asil, what do I mean when using the word, ‘asil’?

In 1979, I became familiar with the term “Straight Egyptian” (sE).  With the consideration of the commercial value and ‘glorification’ Arabians supposedly had with the tag “straight Egyptian”, I found it hard to reconcile any physical difference between these and other Arabians!

I later came to understand that the difference is essentially the pedigree (or not) of the individual. Not necessarily what they looked liked in the first instance. There is a range of variance in type within the Breed, including all asil groups. 

The first to identify a need to preserve bloodlines was Jane L Ott. She commenced a catalogue in blue covered note books per her own parameters. Her main aim was to build a catalogue of horses whose bloodlines all traced to the original breeders of the Arabian Horse, the nomadic Bedouin,  A fan of Carl Raswan, a notable character known to the Arabian Breed, Jane L Ott divided her catalogue into what became known as BLUE STARS or Blue List. The ‘starred’ horses were to have no recorded evidence of Muniqi strain names in the pedigree. Whereas the ‘listed’ horses had evidence of at least one Muniqi strain name in the pedigree. Subsequently, once the Blue Arabian Horse Catalogue (BAHC) was popularized, there were “Sublists” added to cover other specific individuals for various reasons.

More groups/organisations followed this example and expanded on it or contained it to the directions of the individual group, such as the Pyramid Society’s “Straight Egyptian” (SE) and “Egyptian Sired” (ES) that focused on individuals born in Egypt of identifiable origins, and Al Khamsa Organisation (AK) with its broadened parameters ie not limited to a specific country in the Middle East, but all individuals having met the designated criteria. Another group, in Europe – The Asil Club, maintain similar parameters. Within all of these groups there can be smaller focused groups. In particular, AK have what are identified as Ancestral Elements. The Pyramid Society nomenclature is ‘free’ to use, worldwide, it does require a subscription to join, as does the Asil Club. AK’s nomenclature, while free to use, is limited to horses that are registered in the American registry with no subscription requirement, donations are gratefully received. 

The notion of ‘asil’ is an English derivation of a Bedouin term (a’sl) and it identified those desertbred horses that came from known ancestors, usually identified by a ‘strain name’. An Englishman, Major-General W. Tweedie CSI (1894 & 1961), stationed in Baghdad, wrote in his thesis (book): 

• “This comes out in the word a-sîl-having for primary idea established on a sure foundation - which in Arabia forms the equivalent of our " old," as applied to birth. What the arch is in masonry, a-sa-lat, or a deeply laid foundation, is in the Arab's view of breeding.” 

The word ‘asil’ covers all horses bred by the nomadic Bedouin that have a legitimate strain name for every horse in that horse’s pedigree.

These days, it has become known that there are horses that were not asil that were used within the ‘purebred’ Arabian. 

For this reason, the use of any of the above group nomenclature, without deviation, one can safely presume that the horse they have, traces to the nominated source of origin eg Egypt (SE (& ES)) and/or Middle East. Noting that the most horses bred in Egypt, whose ancestors were sourced from the nomadic Bedouin, so can trace back to a genuine strain name.

Gene testing has confirmed that no Arabian is actually “purebred” as the term has been previously defined.

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