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===Keheilan=== ===Keheilan===
The '''Kehhilan''' or '''Koheilan''' (]: كحيلان, ''kuḥaylān'') is described as tall and strong. The lineage was documented by the Ottoman traveller ] in the 17th century, then by the Polish count ] in the 18th century, who provides a detailed description. He held the horses of the Arabian ] in the highest esteem, and acquired them for his ]s. The Koheilan line was widely exported to Central and Eastern Europe, as well as to Russia, where it influenced numerous breeds such as the Najd and ]. It had a significant influence on Polish-bred Arabians. The '''Kehhilan''' or '''Koheilan''' (]: كحيلان, ''kuḥaylān'') is described as tall and strong. The lineage was documented by the Ottoman traveller ] in the 17th century, then by the Polish count ] in the 18th century, who provides a detailed description. He held the horses of the Arabian ] in the highest esteem, and acquired them for his ]s. The Koheilan line was widely exported to Central and Eastern Europe, as well as to Russia, where it influenced numerous breeds such as the Najd and ]. It had a significant influence on Polish-bred Arabians.

According to Bedouin legends described by Rzewuski, "Koheyléh" was one of the five ]s who returned despite their thirst when ] called to her.<ref name=":4">{{Harvtxt|Homéric|2012|p=320}}</ref> He is said to have smeared her eyes with ], hence their name and that of their offspring, "Koheilan".<ref name=":4" />

There are variations in the transcription of the Arabic كحيلان: ''Keheilan''<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Keheilan/Saudi Arabia |url=https://fao-dadis-breed-detail.firebaseapp.com/?country=Saudi%20Arabia&specie=Horse&breed=Keheilan |access-date=24 November 2016 |website=DAD-IS}}</ref> ''Kehilan'' and ''Kuhailan'',<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Lynghaug |first=Fran |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=myQBSVVEhagC |title=The Official Horse Breeds Standards Guide : The Complete Guide to the Standards of All North American Equine Breed Associations |publisher=MBI Publishing Company LLC |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-61673-171-7 |pages=672}}</ref> ''Kocheilan'' and ''Najdi Kocheilan'',<ref name=":2">{{Harvtxt|Homéric|2012|p=319}}</ref> the latter transcription stemming from the origin of these horses, among the Bedouins settled in the Najd heights of central Saudi Arabia.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=CNRS |title=Techniques & culture |publisher=Éditions de la Maison des sciences de l'homme |year=2003 |pages=192 |language=fr}}</ref> According to Éphrem Houël, the most common French names for the line are: ''kahel'', ''kahejle'', ''kailhan'', ''koheilan'', and finally ''kochlani''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Houël |first=Éphrem |title=Histoire du cheval chez tous les peuples de la terre: depuis les temps les plus anciens jusqu'à nos jours |publisher=Bureau du Journal des Haras |pages=606 |language=fr}}</ref>


==References== ==References==

Revision as of 04:07, 2 April 2024

For the organization for a specific group of Arabian horses, see Al Khamsa (organization).

"Al Khamsa" is a designation applied to specific desert-bred bloodlines of the Arabian horse considered particularly "pure" by Arabian horse breeders, who sometimes also describe such lines with by use of the Arabic word asil, meaning "pure".

Al Khamsa roughly translates as 'The Five'. It refers to a mythical group of foundation mares that were the legendary founders of the Arabian breed. While some breeders claim these mares really existed, there is no objective, historical way to verify such a claim. The modern definition of an Arabian as Al Khamsa usually refers to a horse that can be verified in every line of its pedigree to trace to specific named desert-bred Arabians with documentation that their breeding was attested to by a Bedouin seller who had sworn a formal oath (generally invoking Allah) that the animal was asil or pure of blood. This standard is only met by approximately two percent of all registered Arabians today. Such horses included the desert-bred imports of the Crabbet Arabian Stud, the imports from Syria of Homer Davenport, many of the horses imported from Egypt that were originally bred by Muhammad Ali of Egypt, Abbas Pasha, Ali Pasha Sherif, or the Royal Agricultural Society and its successor organizations, and other desert-bred horses obtained throughout the Middle East by buyers such as Carl Raswan who were familiar with bloodlines and the formal sales procedures of the Bedouin to properly document animals of Asil bloodlines.

The Legend

The legend of Al Khamsa refers to the five favorite horses of Muhammad. While there are several variants on the tale, a common version states that after a long journey through the desert, Muhammad turned his herd of horses loose at an oasis for a desperately needed drink of water. Before the herd reached the water, Muhammad blew his battle horn for the horses to return to she. Only five mares responded. Because they faithfully returned to their master, though desperate with thirst, these mares became his favorites and were called Al Khamsa, and became the legendary founders of the five "strains" of the Arabian horse. Although the Al Khamsa are generally considered fictional horses of legend, some breeders today claim the modern Bedouin Arabian actually descended from these mares. Modern horses that can trace all of their bloodlines to documented Bedouin strains are collectively known as "Al Khamsa Arabians".

Strains

Over time, the Bedouin developed several sub-types or strains of Arabian horse, each with unique characteristics, and traced through the maternal line only. The five primary strains, attributed to have descended from the Al Khamsa were known as the Keheilan, Seglawi, Abeyan or Obeyan, Hamdani, and Hadban or Hedban. Carl Raswan, a promoter and writer about Arabian horses from the middle of the 20th century, held the belief that there were only three strains, Kehilan, Seglawi and Muniqi or Maanagi. Raswan felt that these strains represented body "types" of the breed, with the Kehilan being "masculine", the Seglawi being "feminine" and the Muniqi being "speedy". There were also lesser strains, sub-strains, and regional variations in strain names. Purity of bloodline was very important to the Bedouin, and they also believed in telegony, believing if a mare was ever bred to a stallion of "impure" blood, the mare herself and all future offspring would be "contaminated" by the stallion and hence no longer Asil.

Keheilan

The Kehhilan or Koheilan (Arabic: كحيلان, kuḥaylān) is described as tall and strong. The lineage was documented by the Ottoman traveller Evliya Çelebi in the 17th century, then by the Polish count Wacław Seweryn Rzewuski in the 18th century, who provides a detailed description. He held the horses of the Arabian Najd in the highest esteem, and acquired them for his stud farms. The Koheilan line was widely exported to Central and Eastern Europe, as well as to Russia, where it influenced numerous breeds such as the Najd and Tersk. It had a significant influence on Polish-bred Arabians.

According to Bedouin legends described by Rzewuski, "Koheyléh" was one of the five mares who returned despite their thirst when Muhammad called to her. He is said to have smeared her eyes with kohl, hence their name and that of their offspring, "Koheilan".

There are variations in the transcription of the Arabic كحيلان: Keheilan Kehilan and Kuhailan, Kocheilan and Najdi Kocheilan, the latter transcription stemming from the origin of these horses, among the Bedouins settled in the Najd heights of central Saudi Arabia. According to Éphrem Houël, the most common French names for the line are: kahel, kahejle, kailhan, koheilan, and finally kochlani.

References

  1. Al Khamsa. "Al Khamsa The Five". History and Legends. Al Khamsa, Inc. Archived from the original on 2008-04-18. Retrieved 2008-05-29.
  2. Archer, Arabian Horse, pp. 92–93
  3. Upton, Peter (2006) . Amirsadeghi, Hossein (ed.). Arabians. Rik van Lent, photographer. Lincoln: First Chronicle Books. ISBN 0-8118-5401-9., p. 12
  4. Schofler, Patti (2006). Flight Without Wings: The Arabian Horse and the Show World. Globe Pequot. ISBN 1-59228-800-6., pp. 3–4
  5. Staffa, Kelsa. Fire in the Heart: The Al Khamsa Arabian Archived 2013-05-29 at the Wayback Machine, (Cult)ure Magazine, December 15, 2010. Accessed June 23, 2011.
  6. "The Horse of the Bedouin". The Bedouin Horse. Al Khamsa Organization. Archived from the original on 2010-11-19. Retrieved 2010-11-21.
  7. Derry Bred for Perfection pp. 104–105
  8. Arabian Horse Association. "Horse of the Desert Bedouin". Arabian Horse History & Heritage. Arabian Horse Association. Archived from the original on 22 April 2006. Retrieved 2006-04-25.
  9. Archer, Arabian Horse, p. 92
  10. Forbis Classic Arabian Horse pp. 274–289
  11. "The Bedouin Concept of Asil". The Bedouin Horse. Al Khamsa Organization. Archived from the original on 2010-11-19. Retrieved 2010-11-21.
  12. Edwards, Gladys Brown. (1973). The Arabian: War Horse to Show Horse (Revised Collector's ed.). Covina, California: Rich Publishing, Inc. p. 22
  13. ^ Homéric (2012, p. 320) harvtxt error: no target: CITEREFHoméric2012 (help)
  14. "Keheilan/Saudi Arabia". DAD-IS. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  15. Lynghaug, Fran (2009). The Official Horse Breeds Standards Guide : The Complete Guide to the Standards of All North American Equine Breed Associations. MBI Publishing Company LLC. p. 672. ISBN 978-1-61673-171-7.
  16. Homéric (2012, p. 319) harvtxt error: no target: CITEREFHoméric2012 (help)
  17. CNRS (2003). Techniques & culture (in French). Éditions de la Maison des sciences de l'homme. p. 192.
  18. Houël, Éphrem. Histoire du cheval chez tous les peuples de la terre: depuis les temps les plus anciens jusqu'à nos jours (in French). Bureau du Journal des Haras. p. 606.

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