Al-Baggara or Bakara (Arabic: البقّارة (البكّارة), al-Baqqārah or al-Bakkārah) is an Arab tribe of the Euphrates tribes spread widely between Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon. The tribe was named by the name of their grandfather, Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, one of the grandsons of Ali ibn Abi Talib.^[1]

Baggara tribespeople In Syria mainly live west of Deir al-Zour city, ranging from the northern banks of the Euphrates to the Raqqa provincial border, in villages from Al-Husseiniyah to Mahamidah, where the Baggara's chiefdom family lives, to al-Kasrat, al-Kubar/Jazrat al-Boshams, and Jazra Al-Milaj, spanning a distance of some 80 km.

East of Deir al-Zour, the Baggara live in smaller numbers in the villages of Meratt, Khusham, and Jadid Baggara; sources suggest a total of approximately 100,000 Baggara live in these areas east and west of the city. Although accurate figures are not available, a large number of people of Baggara lineage have integrated into Deir al-Zour city, some say a full one-third of the city's residents have roots in the tribe, Prominent Baggara families there are Fadel Al-Aboud, Al-Ayesh, Al-Ayyash, where they had a major role in the political leadership of the city of Deir al-Zour.^[2][3]

Other regions where the Baggara lives include Hasaka province, in an area known as Baggara Al-Jabal (Baggara Mountain), Raqqa the city of Aleppo and other northern towns, and Idlib. Some reports indicate that their number in Syria is around 1.2 million.^[4]

The tribe encompasses the following clans, mostly in Deir al-Zour province but also in Hasaka, Raqqa, and Aleppo:^[2][3]

• Abu Arab clan, This clan, for which the Al-Bashir family is central, inhabits Mahamidah, the adequate capital of the Baggara tribe in Syria.
• Al-Abdulkarim clan is the largest and most influential Baggara clan and is divided into four lineages: Al-Hawara, Al-Qataa, Al-Maazat, and Al-Sayyad. Decades ago, Al-Abdulkarim clan members lived in the Deir al-Zour district known as Al-Sayyad—an etymological reference to the tribe's purported genealogical link to Muhammad Al-Baqir (the Fifth Imam), a descendant of the Prophet. Significant families in Deir al-Zour city who belong to the Al-Abdulkarim from "Alsada" family include Al-Aboud, Al-Aish, Al-Ayash, Fakoush, Al-Talaa, Hattab, Al-Harwal, and others. These families also live in Jadid Baggara, the only village in Syria with the namesake of the tribe.
• Abu Maesh clan, The Al-Talaa family holds the chief position.
• Al-Ghassem Al-Obied and Al-Hamad Al-obied clan.
• Abu Masaah clan, Chiefdom is held by the Al-Masawi family.
• Al-klizat clan, Residents of Umm Madifah and Khawirah villages.
• Al-Gharangah clan, Chief family is Batran, located in Umm Eshbah.
• Abu Hamdan clan, Chiefdom is held by the Al-Wakaa family.
• Baggara Aljabal clan.
• Abu Rahmah clan, lives in Al-Tabeh and Dahla.
• Abu Sheikh clan.
• Abu Badranclan. This clan is located in Husieniah village, including the well-known writer Abdul-Salam Ojeili (1918–2006).
• Abu Hassan clan.
• Al-Rafiey clan.
• Abu Alaw clan.
• Al-Hamad Al-Hussien clan. This clan resides in villages of Jazira Abu Hamad.
• Al-Mreikat clan.
• Abu Saleh clan. Residing in al-Kasrat, the keyfamily is Al-Abdullah.
• AL-Halaymiah clan.
• Al-Mashhour clan resides in Tal Abyad, near the Turkish border. The chief family, Balikh Al-Tahri, opposes Assad yet supported the Iraqi Baath Party formerly led by Saddam Hussein, Most clan members have backed anti-Assad activities, and most have ended up on the Turkish side of the border.
• Abu Mislim clan.
• Al-Abdulqader clan.
• Al-Khangar clan. This clan resides in the village of Meratt.
• Al-Rashied clan.
• Abu Shames clan. This clan resides in Hawayij Shinan, in eastern Raqqa, the chief family is Al-Hayawi.
• Abu Sultan clan.
• Baggra of Aleppo city.

Most Baggara tribespeoples are farmers who cultivate fruit trees and vegetables. Some of them were engaged in business and became prominent businessmen in Syria. Many Baggara tribespeople work for the Syrian government, mainly in Deir al-Zour, after which they return home to their surrounding suburbs or villages, and Large numbers of Baggara also work in Lebanon and the Persian Gulf states.

Baggara tribespeople who live in Deir al-Zour city has a long political history, Where some of the families of the tribe as Fadel Al-Aboud, Al-Ayesh, Al-Ayyash from the Abdulkarim clan led the city of Deir al-Zour since the Ottoman era and continued during the occupation of English and French. Some of the tribe leaders fought French and English colonialism, such as the leader Ayyash Al-Haj, who was exiled by the French authorities with his family to the city of Jableh in 1925 and executed some of his sons after being accused of preparing a revolution in Deir el-Zour to relieve pressure on the area of Jabal al-Arab during the Great Syrian Revolution in 1925.^[5][6]

After the formation of the Syrian state, Minister Mohamed Al-Ayesh emerged as the first minister in the Eastern Province and continued for many years and was known as a man of ministries.^[7][1]

In the modern era, Baggara tribespeople supported the Baath and Nasserist parties, One tribesman from the Abdulkarim clan, Yassin Al-Hafiz (1930–78), noted for his intellectualism, served as an architect of Baath party ideology. A large number of tribespeople belong to the Baath wings in both Syria and Iraq, and The Baggara tribe also includes members of the Communist Party.^[3]

Many of Baggara tribespeople joined the Baath Party primarily for benefits and government employment, But many quickly turned against the regime and joined the 2011 uprising; during this period of anti-Assad activism, Sheikh Nawaf Ragheb Al-Bashir delivered anti-regime speeches attended by tribespeople who traveled to Deir al-Zour from their nearby villages. Originally, Sheikh Nawaf joined the Party of Socialist Unitarians and called for pan-Arabism; then he supported Iran’s Shia ideology and the Shia coalition in Syria.^[3]

• Haj Fadel Government