Yet a rough overall ranking scale does exist. The three scales frequently coincide, and where they do not, the individual's position on one scale is drawn up or down towards his position on another scale. In all this, wealth is the single most important factor; but it is certainly not a simple determinant. The relative rank of men of middling means varied greatly on the other two scales. The wealthiest household in Sakaltutan was neither liked nor respected, despite the fact that its old head had been to Mecca. He was not a native, having come to the village as an orphan, and acquired his land in one lifetime (p. 127). The man who appeared to have most influence was third or fourth in terms of wealth; his holdings were largely due to inheritance and h was the head of a sizeable lineage group. In Elbashï equally, the wealthiest were not always the most respected, and at least one of those who in terms of manpower and land was best off, and who frequently entertained important guests, was generally held in low regard. Another man in the village who was quite comfortably off was generally ignored because he was thought to be mean and sanctimonious.
In the middle of the scale even considerable differences of wealth between one household and another were less important than honour, decency, neighbourliness and position within a lineage. One of my informants was a very poor man, but he was respected if not liked because he was given to showing a chip on his shoulder. One very poor old man who peddled with a donkey was treated with politeness because of a reputation for goodness and piety.
The religious scale correlates least with the others. A reputation for genuine religious knowledge carries great weight even for a poor and unimportant man. Yet on the whole it is the more respectable households which insist on a proper religious training for their children, and among which the few who have had formal religious training are found. The elderly are in general