the Maliki
rite of Sunni Islam
, but is associated with Qadiriyya
sufism. It has traditionally, like all Moorish tribes, upheld a nomad
ic or seminomadic way of life.
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
in the Trarza
Trarza
Trarza is a region in southwest Mauritania. Its capital is Rosso. Other major cities and towns include Mederdra and Boutilimit. The region borders the Mauritanian regions of Inchiri and Adrar to the north, Brakna to the east and Senegal to the south...
region of northern Mauritania
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
. It is a Zawia (religious) tribe. The Oulad Birri have produced a number of important Marabout
Marabout
A marabout is a Muslim religious leader and teacher in West Africa, and in the Maghreb. The marabout is often a scholar of the Qur'an, or religious teacher. Others may be wandering holy men who survive on alms, Sufi Murshids , or leaders of religious communities...
s of the Qadiriyya
Qadiriyya
The Qadiriyya , are members of the Qadiri Sufi order...
Sufi tariqa: most famous among them was Shaykh Sidya Baba, who aided the Frenchman
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Xavier Coppolani
Xavier Coppolani
Xavier Coppolani was a French military and colonial leader, who was instrumental in the colonial occupation and creation of modern-day Mauritania....
in bringing the Mauritanian emirate
Emirate
An emirate is a political territory that is ruled by a dynastic Muslim monarch styled emir.-Etymology:Etymologically emirate or amirate is the quality, dignity, office or territorial competence of any emir ....
s under colonial
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
rule in the first years of the 20th century. This secured French protection for Zawia tribes from extortion by warrior Hassane
Hassane
The Hassane is a name for the traditionally dominant warrior tribes of the Saharan-Moorish areas of present-day Mauritania, southern Morocco and Western Sahara...
groupings, and a prominent position for Sidya Baba and his family in the colonial and postcolonial state.
Other members of the tribe Mauritania's first President, Moktar Ould Daddah
Moktar Ould Daddah
Moktar Ould Daddah was the President of Mauritania from 1960, when his country gained its independence from France, to 1978, when he was deposed in a military coup d'etat.- Background :...
; and his half-brother, Ahmed Ould Daddah
Ahmed Ould Daddah
Ahmed Ould Daddah is a Mauritanian economist, politician and civil servant. He is a half-brother of Moktar Ould Daddah, the first President of Mauritania, and belongs to the Marabout Ouled Birri tribe...
, who was one of the main contenders in the 2007 Presidential elections in Mauritania
Mauritanian presidential election, 2007
A Mauritanian presidential election occurred on 11 March 2007. Since no candidate received a majority of the votes, a second round was held on 25 March between the top two candidates, Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi and Ahmed Ould Daddah...
.
The tribe generally adheres to the Maliki
Maliki
The ' madhhab is one of the schools of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam. It is the second-largest of the four schools, followed by approximately 25% of Muslims, mostly in North Africa, West Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and in some parts of Saudi Arabia...
rite of Sunni Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, but is associated with Qadiriyya
Qadiriyya
The Qadiriyya , are members of the Qadiri Sufi order...
sufism. It has traditionally, like all Moorish tribes, upheld a nomad
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
ic or seminomadic way of life.