Post by anansi on Nov 9, 2018 5:34:36 GMT -5
This is from a blog but interesting none the less, off course most of us vetz here knew of Takrur's relationship with the Almoravid acting as Godfather in a Mafioso fashion.
From Member Franklin.
(Muslims reliant upon “Pagan” authority, Even with the attack against Awdaghost the Almoravids were still allied to the Takrur but before then Muslims were often reliant on “Pagan” authority. This is probably mostly because of economic dependency but the thing about "royal authority" might be significant
"Islam and Trade in the Bilad Al-Sudan, Tenth-Eleventh Century A.D." by Michael Brett page 7 and 8
[A mysterious passage tells of the visit of a black king from the desert edge state of Zafun to the Almoravid capital of Marrakesh. He rode his horse into the palace. 'The Commander of the Muslims met him on foot, whereas the [king of] Zafun did not dismount for him... he was tall, of deep black complexion and veiled)
egyptsearchreloaded.proboards.com/thread/88/conquest-never-ghana-almoravoid
Go here^^ interesting discussion.
But something else about the article now 5yrs old about the Fulani that of the astrolabe.
[ I have always wondered what the Fulani fascination with the astrolabe was all about. The astrolabe – a 12th century Spanish invention – was an instrument that was used in the study of stars and other heavenly bodies. In its day, it was state of the art. To put it in the proper perspective, it was the kind of equipment you would find at NASA today.
Even a cursory look at some of the reported encounters between European explorers in the 17th and 18th centuries and the Fulani, reveals the latter’s deep fascination for the astrolabe. When Clapperton visited Sultan Muhammad Bello in his palace, Bello asked him to bring along an astrolabe whenever he visitedSokoto again. His sister Nana Asma’u, also made a similar request of Clapperton when her husband Gidado, invited him to their home for a meal. She asked for an astrolabe and a book that would help her learn Latin.
Perhaps the following excerpt from the writings of the illustrious German explorer, Fredrick Barth, about a blind old Fulani man he met in the village of Baghirmiwill illustrate my point better:
…I could scarcely have expected to find in this out-of-the-way place a man not only versed in all branches of Arabic literature, but who had even read (nay, possessed manuscripts of) Aristotle and Plato which had been translated into Arabic, and who possessed the most intimate knowledge of several countries which he had visited…. After having made the acquaintance of this man, I used to visit him daily; and he was always delighted to see, or rather to hear me for he had nobody with whom he could talk about the splendour and achievements of the Khilafah, from Baghdad to Andalus [Spain] —particularly of the latter country, with the history of whose towns, kings, and literary men he was intimately acquainted. He listened with delight when I once mentioned the astrolabe; and he informed me with pride that his father had been in possession of such an instrument, but that for the last twenty years he had not met a single person who knew what sort of thing an astrolabe was.
He was a very enlightened man…. I shall never forget the hours I passed in cheerful and instructive conversation with this man…”
Each time I come across this “thing” the Fulani had for the astrolabe, it gets me thinking about why they were so fascinated by the instrument even though they lived in a part of the world where the instrument was relatively unknown.
So some months ago, on a boring flight, I found myself reading this thesis from Sankore University and as I read, many things began to fall into place including the astrolabe fascination thing. What I found particularly interesting (although the entire thesis was filled with interesting pieces of information) was the discourse about Takrur and the alliance between them and the Almoravids. Takrur was a city state. It was the first kingdom built by the Fulani way back when they were still in the Nile valley before their migration to Fouta Jallo and Fouta Toro (from whence they spread to all parts of West Africa). The author quoted the historians al-Bakri and IbnKhalikan as his sources. I did my own checks to verify this.
Apparently, the Almoravids once had an alliance with Takrur that worked well against the mighty Ghana Empire (thishas nothing to do with the present day nation of Ghana).The Israeli historian NehemiaLevtzion in his book “Ancient Ghana and Mali” wrote about how Muhammad IbnYasin (the founder of the Almoravids), at some point migrated to Takrur to live amongst the Fulani. It was during that period that he was able to establish that crucial alliance between the Almoravid and the Fulani that proved decisive in their wars against the Ghana Empire.
So when the Almoravids who were then controlling most of North Africa received an SOS plea from the Muslim rulers of the Iberian Peninsula, they felt it necessary to first seek the backing of their old allies.
For those that are not familiar with the history of that region, here’s a little background:
The Iberian Peninsula which today is made up of Spain and Portugal, and some parts of France and Italy, was once conquered and ruled by Muslims for over seven hundred years. It was first conquered by the armies of the 20 year old military genius, TarikIbnZiyad. They named the region al-Andalus (or Andalusia). Over the years, Andalusia grew in learning and wealth and at the height of what is known in history as the Islamic Golden Age, Andalusia became the center of world civilization. But as is well known in sociology, nations tend to weaken as they grow in wealth and comfort. Same happened to Andalusia after about 300 years of Muslim rule (from the 8th Century A.D. to the 11th Century) and before long the armies of King Alfonso VI of Leon and Castile, have begun encroaching into Andalusia. At that time the central government of Andalusia has all but crumbled and the leaders of the then semi-autonomous Kingdoms(or Taifas as they called them) of Cordova, Gibraltar, Toledo, Seville, Grenada, etc. realizing the immense danger they were facing, started to look for allies from outside. In 1045 A.D. Toledo fell to Alfonso. That was when the other Taifa leaders decided to reach out across the Strait of Gibraltar to North Africa to seek the help of the Almoravids to stop the troops of Alfonso from overwhelming the whole peninsula.
It was at this point that Yusuf IbnTishfan, the leader of the Almoravids at that time, felt it necessary to go in the footsteps of Muhammad IbnYasin and seek the alliance of the Fulani. IbnKhalikan held that the evidence of this alliance was in the presence of more than 4000 troops from Takrur accompanying Yusuf IbnTishfan to face Alfonso. They met the forces of Alfonso at the Spanish city of Algeciras and in spite of the fact that they were greatly outnumbered, the Almoravids and their Fulani allies defeated Alfonso.
The rest is now history. Different dynasties from amongst the Muslims continued to rule over the Iberian Peninsula for another 400 years (making a total of 700 hundred years) before the region was conquered from them by the forces of Ferdinand and Isabella. What followed was one of the worst atrocities ever committed by man. It is known in history as the Spanish Inquisition. Muslims and Jews were given 3 options; conversion to Christianity, exile, or death.
* * *
So it is my thinking that the Fulani in Africa came in contact with the astrolabe through contact with their brethren who fled the inquisition and returned to Africa. Of all the scientific equipment that must have been brought to Africa by the fleeing Andalusians (Andalusia was the most scientifically advanced nation in the world at that time), the astrolabe which can be used as a navigational instrument (somewhat like a GPS system) was the one equipment that was bound to catch the fancy of the Fulani who were predominantly nomadic. They must have found such an instrument helpful beyond their wildest imaginations in finding their bearing during their long sojourns in the wilderness with their cattle and hence the fascination. I imagine them passing on the few astrolabes that made it to Africa from father to son, from generation to generation, until it reached a time when there were no astrolabes left,only the fascination lingered. So Sultan Muhammad Bello,unlike the blind Fulani man from Baghirmi, never saw an astrolabe (Clapperton died before he could return to Sokoto) but his fascination for it was just as deep.]
gainaako.wordpress.com/2013/07/20/the-fulani-and-the-conquest-of-spain/
From Member Franklin.
(Muslims reliant upon “Pagan” authority, Even with the attack against Awdaghost the Almoravids were still allied to the Takrur but before then Muslims were often reliant on “Pagan” authority. This is probably mostly because of economic dependency but the thing about "royal authority" might be significant
"Islam and Trade in the Bilad Al-Sudan, Tenth-Eleventh Century A.D." by Michael Brett page 7 and 8
[A mysterious passage tells of the visit of a black king from the desert edge state of Zafun to the Almoravid capital of Marrakesh. He rode his horse into the palace. 'The Commander of the Muslims met him on foot, whereas the [king of] Zafun did not dismount for him... he was tall, of deep black complexion and veiled)
egyptsearchreloaded.proboards.com/thread/88/conquest-never-ghana-almoravoid
Go here^^ interesting discussion.
But something else about the article now 5yrs old about the Fulani that of the astrolabe.
[ I have always wondered what the Fulani fascination with the astrolabe was all about. The astrolabe – a 12th century Spanish invention – was an instrument that was used in the study of stars and other heavenly bodies. In its day, it was state of the art. To put it in the proper perspective, it was the kind of equipment you would find at NASA today.
Even a cursory look at some of the reported encounters between European explorers in the 17th and 18th centuries and the Fulani, reveals the latter’s deep fascination for the astrolabe. When Clapperton visited Sultan Muhammad Bello in his palace, Bello asked him to bring along an astrolabe whenever he visitedSokoto again. His sister Nana Asma’u, also made a similar request of Clapperton when her husband Gidado, invited him to their home for a meal. She asked for an astrolabe and a book that would help her learn Latin.
Perhaps the following excerpt from the writings of the illustrious German explorer, Fredrick Barth, about a blind old Fulani man he met in the village of Baghirmiwill illustrate my point better:
…I could scarcely have expected to find in this out-of-the-way place a man not only versed in all branches of Arabic literature, but who had even read (nay, possessed manuscripts of) Aristotle and Plato which had been translated into Arabic, and who possessed the most intimate knowledge of several countries which he had visited…. After having made the acquaintance of this man, I used to visit him daily; and he was always delighted to see, or rather to hear me for he had nobody with whom he could talk about the splendour and achievements of the Khilafah, from Baghdad to Andalus [Spain] —particularly of the latter country, with the history of whose towns, kings, and literary men he was intimately acquainted. He listened with delight when I once mentioned the astrolabe; and he informed me with pride that his father had been in possession of such an instrument, but that for the last twenty years he had not met a single person who knew what sort of thing an astrolabe was.
He was a very enlightened man…. I shall never forget the hours I passed in cheerful and instructive conversation with this man…”
Each time I come across this “thing” the Fulani had for the astrolabe, it gets me thinking about why they were so fascinated by the instrument even though they lived in a part of the world where the instrument was relatively unknown.
So some months ago, on a boring flight, I found myself reading this thesis from Sankore University and as I read, many things began to fall into place including the astrolabe fascination thing. What I found particularly interesting (although the entire thesis was filled with interesting pieces of information) was the discourse about Takrur and the alliance between them and the Almoravids. Takrur was a city state. It was the first kingdom built by the Fulani way back when they were still in the Nile valley before their migration to Fouta Jallo and Fouta Toro (from whence they spread to all parts of West Africa). The author quoted the historians al-Bakri and IbnKhalikan as his sources. I did my own checks to verify this.
Apparently, the Almoravids once had an alliance with Takrur that worked well against the mighty Ghana Empire (thishas nothing to do with the present day nation of Ghana).The Israeli historian NehemiaLevtzion in his book “Ancient Ghana and Mali” wrote about how Muhammad IbnYasin (the founder of the Almoravids), at some point migrated to Takrur to live amongst the Fulani. It was during that period that he was able to establish that crucial alliance between the Almoravid and the Fulani that proved decisive in their wars against the Ghana Empire.
So when the Almoravids who were then controlling most of North Africa received an SOS plea from the Muslim rulers of the Iberian Peninsula, they felt it necessary to first seek the backing of their old allies.
For those that are not familiar with the history of that region, here’s a little background:
The Iberian Peninsula which today is made up of Spain and Portugal, and some parts of France and Italy, was once conquered and ruled by Muslims for over seven hundred years. It was first conquered by the armies of the 20 year old military genius, TarikIbnZiyad. They named the region al-Andalus (or Andalusia). Over the years, Andalusia grew in learning and wealth and at the height of what is known in history as the Islamic Golden Age, Andalusia became the center of world civilization. But as is well known in sociology, nations tend to weaken as they grow in wealth and comfort. Same happened to Andalusia after about 300 years of Muslim rule (from the 8th Century A.D. to the 11th Century) and before long the armies of King Alfonso VI of Leon and Castile, have begun encroaching into Andalusia. At that time the central government of Andalusia has all but crumbled and the leaders of the then semi-autonomous Kingdoms(or Taifas as they called them) of Cordova, Gibraltar, Toledo, Seville, Grenada, etc. realizing the immense danger they were facing, started to look for allies from outside. In 1045 A.D. Toledo fell to Alfonso. That was when the other Taifa leaders decided to reach out across the Strait of Gibraltar to North Africa to seek the help of the Almoravids to stop the troops of Alfonso from overwhelming the whole peninsula.
It was at this point that Yusuf IbnTishfan, the leader of the Almoravids at that time, felt it necessary to go in the footsteps of Muhammad IbnYasin and seek the alliance of the Fulani. IbnKhalikan held that the evidence of this alliance was in the presence of more than 4000 troops from Takrur accompanying Yusuf IbnTishfan to face Alfonso. They met the forces of Alfonso at the Spanish city of Algeciras and in spite of the fact that they were greatly outnumbered, the Almoravids and their Fulani allies defeated Alfonso.
The rest is now history. Different dynasties from amongst the Muslims continued to rule over the Iberian Peninsula for another 400 years (making a total of 700 hundred years) before the region was conquered from them by the forces of Ferdinand and Isabella. What followed was one of the worst atrocities ever committed by man. It is known in history as the Spanish Inquisition. Muslims and Jews were given 3 options; conversion to Christianity, exile, or death.
* * *
So it is my thinking that the Fulani in Africa came in contact with the astrolabe through contact with their brethren who fled the inquisition and returned to Africa. Of all the scientific equipment that must have been brought to Africa by the fleeing Andalusians (Andalusia was the most scientifically advanced nation in the world at that time), the astrolabe which can be used as a navigational instrument (somewhat like a GPS system) was the one equipment that was bound to catch the fancy of the Fulani who were predominantly nomadic. They must have found such an instrument helpful beyond their wildest imaginations in finding their bearing during their long sojourns in the wilderness with their cattle and hence the fascination. I imagine them passing on the few astrolabes that made it to Africa from father to son, from generation to generation, until it reached a time when there were no astrolabes left,only the fascination lingered. So Sultan Muhammad Bello,unlike the blind Fulani man from Baghirmi, never saw an astrolabe (Clapperton died before he could return to Sokoto) but his fascination for it was just as deep.]
gainaako.wordpress.com/2013/07/20/the-fulani-and-the-conquest-of-spain/
