Tribalocracy: Tribal Wartime Social Order and Its Transformation in Southern Syria.

This article introduces the theory of tribalocracy, a form of wartime social order observed in tribal warzones, particularly in the Hauran region of southern Syria during the civil war. Tribalocracy describes a symbiotic relationship between endogenous rebel groups and tribal shaykhs—local tribal elders who maintain social authority through traditional justice and community mobilization—where rebels focus on security while delegating civilian governance to shaykhs operating under a resilient "order in reserve." The theory explains variations in rebel governance by identifying factors such as economic scarcity, rival factions, organizational fragmentation, and ideological shifts that can disrupt tribalocracy and lead to more direct rebel control over civilian affairs, as illustrated by contrasting cases in Busra al-Sham and al-Shajarah towns. Tribalocracy highlights the importance of kinship-based solidarity, civilian agency, and the enduring role of tribal institutions in shaping rebel governance, with implications for understanding irregular civil wars in tribal societies beyond Syria.