Final answer:
Clans, as a form of kinship, offer tribal societies a cohesive structure that enhances their military defense capabilities. Extended family relationships provide the framework for leadership, obligation, and decision-making, which proves crucial in coordinating a collective response to external threats.
Step-by-step explanation:
Clans are a form of kinship that provides tribal societies with a military advantage when they are attacked. Kinship involves a web of relationships where individuals consider themselves related to each other in both social and biological ways.
In tribal societies, such as those organized around the pastoralist and horticulturalist modes of subsistence, the extended family structures are crucial for social integration and defense.
These kinship networks are not just mere family connections but serve as a mechanism for establishing extended family structures that are essential for leadership and decision-making within the society.
Such structures often include large kin groups like clans that trace descent from a common ancestor, enhancing group cohesion, especially in the face of external threats.
The solidarity fostered by kin relationships allows for the rapid assembly of a defense force, owing to the established loyalty and coercive power within the tribe. This power is exercised through socially sanctioned means, such as establishing a khan with a loyal honor guard, aristocratic councils, and an army.
Moreover, kinship practices influence how individuals in a society fulfill their roles, establishing obligations and expectations towards others in their community. Understanding the central role of kinship in political, economic, and military contexts helps us grasp its importance in the social organization of tribal societies.