Firqa (military)

Firqa refers to local militia units in Oman. The British were known for utilising Firqa during their occupation there, converting former enemies into pro-British militia to aid them in their counter-insurgency.

Firqa continued at least until recent times; as recently as 1990 the Omani government was issuing payments of 120-140 rials per month. This payment was both to maintain a pro-government paramilitary force, as well as to enable nomadic Omanis to continue living in their traditional areas.[1]

References

  1. ↑ The transformation of nomadic society in the Arab East (1. publ. ed.). Cambridge [u.a.]: Cambridge Univ. Press. 2000. ISBN 0521770572. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, April 15, 2012. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.