Part 3/8:
However, without centralized state structures, governance relied heavily on unwritten societal rules enforced by tribal leaders. The society exhibited a patriarchal system where inheritance usually flowed through male heirs. Women were often viewed as property, with little agency in matters such as marriage, which were typically arranged and could include practices such as the seizing of women during tribal conflicts.
The absence of formal legal systems led to a culture defined by blood vengeance—a core tenet of tribal honor. Historical accounts describe a chaotic period, reflected in the words of historians who depicted Arabia as a landscape of "tribal guerrilla fighting" where conflicts between tribes were common, often leading to raids and retaliatory aggression.