Hadramis networking: salvage of the homeland

Abstract

A famous British traveler and writer, Sir Richard Burton, said "it is generally said that the sun does not rise upon a land that does not contain a man from Hadhramaut ". Sir Richard Burton lived in the nineteenth century. That was the extent of the Hadhrami emigration more than a hundred years ago. The Hadhramaut was rather an impoverished region that had been severely affected by tribal wars and recurrent draught, to which some scholars attribute the widespread emigration of the Hadhramis. But that is not the whole story. The multi century practice of migration and the success in the host societies, with deep social and religious impact on these societies, tells us that there were certain advantages enjoyed by Hadhramis. These advantages have made them distinct from other diasporas. They had notable abilities to integrate into, adjust to and cause deep impact on, their host societies. However, their most unique quality was their strong attachment to, and continuous communication with, their homeland. Throughout the eighteenth, nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century, this support has provided the main source of sustenance for the Hadhramaut residents. When this support was interrupted, there was hardship, and even famine, as happened during the Second World War.