Books by William Robertson Smith

The works reprinted in this two-volume collection cover the length of Robertson's career, from his student days in 1737 to his closing years in 1789, and show his intellectual and stylistic evolution.

Originally published in 1885, this book by William Robertson Smith examines the history of marriage and kinship relations within tribal groups in Arabia at the beginning of Islam. The text explains the intricate links of heredity and dependence among various groups based on male descent, as well as looking at the practice of polyandry in various groups.