TURKOMANS BETWEEN TWO EMPIRES: THE ... - Bilkent University

The constant movement, in fact, does not govern merely daily life of nomads but
shapes the basis of all aspects of life. Their economy, material culture, social relations,
moral values, mentality, religious interpretations must be all in competence with
constant move. In sedentary life, contrary to nomadic one, the fundamental institutions
of daily life and of society as a whole are based on fixed elements. They live in a
immovable house; their farms and fields, which constitute the primary means of
economy, are stationary; they live in a geographically well-delimited village or town
during almost all of their lifetime; the web of social relations is stable, since they see
more or less same faces in their routine; they master the environment creating well-
protected houses, villages, and towns, shaping close environment as they wish since they
live for longtime in same bounded territory. Hence, the position and ‘coordinates’ of
every member in sedentary society are well determined. They can hardly surpass the
spatial and social space pre-determined. The situation is completely opposite in nomadic
societies. They do not recognize borders; they can not be confined in a spatial space.
Being considerably free from territorial boundaries and spatial constraints, they would
hardly accept structure and stability of any kind. The notion of independence can be
arguably regarded as one of the most prominent traits of a nomad’s disposition. They
successfully combine political autonomy with cultural and economic dependence.
Besides being essentially reliant on their sedentary counterpart, independence
most crucial problem in daily life of nomads. These decisions are the very staff of a pastoral nomad
existence; they spell the difference between growth and prosperity of the herds, or loss and poverty. Every
household in a camp is autonomous. Hence every day the members of the camp should decide whether to
move or to stay. The maintenance of a camp as a social unit thus requires the daily unanimous agreement
by all members.” 318 See Fredrik Barth, Nomads of South Persia, The Basseri Tribe of the Khamseh
Confederacy, Illinois: Waveland Press, 1961, p. 26.
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