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Post by anansi on Sept 24, 2024 4:14:05 GMT -5
Did the Arabs conquer any territory in the west and central sub-Saharan regions while conquering Egypt and the north-African region?First off , I’m not for the term “sub-Saharan” as some impassible desert, because it is always shifting and there were corridors which maintained contact with the rest of the world. Anywhere merchants could reach, so could an army , but no the Arab armies did not struck deep into tropical Africa, there are reasons why, vast Armies, and organized states, now I’m not saying the folks on the coast did not put up the good fight, they did, but they simply were not as organized, as will be explained below. smarthistory.org/reframing-art-history/early-islamic-art-and-architecture-umayyads-abbasids/The Arab invasions of North Africa in the 7th century took place under the Umayyad Caliphate following the rapid expansion of Islam after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Coastal North Africa, including regions like modern-day Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Morocco, fell to Arab forces due to a combination of military conquest, political fragmentation, and strategic alliances. However, the contrast with West Africa, especially the more tropical regions, reveals significant differences in geographic, political, and military conditions that shaped the outcomes. This statue of Queen Dihya is in the town of Baghai, Khenchela Province, Algeria.She is believed to have had three sons, one of them adopted. One story claims that as a young woman, she freed her people by agreeing to marry a tyrant, and then murdering him on her wedding night. But almost nothing is known for sure, not even what she looked like. One account said she was 127 when she died. adf-magazine.com/2023/09/dihya-the-berber-queen-of-north-africa/By the time Arab forces began their campaigns, North Africa was politically fragmented and weakened under the Byzantine Empire. The Berbers, who lived in the region, had their own divisions and rivalries. This lack of strong centralized authority made it easier for the Arabs to exploit existing tensions, leading to conquest over time. The conquest wasn't without strong resistance — figures like Queen Dihya (Kahina), the Berber warrior-queen, put up fierce resistance but were ultimately defeated. Conversion to Islam played a significant role in the consolidation of power in North Africa. While some regions resisted, others made alliances with the Arabs, leading to a gradual integration into the Umayyad Caliphate. The Arabs, in some cases, used diplomacy and incentives like religious tolerance or autonomy for local rulers to win over tribes. Tropical West Africa and the Wagadu Empire:Defeat of Umayyad forces by Wagadu.In contrast, the Arab expansion into tropical West Africa faced very different conditions, especially with the powerful Wagadu (Ghana) Empire:
Ghana’s Military:hana’s military included a regular army, reserve forces, and elite soldiers. The regular army was made up of several thousand career soldiers. They kept the borders secure, put down minor revolts, and maintained peace and order. These soldiers wore knee-length cotton pants, sleeveless tunics (long shirts), sandals, and headdresses adorned with feathers. The color of a soldier’s tunic and the number of feathers in his headdress indicated his rank. The soldiers used weapons such as spears, daggers, swords, battle clubs, and bows and arrows. They were well paid and highly respected. During wartime, the king called up additional reserve forces and the troops of other governors under his rule. Every man in the empire was required to complete military training so that he would be ready to serve when called. Stories tell of a king who could call up an army of 200,000 warriors. This number no doubt grew as the story was passed on, but the king certainly could summon a sizable army. Special groups of soldiers were selected for their courage, honesty, and intelligence. These soldiers served the king as bodyguards, escorts, and military advisors. The king has a palace and a number of domed dwellings all surrounded with an enclosure like a city wall…Around the king's town are domed buildings and groves and thickets where the sorcerers of these people, men in charge of the religious cult, live. In them are their idols and the tombs of their kings.(quoted in Fage, 668) Empires like the Wagadu (Ghana) Empire were highly organized and powerful, with strong militaries and economic networks that revolved around gold and trade. These empires were able to mount effective defenses against external threats. The Wagadu Empire, in particular, defeated the Arabs in a major military engagement, solidifying their dominance in the region. African weaponry and armies were dictated by; their environment; the resources which individual states could muster (in-terms of demographics, ability to manufacture and repair weapons, the logistical capacities, etc), and lastly, the regional threats (within Africa) and external threats such as the north African, Arabian and European incursions. In the Sahel and savannah regions between latitudes 10º and 20º north of the equator (which i will be referring to as the middle latitudes since “Sudanic” and “Sahelian” can be quite confusing), the tsetse free environment, relatively flat terrain and sparse vegetation supported horse rearing which greatly improved the mobility of the army, it is thus unsurprising that this was where the majority of Africa's large empires were found since the improved logistics allowed such states to control vast territories; only one of the about twenty pre-colonial African states that exceeded 300,000 sqkm was located outside these longitudes. Horses were present in this region by the late 2nd millennium in Nubia, and around the end of the first millennium in both west Africa3 and the horn of Africa. Armies often had three divisions with the cavalry as the most prestigious division , serving as the main striking force which varied in size from between 20-50% of the armies of Mali, Songhai4 and Ethiopian empires5 to close to 90% of the army in the Kanem empire. The cavalry was at times augmented by "camel corps" that had a much further reach than horses enabling Songhai troops to strike a far north as Morocco6 and Kanem troops to strike into the Fezzan in southern Libya. www.africanhistoryextra.com/p/war-and-peace-in-ancient-and-medievalMatter of fact this would not change much for the first 400yrs beginning with the 15th century contact with Europeans on Atlantic coast and for the same reasons.
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Post by thelioness on Oct 15, 2024 0:09:05 GMT -5
Almoravid Berbers based in Morocco had a large part in the spread Islam into West Africa, there origin is not entirely clear __________________________________________________________ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almoravid_dynastysiki Almoravid dynasty
Berber tribes such as the Sanhadja or Kutama are often attributed Himyarite origins by Arab historians (which the Sanhadja likely adopted themselves for political legitimacy), but other genealogical sources and modern genetic testing reveal this supposed origin to likely be a myth, given the predominant Berber Y haplogroup is E, and the predominant Arab Y haplogroup is J. The historian Al-Idrīsī presents one example of the Himyarite myth as following: He then traced the origin of the Ṣanhādja and Lamṭa tribes to their common male ancestor Lamṭ, son of Za‘zā‘, who was from the children (min awlād) of Ḥimyar, and thus attributed to both of them the South Arabian roots. The similar origin is also ascribed to the “brother” of Ṣanhādj and Lamṭ by maternal line, Hawwār, whose forefather was al-Muṣawwir, son of al-Muthannā, son of Kalā‘, son of Ayman, son of Sa‘īd, son of Ḥimyar. According to a legend, his and his tribe’s abode was in Hejaz, but they left it in search of lost camels, so that crossed the Nile and reached the Maghrib, where al-Muṣawwir married Tāzikāy, the mother of Ṣanhādj and Lamṭ. — Anastasia V Stepanova, Origin of the Berber Tribal Confederation of Ṣanhādja[8] _________________________________________________________ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanhajawiki SanhajaAccording to French historian Charles-André Julien: "The original cell of the Almoravid empire was a powerful Sanhaja tribe of the Sahara, the Lamtuna, whose place of origin was in the Adrar in Mauritania."[36] The Tuareg people are believed to be their descendants.[37][41] These nomads had been converted to Islam in the 9th century.[36] They were subsequently united in the 10th century and, with the zeal of new converts, launched several campaigns against the "Sudanese" (pagan peoples of sub-Saharan Africa).[42] Under their king Tinbarutan ibn Usfayshar, the Sanhaja Lamtuna erected (or captured) the citadel of Awdaghust, a critical stop on the trans-Saharan trade route. After the collapse of the Sanhaja union, Awdaghust passed over to the Ghana Empire; and the trans-Saharan routes were taken over by the Zenata Maghrawa of Sijilmasa. The Maghrawa also exploited this disunion to dislodge the Sanhaja Gazzula and Lamta out of their pasturelands in the Sous and Draa valleys. Around 1035, the Lamtuna chieftain Abu Abdallah Muhammad ibn Tifat (alias Tarsina), tried to reunite the Sanhaja desert tribes, but his reign lasted less than three years.
__________________________________________________________________________ wasscehistorytextbook.com/3-islam-in-west-africa-introduction-spread-and-effects/#:~:text=The%20Spread%20of%20Islam%20in%20West%20Africa,-After%20the%20Berbers&text=First%2C%20Islam%20spread%20into%20the,had%20done%20so%20by%201009. A lot more at this link, long good article, excerpt below: Authors: Samuel Adu-Gyamfi, Benjamin Kye Ampadu and Vincent Hiribarren website: History Textbook West African Senior School Certificate Examination The Spread of Islam in West Africa
After the Berbers’ Islamisation, the religion spread into the Western Sudan from the closing decades of the tenth century. First, Islam spread into the regions West of the Niger Bend (Senegambia, Mali), then into Chad region and finally into Hausaland. According to some Arabic sources the first Black ruler to embrace Islam was the King of Gao who had done so by 1009. The first King of Mali to become a Muslim was Barmandana, who was reigning by the middle of the eleventh century. The Kings of Ghana, on the other hand did not embrace Islam until about the beginning of the twelfth century, after the Almoravid invasions. In the Chad region, it appears from the Arabic sources that Umme Jilmi, who became the king of Kanem in 1086 was the first Muslim King. Islam was first introduced into Hausaland from either Kanem or Air in the twelfth or thirteenth centuries, but it did not really take root there until during the second half of the fourteenth Century. Reason for the spread of Islam in West Africa The following are the reasons for the spread Islam in West Africa. By the end of the fifteenth century, Islam had spread southwards to the fringes of the forest belt. i. The Nature of IslamThe nature of Islam as a religion accepting polygamy to some extent, its tolerance of traditional African religions, its simplicity of doctrine and mode of worship helped propagators to make converts in Africa. These factors also made Islam easily adaptable to the African communities with which it came in contact. Again, the Islamisation of Africa was paralleled by the Africanisation of Islam. The making and sale of charms and amulets, which were believed to offer protection against evil forces and generally ensure success in life, were important in winning over converts. ii. TradeAnother major reason that led to the rapid spread of Islam in West Africa was the trans-Saharan trade network. From the seventh century onwards, Muslim traders from the Maghreb and the Sahara started settling first in some of the market centres in the Sahel and then in the Savanna areas. Al-Bakri, a renowned Arabic Scholar and merchant wrote in 1067, that the capital of ancient Ghana was already divided into two parts; about six miles apart, the Muslim traders’ part which had as many as twelve mosques and the King’s part had one mosque for the use of the king’s Muslim visitors. It was these resident Muslim traders who converted the rulers and the principal local town’s people to Islam. Also, according to Kano Chronicles, during the reign of Yaji, the King of Kano from 1349 to 1385, the Wangarawa came from Melle bringing the Mohammedan religion. These examples grew the process of Islamisation or conversion to Islam, as it gathered momentum. iii. Activities of Muslim Clerics
Islam also spread into West Africa through the activities of Muslim clerics, marabouts and scholars or mallams. These clerics or learned men founded their own religious centres which attracted students from all parts of the Western Sudan and who on the completion of their studies and training went back to their own homes to win converts. Many of them went on lecture or missionary tours to convert people, while others became advisers to Sudanese Kings on how to become effective rulers. Some clerics devoted a great deal of their time to writing books and instructions on all aspects of Islam for the education and conversion of people or the purification and strengthening of Islam. Some examples of clerics follow: Ibu Khadija al-Kumi, a Muslim missionary and Abu Ishaq al-Sahili, a poet, scholar and architect from Granada were both invited by Mansa Musa to accompany him on his return from his celebrated pilgrimage in 1324/5. Both of them settled in Mali where they taught Islam. Al-Sahili also designed the great mosque of Timbuktu as well as a magnificent palace for Mansa Musa in the capital of Mali. Again, the great Mande scholar, Abd Rahman Zaite (now identified as Abd al-Rahman Jakhite) settled in Kano on the invitation of Rumfa, the King of Kano. He built a mosque and introduced the practice of Koran recital and other devotional exercises. Another brilliant Berber scholar called Abd al-Rahman al-Maghili (1477-78) established his Zawiyaie Islamic school in Tuat in the Sahara, and from there went on a missionary tour of the Western Sudan which lasted from 1492 to 1503. During this tour, he visited Air, Takedda, Kano, Katsina and Gao and preached to both rulers and commoners. iv. Activities of Rulers
Islam gained ground in West Africa through the activities of the individual rulers. The rulers of the Western Sudan encouraged the trans-Saharan trade and extended hospitality to both traders and visiting clerics, but perhaps one of the most important ways in which they encouraged acceptance of Islam was through their own conversion. With a Muslim King or ruler it rapidly became a matter of prestige among the aristocracy also to convert to Islam in many kingdoms. Many rulers made considerable efforts to encourage Muslim institutions such as Islamic tax and legal systems or the provision of facilities such as mosques, through the appointment of Muslim officials such as judges and butchers who observe the Islamic code and to lead prayers, celebrating Muslim festival and ordering every town under their control to observe the ritual prayers. The pilgrimages that many of the rulers undertook – such as Mansa Musa and Askia Mohammed — had a considerable spiritual effect increasing their determination both to strengthen and purify Islam and to spread it even further. v. Holy WarWhat is more, another way in which Islam was introduced and spread in West Africa in general and the Western Sudan in particular was the militant jihad, or the waging of holy war against infidels or lukewarm Muslims. This method allowed the third and final stage of the process of Islamisation to reach its climax with the nineteenth-century jihad in the Western Sudan, between Mali and Senegambia and Hausaland in northern Nigeria. The first jihad in the Western Sudan which has accounts was that waged by the head of the Sudanese confederation. It was Tarsina against the Sudanese people in 1023, soon after his return from the pilgrimage to Mecca. He was killed during these clashes. The second is that of the King of Takrur, War-Ajabbi, before his death in 1040. The third and the best known of these early jihads was the one declared by the Almoravid movement of ancient Ghana between 1048 and 1054 by the scholar, Abdallah Ibn Yasin. Between 1056 and 1070s, the Almoravid conquered the whole area between ancient Ghana and Sijilmasa. By 1087 the Almoravid Empire stretched from the Senegal in the south across the Mediterranean to Spain in the north. vi. Inter-marriageIslam also spread on to West Africa through inter-marriages. The Muslim merchants from North Africa came down settled and married the African women who became Muslims including their children. vii. ScholarsThe early Muslim missionaries opened Islamic schools and colleges. The products of these schools and colleges also did well by spreading the religion. They worked with the rulers as advisors, councilors etc. for instance, Ibn Yasin established a Zaniyaor college and founded the Almoravid movement which contributed considerably to the spread of Islam in the Sahara and Western Sudan. Also one of the greatest clerics and missionaries of the Western Sudan was al-Hajj Suware, the Soninke scholar founded the important Zawiga at Diakha – Bambuk which attracted students from all over the Western Sudan during the first half of the thirteenth century. Scholarship was indeed also attractive to rulers in West Africa, because the widespread use of the Arabic script made administering their kingdoms easier, and tax revenues easier to accrue. Thus, Timbuktu became known for its famous Djingnereber Mosque and prestigious Sankore University, both of which were established in the early 1300s under the reign of the Mali Empire, most famous ruler Mansa Musa. A KEY PHASE IN ISLAMIZATION: THE ALMORAVID DYNASTYcontinues see link link
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Post by djehuti on Oct 16, 2024 3:41:36 GMT -5
Some points of history one should make note of. There were multiple waves of invasion from Southwest Asia. The above early caliphates are based on much later traditions. I'm not saying that it's entirely false but there is research suggesting that the history is not exact same as what later tradition says. For example, the first invaders were not called 'Arab' but Saracen and the name Arab wasn't used until much later, particularly during the Abbasid Caliphate. The above image that is stereotypical of an 'Arab' fits that of the Abbasid rulers who were from the Sasanian (Persian) dominated areas and not the earlier invaders who were described much differently as very dark or 'black' in complexion. Dana wrote a good series on it here: Guide to the Ethnic Origins of the Infernal Black Saracen Pt. 1Lastly, due to Islamic influence many Muslim Africans try to claim ashraf (noble) ancestry by claiming their ancestry as 'Arab'. They base these claims on legends of ancestors from the Saharan region who introduced Islam to the Sahel areas. The problem however is that it is far more likely such ancestors were already Islamized natives of the Sahara (Moor, Tuareg, or even Tubu) than the small minority of Saracens or Arabs who were largely confined to near the Mediterranean coasts.
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Post by thelioness on Oct 16, 2024 12:56:36 GMT -5
Some points of history one should make note of. There were multiple waves of invasion from Southwest Asia. The above early caliphates are based on much later traditions. I'm not saying that it's entirely false but there is research suggesting that the history is not exact same as what later tradition says. For example, the first invaders were not called 'Arab' but Saracen and the name Arab wasn't used until much later, particularly during the Abbasid Caliphate. The problem however is that it is far more likely such ancestors were already Islamized natives of the Sahara (Moor, Tuareg, or even Tubu) than the small minority of Saracens or Arabs who were largely confined to near the Mediterranean coasts. The topic is conquest of West and Central Africa. Central Africa is off the table Your upper caliphate map applies only to the Maghreb The lower map left shows Almoravids, the right map later time period: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_AfricaIslam gained momentum during the 10th century in West Africa with the start of the Almoravid dynasty movement on the Senegal River and as rulers and kings embraced Islam. Islam then spread slowly in much of the continent through trade and preaching... ____________________________________ Prior: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ismail_ibn_Abd_Allah_ibn_Abi_al-Muhajir#:~:text=Ismail%20bin%20Abdallah%20bin%20Abi,Africa)%20from%20718%20to%20720.&text=Ismail%20bin%20Abdallah%20bin%20Abu,client%20tribe%20of%20the%20Quraysh. Umayyad CaliphateThe Umayyad Caliphate at its greatest extent, under Caliph Umar II, c. 720The Umayyad dynasty was an Arab clan within the Quraysh tribe who were the ruling family of the Caliphate between 661 and 750 and later of al-Andalus between 756 and 1031. In the pre-Islamic period, they were a prominent clan of the Meccan tribe of Quraysh, descended from Umayya ibn Abd Shams. ______________________________________________________________________________
UNESCO General History of Africa: The association of Islam and trade in sub-Saharan Africa is a well-known fact. The commercially most active peoples, the Dyula, Hausa and Dyakhanke, were among the first to be converted when their respective countries came into contact with Muslims. The explanation of this phenomenon is to be found in social and economic factors. Islam is a religion born in the commercial society of Mecca and preached by a Prophet who himself had for a long time been a merchant, provides a set of ethical and practical prescripts closely related to business activities. This moral code helped to sanction and control commercial relationships and offered a unifying ideology among the members of different ethnic groups, thus providing for security and credit, two of the chief requirements of long-distance trade. (Vol. III, 39)__________________________________________________________________________________www.thoughtco.com/who-were-the-saracens-195413Who Were the Saracens?By Kallie Szczepanski Today, the word "Saracen" is mainly associated with the Crusades, a series of bloody European invasions into the Middle East that took place between 1095 and 1291 CE. The European Christian knights who went crusading used the term Saracen to denote their foes in the Holy Land (as well as Muslim civilians who happened to get in their way). Where did this odd-sounding word come from? What does it really mean? Meaning of "Saracen"
The precise meaning of the word Saracen evolved over time, and which people it was applied to also changed through the ages. To speak very generally, though, it was a term for Middle Eastern people that was used by Europeans from at least late Greek or early Roman times forward. The word comes into English via the Old French Sarrazin, from the Latin Saracenus, itself derived from the Greek Sarakenos. The origins of the Greek term are unclear, but linguists theorize that it may come from the Arabic sharq meaning "east" or "sunrise," perhaps in the adjective form sharqiy or "eastern." Late Greek writers such as Ptolemy refer to some of the people of Syria and Iraq as Sarakenoi. The Romans later held them in grudging respect for their military capabilities, but certainly classed them among the "barbarian" peoples of the world. Although we do not know exactly who these people were, the Greeks and Romans distinguished them from the Arabs. In some texts, such as that of Hippolytus, the term seems to refer to the heavy cavalry fighters from Phoenicia, in what is now Lebanon and Syria. During the early Middle Ages, Europeans lost touch with the outside world to some extent. Nonetheless, they remained aware of Muslim peoples, particularly since the Muslim Moors ruled the Iberian Peninsula. Even as late as the tenth century, though, the word "Saracen" was not necessarily considered the same as "Arab" nor as "Moor" -- the latter specifically designating the North African Muslim Berber and Arab peoples who had conquered much of Spain and Portugal. Racial Ties
By the later Middle Ages, Europeans used the word "Saracen" as a pejorative term for any Muslim. However, there was also a racial belief current at the time that Saracens were black-skinned. Notwithstanding that, European Muslims from places like Albania, Macedonia, and Chechnya were considered Saracens. (Logic is not a requirement in any racial classification, after all.) By the time of the Crusades, Europeans were set in their pattern of using the word Saracen to refer to any Muslim. It was considered a disparaging term by this period, as well, stripped of even the grudging admiration that the Romans had bestowed upon the Saracens. This terminology dehumanized the Muslims, which likely helped the European knights to slaughter men, women, and children without mercy during the early Crusades, as they sought to wrest control of the Holy Land away from the "infidels." The Muslims didn't take this insulting name lying down, however. They had their own none-too-complimentary term for the European invaders, as well. To the Europeans, all Muslims were Saracens. And to the Muslim defenders, all Europeans were Franks (or Frenchmen) -- even if those Europeans were English. ____________________________________________________________________________________ ALMORAVID DYNASTY In addition to trade and peaceful conversion there is holy war but also in that context a large military group can come into a region with intention to take over or spread "the truth" people don't always resist if they think they have no chance so the may decide to go along with it. So in some cases they can uses their military threat without having to attack The historical record is also sketchy as to exactly what happened
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Post by djehuti on Oct 17, 2024 4:08:09 GMT -5
^ The word 'arab' in common Semitic means something like 'wildsman' with arabah meaning wilderness or desert. So an arab simply meant someone who lives in the wilderness in rural areas away from urban centers. The Greeks and later the Romans adopted the word into their lexica with the name 'Arabia' describing the land south of the Levant and Mesopotamia. Hence the Greek geography divides Arabia into three regions-- Arabia Petraea (stony), Arabia Deserta (desert), and Arabia Felix (happy/fertile) which is the Yemen. Thus 'arab' originally did not have an ethnic or cultural meaning attached. Arab proper as an ethno-linguistic term became popularized only later on in Islamic times starting with the Abbasids. Interestingly, the Quran itself also uses 'Arab' to describe rural folk living in the desert among whom 'the Prophet' dwelt with and used to spread his message. During the Roman Empire, the Romans identified three main groups as inhabiting Arabia-- the Sarakeni of Petraea, the Tayi of Deserta, and the Himyari of Felix. Because the Sarakens were closest to the main civilizations they were noted early from the Hellenistic period onward. "Arabia" in Ancient History Records of Other Civilizations
Saracens This Greco-Roman term appears in classical literature, and stems most likely from the Arabic Sarqiyyun, meaning ‘easterners.’ Fergus Millar in the article “Hagar, Ishmael, Josephus, and the Origin of Islam,” claims that this term refers mostly to Ishmaelites (“Hagar, Ishmael, Josephus, and the Origin of Islam,” JJS 44 (1983), 41-43). Musil, in Arabia Deserta, refers to the nomadic tribes living in the inner desert of central Arabia as bedu or sarkiyye, a term derived from sarq, which means ‘east’ in Arabic, but is often used as a reference to the inner desert of north and central Arabia: “*Whoever marches through this region, whether he goes west or east or south, is referred to as sarrak tasriz or going into the inner desert*” (Arabia Deserta, 494).Really, nobody knows for sure what the etymology of Saraken is. The above is just one hypothesis. That the name means 'easterner' does not make much sense to me considering that the Saraken were historically associated with the western part of Arabia just south of Nabataea (modern Jordan) down to the Hejaz. One hypothesis that makes more sense is that the prefix 'sar' or 'shar' in Arabic meant noble or princely and that the original name was something like Shar'akun meaning something like 'being noble' or 'princely made'. What's also interesting is the hypothesis that the Saraken have an African origin due to the first major description of them below. Ammianus Marcellinus
The following are taken from Ammianus Marcellinus’ book The Roman History, Book XIV.iv.1-7, written in 380 AD.
Book XIV.4: At this time also the Saracens, a race whom it is never desirable to have either for friends or enemies, ranging up and down the country, if ever they found anything, plundered it in a moment, like rapacious hawks who, if from on high they behold any prey, carry it off with a rapid swoop, or, if they fail in their attempt, do not tarry. And although, in recounting the career of the Prince Marcus, and once or twice subsequently, I remember having discussed the manners of this people, nevertheless I will now briefly enumerate a few more particulars concerning them.
Among these tribes, whose primary origin is derived from the cataracts of the Nile and the borders of the Blemmyae, all the men are warriors of equal rank; half naked, clad in colored cloaks down to the waist, overrunning different countries, with the aid of swift and active horses and speedy camels, alike in times of peace and war. Nor does any member of their tribe ever take plow in hand or cultivate a tree, or seek food by the tillage of the land; but they are perpetually wandering over various and extensive districts, having no home, no fixed abode or laws; nor can they endure to remain long in the same climate, no one district or country pleasing them for a continuance.
Their life is one continued wandering; their wives are hired, on special covenant, for a fixed time; and that there may be some appearance of marriage in the business, the intended wife, under the name of a dowry, offers a spear and a tent to her husband, with a right to quit him after a fixed day, if she should choose to do so. And it is inconceivable with what eagerness the individuals of both sexes give themselves up to matrimonial pleasures.
But as long as they live they wander about with such extensive and perpetual migrations, that the woman is married in one place, brings forth her children in another, and rears them at a distance from either place, no opportunity of remaining quiet being ever granted to her. They all live on venison, and are further supported on a great abundance of milk, and on many kinds of herbs, and on whatever birds they can catch by fowling. And we have seen a great many of them wholly ignorant of the use of either corn or wine.If the above is true that the Saracens originated in Nile Valley Africa and they are the same as the Saracens who spread a form of proto-Islam, then that would put an interesting spin not only in African history but Islamic history in general. I'm betting that these Saracens ranged throughout the Eastern Desert into the Sinai, Negev, and beyond. Recall the thread in ES about Arabian Cushites vs. African Kushites where I noted nomadic populations on both sides of the Red Sea and how the Greeks considered the Eastern Desert of Egypt and Sudan as also the Arabian Desert. Procopius of Caesarea
The following passages are from Procopius of Caesarea’s History of the Wars written around 550 AD.
Book I.xix.1-16, 23-26; xx.1-13: The boundaries of Palestine extend toward the east to the sea which is called the Red Sea. Now this sea, beginning at India, comes to an end at this point in the Roman domain. And there is a city called Aelas [modern Aqaba] on its shore, where the sea comes to an end, as I have said, and becomes a very narrow gulf. And as one sails into the sea from there [i.e., sailing Southwest, from Aqaba to the Red Sea], the Egyptian mountains lie on the right, extending toward the south; on the other side a country deserted by men extends northward to an indefinite distance; and the land on both sides is visible as one sails in as far as the island called Iotabe, not less than one thousand stades distant from the city of Aelas. On this island Hebrews had lived from of old in autonomy, but in the reign of this Justinian they have become subject to the Romans. From there on there comes a great open sea. And those who sail into this part of it no longer see the land on the right, but they always anchor along the left coast when night comes on. For it is impossible to navigate in the darkness on this sea, since it is everywhere full of shoals. But there are harbors there and great numbers of them, not made by the hand of man, but by the natural contour of the land, and for this reason it is not difficult for mariners to find anchorage wherever they happen to be.
This coast immediately beyond the boundaries of Palestine is held by Saracens, (Arabs) who have been settled from of old in the Palm Groves. These groves are in the interior, extending over a great tract of land, and there absolutely nothing else grows except palm trees. The Emperor Justinian had received these palm groves as a present from Abochorabus, the ruler of the Saracens there, and he was appointed by the emperor captain over the Saracens in Palestine. And he guarded the land from plunder constantly, for both to the barbarians over whom he ruled and no less to the enemy, Abochorabus always seemed a man to be feared and an exceptionally energetic fellow. Formally, therefore, the emperor holds the Palm Groves, but for him really to possess himself of any of the country there is utterly impossible. For a land completely destitute of human habitation and extremely dry lies between, extending to the distance of a ten days’ journey; moreover, the Palm Groves themselves are by no means worth anything, and Abochorabus only gave the form of a gift, and the emperor accepted it with full knowledge of the fact. So much then for the Palm Groves. Adjoining this people there are other Saracens in possession of the coast, who are called Maddeni [in modern Madyan] and who are subjects of the Omeritae. These Omeritae dwell in the land on the farther side of them on the shore of the sea [modern Yemen]. And beyond them many other nations are said to be settled as far as the man-eating Saracens. Beyond these are the nations of India.
For the sea which one traverses beyond this point as far as the shore and the city of Aelas has received the name of the Arabian Gulf, inasmuch as the country which extends from here to the limits of the city of Gaza used to be called in olden times Arabia, since the king of the Arabs had his palace in early times in the city of Petrae. Now the harbor of the Omeritae from they are accustomed to put to sea for the voyage to Ethiopia is called Bulicas [modern Al-Hudaydah?]; and at the end of the sail across the sea they always put in at the harbor of the Adulitae. But the city of Adulis [near modern Asmara] is removed from the harbor a distance of twenty stades (for it lacks only so much of being on the sea), while from the city of Auxomis it is a journey of twelve days.
All the boats which are found in India and on this sea are not made in the same manner as are other ships. For neither are they smeared with pitch, nor with any other substance, nor indeed are the planks fastened together by iron nails going through and through, but they are bound together with a kind of cording. The reason is not as most persons suppose, that there are certain rocks there which draw the iron to themselves (for witness the fact that when the Roman vessels sail from Aelas into this sea, although they are fitted with much iron, no such thing has ever happened to them), but rather because the Indians and the Ethiopians possess neither iron nor any other thing suitable for such purposes. Furthermore, they are not even able to buy any of these things from the Romans since this is explicitly forbidden to all by law; for death is the punishment for one who is caught. Such then is the description of the so-called Red Sea and of the land which lies on either side of it… .
At about the time of this war Ellesthaeus, the king of the Ethiopians, who was a Christian and a most devoted adherent of this faith, discovered that a number of the Omeritae on the opposite mainland [modern Yemen] were oppressing the Christians there outrageously; many of these rascals were Jews, and many of them held in reverence the old faith which men of the present day call Hellenic [i.e., pagan]. He therefore collected a fleet of ships and an army and came against them, and he conquered them in battle and slew both the king and many of the Omeritae. He then set up in his stead a Christian king, an Omeritae by birth, by name Esimiphaeus, and, after ordaining that he should pay a tribute to the Ethiopians every year, he returned to his home. In this Ethiopian army many slaves and all who were readily disposed to crime were quite unwilling to follow the king back, but were left behind and remained there because of their desire for the land of the Omeritae; for it is an extremely goodly land.
These fellows at a time not long after this, in company with certain others, rose against the king Esimiphaeus and put him in confinement in one of the fortresses there, and established another king over the Omeritae, Abramus by name. Now this Abramus was a Christian, but a slave of a Roman citizen who was engaged in the business of shipping in the city of Adulis in Ethiopia. When Ellesthaeus learned this, he was eager to punish Abramus together with those who had revolted with him for their injustice to Esimiphaeus, and he sent against them an army of three thousand men with one of his relatives as commander. This army, once there, was no longer willing to return home, but they wished to remain where they were in a goodly land, and so without the knowledge of their commander they opened negotiations with Abramus; then when they came to an engagement with their opponents, just as the fighting began, they killed their commander and joined the ranks of the enemy, and so remained there. But Ellesthaeus was greatly moved with anger and sent still another army against them; this force engaged with Abramus and his men, and, after suffering a severe defeat in the battle, straightway returned home. Thereafter the king of the Ethiopians became afraid, and sent no further expeditions against Abramus. After the death of Ellesthaeus, Abramus agreed to pay tribute to the king of the Ethiopians who succeeded him, and in this way he strengthened his rule. But this happened at a later time.
At that time, when Ellesthaeus was reigning over the Ethiopians, and Esimiphaeus over the Omeritae, the Emperor Justinian sent an ambassador, Julianus, demanding that both nations on account of their community of religion should make common cause with the Romans in the war against the Persians; for he purposed that the Ethiopians, by purchasing silk from India and selling it among the Romans, might themselves gain much money, while cause the Romans to profit in only one way, namely, that they be no longer compelled to pay over their money to their enemy (this is the silk of which they are accustomed to make the garments which of old the Greeks called “Medic,” but which at the present time they name “Seric” [from Lat. serica, as coming from the Chinese (Seres)]). As for the Omeritae, it was desired that they should establish Caïsus, the fugitive, as captain over the Maddeni, and with a great army of their own people and of the Maddene Saracens make an invasion into the land of the Persians. This Caïsus was by birth of the captain’s rank and an exceptionally able warrior, but he had killed one of the relatives of Esimiphaeus and was a fugitive in a land which is utterly destitute of human habitation.
So each king, promising to put this demand into effect, dismissed the ambassador, but neither one of them did the things agreed upon by them. For it was impossible for the Ethiopians to buy silk from the Indians, for the Persian merchants always locate themselves at the very harbors where the Indian ships first put in (since they inhabit the adjoining country), and are accustomed to buy the whole cargoes; and it seemed to the Omeritae a difficult thing to cross a country which was a desert and which extended so far that a long time was required for the journey across it, and then to go against such a people much more warlike than themselves. Later on Abramus too, when at length he had established his power most securely, promised the Emperor Justinian many times to invade the land of Persia, but only once began the journey and then straightway turned back. Such then were the relations which the Romans had with the Ethiopians and the Omeritae.That Arabia lies on the same latitude as Egypt and Sudan, it should come as no surprise that the indigenous populations were equally as black or dark-skinned. How Eurasian or African they were genetically is another issue (see Black Ancient West Eurasians). It is clear that the Saracens of the 7th Century invasions were described as black and tall statured. It was only later on that post-Abbasid times you see people calling themselves 'Arab' who are the fair-skinned types we are familiar with today says something.
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Post by Brandon S. Pilcher on Oct 17, 2024 4:31:03 GMT -5
I could've sworn archaeologist posted on the old ES a quote from a Sasanian Persian letter to the Himyarites in Yemen saying that they had more in common due to being "white" than the Himyarites did with the "black" Aksumites invading them. That doesn't have any bearing on earlier inhabitants of southern Arabia (e.g. the Sabaeans or ancestral South Semites), of course, and I'm sure bidirectional gene flow between Arabia and Africa has been constant since the first humans colonized the latter from the former, but it does suggest lighter-skinned people from further north in the Middle East had already settled in southern Arabia by the mid-first millennium AD (keep in mind that Arabic is a West Semitic language like Hebrew or Phoenician rather than South Semitic). For that reason, I have to wonder where all these black Saracens that supposedly expanded from Arabia to conquer large swathes of the Middle East, North Africa, and Iberia in the 600s to 700s AD would have come from. Also, David Goldenberg in his The Curse of Ham book cites Bernard Lewis as saying that Arabs called themselves "black" relative to Persians but also "red" or "white" relative to Africans. Has Dana taken this into account when quoting Arab writers who describe themselves as black-skinned?
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Post by archaeologist on Oct 17, 2024 8:55:51 GMT -5
I think I posted something like that. In the Sasanid-Axumite wars in the 6th centuries the people of what is today Yemen asked the Sasanids for assistance against the Axumites who had invaded Yemen as a response to the Jewish leaders persecution of Christians.
First the Yemenites asked the Byzantines for help, but they declined, so they asked the Sasanids instead who accepted. In the "History of al-Tabari" from the early 10th century one can read (p 238):
On page 251 it says: The History of Al Tabari (Vol V)
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Post by djehuti on Oct 18, 2024 4:23:32 GMT -5
To Brandon and others, it was made known to me some years back by Dana that the Sasanian Empire annexed and colonized Yemen which is why the so-called Himyarite elite at that time were or Persian extraction. This is why there are some Yemeni tribes today who look overtly Persian and have Farsi names and surnames albeit Arabized. It should also be noted that Islam has a Persian (Zoroastrian) influence to it as well. There's another interesting hypothesis that is growing among academics.. When the Quran makes reference to Habeshat and Habeshi people (especially slaves like Bilal who made the call to prayer) the common assumption is modern Abyssinia or Ethiopia. Indeed, the Prophet of Islam and his followers at one time were said to have taken refuge in that country by the hospitality of their king. However recent historical and archaeological evidence suggests that the kingdom of Habeshat was not in Africa but in South Arabia. This explains why there is no mention of Axum or the Axumite king only Habesha and its malik (king). There are also pre-Islamic tales of black heroes like Antar Ibn Shadad who, again many think was African or Ethiopian, when no such was said about him. Not to mention the bizarre stories from the Hadith that describe the Three Daughters of Allah the goddesses Allat, Al Uzza, and Manat who manifest as black women that had to be slain. This is all too much to be coincidence.
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Post by thelioness on Oct 18, 2024 4:55:04 GMT -5
Dana is the same person who says that Israel was in Arabia this that the place names of the Hebrew Bible actually describe places in southwest Arabia.
That aside the topic is "Did Arabs Conquer West And central Africa"
The answer in my opinion is they did not conquer Central Africa
and as for West Africa it is unknown to what extent berber Armies rather than Arabs
conquered Ghana or if it was legend (although Sanhaja may claim Arabian ancestry)
The Conquest that Never was: Ghana and the Almoravids, 1076. I. The External Arabic Sources
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 May 2014
Putting it very bluntly, we have discovered no sources, whether external or internal, which unambiguously point to such a conquest. A handful of sources suggest some link between the rise of the Almoravids and the decline of Ghana, but with a puzzling vagueness--a vagueness which decreases as the number of centuries between the alleged event, and the report of it increases.
So the Almoravids come closest as conquering part of West Africa but it can't really be proven
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Post by djehuti on Oct 19, 2024 21:40:54 GMT -5
^ Actually the claim of Israel being Arabia came from the scholar and researcher Kamal Salibi who wrote the book The Bible Came from Arabia. Note I never said anything about the Biblical Holy Land being in Arabia. The part I wrote on Habeshat came from both Arab and Ethiopian writers, as well as Hadith. My mentions on black heroes and black goddesses also came from Arab Hadith not Dana or Salibi. I actually believe Islam has dual origins between the Hejaz and Yemen on one hand and Syria and (Persian) Mesopotamia on another. The former was older and comprised of Saracens while the latter comprised Arabized peoples of the said region. And yes Almoravids came closest to conquering West Africa but they were Moors and not Arabs.
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Post by thelioness on Oct 20, 2024 2:13:23 GMT -5
^ Actually the claim of Israel being Arabia came from the scholar and researcher Kamal Salibi who wrote the book The Bible Came from Arabia. Note I never said anything about the Biblical Holy Land being in Arabia. The part I wrote on Habeshat came from both Arab and Ethiopian writers, as well as Hadith. My mentions on black heroes and black goddesses also came from Arab Hadith not Dana or Salibi. I actually believe Islam has dual origins between the Hejaz and Yemen on one hand and Syria and (Persian) Mesopotamia on another. The former was older and comprised of Saracens while the latter comprised Arabized peoples of the said region. And yes Almoravids came closest to conquering West Africa but they Moors and not Arabs. Similar to the way "Moors" are described in modern Mauritania as "White Moors" (in actuality light brown) and "Black Moors" , in the 16th century Leo Africanus made a similar distinction between "tawnie Moors" and "blacke Moors" ("Negroes he also uses). He describes the Sanhaja berbers ("Sanhagi" below) who are believed to be the ethnic group the Almoravids were comprised of and other groups in the region, Zenata (Zehati) Masmuda, ("Musmudae), and these too sometimes are associated with the Almoravids, he describes these berber groups as "tawnie Moors". quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A05331.0001.001/1:16?rgn=div1;view=fulltext A geographical historie of Africa, written in Arabicke and Italian by Iohn Leo a More, borne in Granada, and brought vp in Barbarie.
Leo, Africanus ca. 1492-ca. 1550. PAGE 2The <()> of Africa.OVR authors affirme, that Africa is ; into fower partes, that is to say, Barbaria, Numidia, Libya, and the lande of Negros. Barbaria taketh beginning from the hill called Meies, which is the extreme part of all the mountaines of Atlas, being distant from Alexandria almost three hundred miles. It is bounded on the North side with the Mediterran sea, stretching thence to mount-Meies aforesaid, and from mount;Meies extending itselfe to the streites of Gibraltar. Westward it is limited with the said streites, from whence winding it selfe out of the Mediterran sea into the maine Ocean, it is inclosed with the most westerly point of Atlas: namely, at that Westerne cape which is next vnto the towne called Messa. And southward it is bounded with that side of Atlas which lieth towards the Mediterran sea. This is the most noble and worthie region of all Africa, the inhabitants whereof are of a browne or tawnie colour, being a ciuill people, and prescribe wholsome lawes and constitutions vnto themselues.The second part of Africa is called of the Latines Numidia, but of the Arabians Biledulgerid: this region bringeth foorth dates in great abundance. It beginneth eastward at the citie of Eloacat, which is an hundred miles distant from Egypt, & extendeth west as far as the towne of Nun, standing vpon the Ocean sea. Northward it is inclosed with the south side of Atlas. And the south part thereof bordereth vpon the sandie deserts of Libya. All the Arabians doe usually call it The land of dates: because this onely region of Africa beareth dates.The third part called of the Latines Libya, and of the Arabians Sarra (which word signifieth a desert) beginneth eastward at that part of Nilus which is next vnto the citie of Eloacat, and from thence runneth westward as far as the Ocean sea. Northwarde it is bounded with Numidia, southward it abutteth vpon the land of Negros, eastward it taketh beginning at the kingdome of Gaoga, and stretcheth westwarde euen to the land of Gualata, which bordereth vpon the Ocean sea.
The fourth part of Africa which is called the land of Negros, beginneth eastward at the kingdome of Gaoga, from whence it extendeth west as far as Gualata. The north part thereof is inclosed with the desert of Libya, and the south part, which is vnknowen vnto vs, with the Ocean sea: howbeit the merchants which daily come from thence to the kingdome of Tombuto, haue sufficiently described the situation of that countrie vnto vs. This lande of Negros hath a mightie riuer, which taking his name of the region, is called Niger: this riuer taketh his originall from the east out of a certaine desert called by the foresaide Negros Seu. Others will haue this riuer to spring out of a certaine lake, and so to runs PAGE 5Of the habitations of Africa, and of the signification of this word Barbar.
OVr Cosmographers and historiographers affirme, that in times past Africa was altogether disinhabited, except that part which is now called the land of Negros: and most certaine it is, that Barbarie and Numidia were for many ages destitute of inhabitants. The tawnie people of the said region were called by the name of Barbar, being deriued of the verbe Barbara, which in their toong signifieth to murmur: because the AfricanPAGE 6The originall of the people of Africa.ABout the originall of the Africans, our historiographers doe much disagree. For some will haue them to be derued from the inhabitants of Palaestina; because (as they say) being expelled out of their owne countrie by the Assyrians, they came at length into Africa, & seeing the fruitfulnes of the soile, chose it to be their place of habitation. Others are of opinion, that they tooke their originall from the Sabeans a people of Arabia foelix, and that, before such time as they were put to flight by the Assyrians or Aethiopians, as hath beene aforesaid. Some others report, that the Africans descended from certaine people of Asia, who being chased thence by reason of warres which were waged against them, fled into Greece, which at the same time had no inhabitants at all. Howbeit the enimie still pursuing them, they were forced to crosse the sea of Morea, and being arriued in Africa, to settle themselues there: but their enimies aboad still in Greece. All which opinions and reportes are to bee understood onely of the originall of the tawnie people, that is to say, of the Numidians and Barbarians. For all the Negros or blacke Moores take their descent from Chus, the sonne of Cham, who was the sonne of Noë. But whatsoeuer difference there be betweene the Negros and the tawnie Moores, certaine it is that they had all one beginning. For the Negros are descended of the Philistims, and the Philistims of Mesraim the sonne of Chus: but the tawnie Moores fetch their petigree from the Sabeans, and it is euident that Saba was begotten of Rama, which was the eldest sonne of Chus. Diuers other opinions there be as touching this matter: which because they seeme not so necessarie, wee haue purposely omitted.PAGE 9 The Negros haue diuers languages among themselues, among which they call one Sungai, and the same is current in many regions; as namely, in Gualata, Tombuto, Ghinea, Melli, and Gago. Another language there is among the Negros, which they cal Guber his is rife among the people of Guber, of Cano, of Casena, of Perzegreg, & of Guangra.Likewise the kingdom of Borno hath a peculiar kinde of speech, altogether like vnto that, which is vsed in Gaoga. And the kingdome of Nube hath a language of great affinitie with the Chaldean, Arabian, & Egyptian toongs. But all the sea towns of Africa fro; the Mediterran sea to the mountains of Atlas, speake broken Arabian. Except the kingdome and towne of Maroco, & the inland Numidians bordering vpon Maroco, Fez, & Tremizen; all which, vse the Barbarian toong. Howbeit they which dwel ouer against Tunis & Tripoli, speake indeede the Arabian language; albeit most corruptly.PAGE 7A diuision of the tawnie Moores into sundrie tribes or nations.The tawnie Moores are diuided into fiue seuerall people or tribes: to wit, the tribes called Zanhagi, Musmudi, Zeneti, Hacari, and Gumeri. The tribe of Musmudi inhabite the westerne part of mount Atlas, from the prouince of Hea to the riuer of Seruan. Likewise they dwell vpon the south part of the said mountaine, and vpon all the inward plaines of that region. These Musmudae haue fower prouinces vnder them: namely, Hea, Sus, Guzula, and the territorie of Marocco. The tribe of Gumeri possesse certaine mountaines of Barbarie, dwelling on the sides of those mountaines which lie ouer against the Mediterran sea: as likewise they are Lords of all the riuer called in their language Rif. This riuer hath his fountaine neere vnto the streites of Gibraltar, and thence runneth eastwards to the kingdome of Tremizen, called by the Latines Caesaria.These two tribes or people haue seuerall habitations by themselues: the other three are dispersed confusiuely ouer all Africa: howbeit they are, like strangers, discerned one from another by certaine properties or tokens, maintaining continuall warre among themselues, especially they of Numidia. These (I say) are those very people (as some report) who had no other places then tents and wide fields to repose themselues in: and it is reported, that in times past they had great conflicts together, and that the vanquished were sent to inhabit townes and cities, but the conquerors held the champions and fieldes vnto themselues, and there setled their aboad. Neither is it altogether vnlikely; because the inhabitants of cities haue all one and the same language with the countrie people. For the Zeneti, whether they dwell in the citie or in the countrie, speake all one kinde of language: which is likewise to be vnderstood of the rest. The tribes of Zeneti, Haoari, and Sanhagi; inhabit the countrie of Temesne: sometimes they liue peaceably, and sometimes againe, calling to minde their ancient quarrels, they breake foorth into cruell warres and manslaughters. Some of these people beare rule ouer all Africa, as namely the Zeneti, who in times past vanquished the familie called Idris; from which some affirme the true and naturall Dukes of Fez, and the founders of the same citie to deriue their petigree: their progenie likewise was called Mecnasa. There came afterward out of Numidia, another familie of the Zeneti called Magraoa: this Magraoa chased the familie of Mecnasa with all their Dukes and chieftaines out of their dominions. Not long after, the said tribe of Magraoa was expelled in like sort by certaine others of the race of the Sanhagij, called by the name of Lumtuna, which came also out of the desert of Numidia.[*Temesne one of the provinces of Fez]
[ Berber tribes modern spelling:: Ṣanhaja Maṣmuda, Zenata/ Maghrawa , Hawwara and Gumara.]PAGE 20Those fiue kindes of people before rehearsed, to wit, the people of Zenega, of Gansiga, of Terga, of Leuta, and of Bardeoa, are called of the Latins Numidae: and they liue all after one manner, that is to say, without all lawe and ciuilitie. Their garment is a narrow and base peece of cloth, wherewith scarce halfe their bodie is couered. Some of them wrap their heads in a kinde of blacke cloth, as it were with a scarfe, such as the Turks vse, which is commonly called a Turbant. Such as will be discerned from the common sort, for geutlemen, weare a iacket made of blew cotton with wide sleeues. And cotton-cloth is brought vnto them by certaine merchants from the land of Negros.PAGE 40Also, the Moores and Arabians inhabiting Libya are somewhat ciuill of behauiour, being plaine dealers, voide of dissimulation, fauourable to strangers, and louers of simplicitie. Those which we before named white, or tawney Moores, are most stedfast in friendship: as likewise
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Post by anansi on Oct 20, 2024 2:58:17 GMT -5
Thanks for the link, very useful.
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Post by thelioness on Oct 20, 2024 13:07:30 GMT -5
You're welcome if that pertains to me I was looking at the above Leo Africanus quote For all the Negros or blacke Moores take their descent from Chus, the sonne of Cham, who was the sonne of Noë. But whatsoeuer difference there be betweene the Negros and the tawnie Moores, certaine it is that they had all one beginning. For the Negros are descended of the Philistims, and the Philistims of Mesraim the sonne of Chus: but the tawnie Moores fetch their petigree from the Sabeans, and it is euident that Saba was begotten of Rama, which was the eldest sonne of Chus. Diuers other opinions there be as touching this matter: which because they seeme not so necessarie, wee haue purposely omitted.
^^ Biblical interpretation here in modern English:All the Negroes or black Moors take their descent from Cush, the son of Ham who was the son of Noah but whatever the difference between the Negros and the tawny Moors, certainly they all had one beginning. The Negros are descended of the Philistines, and the Philistines of Mizraim, the son of Cush but the tawny Moors fetch their pedigree from the Sabeans, and it is evident that Sheba was begotten of Raamah who was the eldest son of Cush. Diverse other opinions touch on this matter but because they seem not so necessary, we have purposely omitted them. ______________________________________________________
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www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/12969-sabeans
SABEANS:
By: Joseph Jacobs, Louis H. Gray
The inhabitants of the ancient kingdom of Sheba in southeastern Arabia, known from the Bible, classical writers, and native inscriptions. The genealogies of Genesis give three pedigrees for Sheba, the eponymous ancestor of the Sabeans, who is variously termed (1) the son of Raamah and the grandson of Cush (Gen. x. 7; I Chron. i. 9; comp. Ezek. xxvii. 22, xxxviii. 13), (2) the son of Joktan and a great-great-great-grandson of Shem (Gen. x. 28; I Chron. i. 22), and (3) the son of Jokshan and a grandson of Abraham by Keturah (Gen. xxv. 3; I Chron. i. 32).
There seem, therefore, to have been three stocks of Sabeaus: one in Africa (comp. the Ethiopian city of Saba mentioned by Strabo, "Geography," p. 771), and the other two in Arabia. Of the latter one is connected with the story of Abraham, and the other with that of the kingdom localized by Gen. x. 30, including the Joktanites generally, and extending "from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar, a mount of the east." In Job vi. 19 the Sabeans are mentioned in close association with the Temeans, an Ishmaelite stock (Gen. xxv. 15) that dwelt in Arabia (Isa. xxi. 14; comp. Jer. xxv. 23-24).
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wiki This country of Raamah is usually assumed to be somewhere in the region of Yemen; Sheba was a son of Raamah, and his descendants are often held to be included among the Sabaeans. Dedan, son of Raamah. Apparently a region of the Medina Province of Saudi Arabia. However, there was also an Israelite city called Ramah, somewhat closer to Tyre.
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Post by djehuti on Oct 20, 2024 15:18:06 GMT -5
^ My point was to differentiate Saracens from Moors. The former is nowadays often identified as 'Arabs' when Arab identity came much later. Both Saracens and Moors were described as 'black' the Saracens were blacks from the east while Moors were (later in Medieval times) blacks from the west. I've already explained the etymology of the word 'Moor' and how they were described here. That extra appellatives were attached that word later on due to becoming familiar with the diversity of peoples in the Maghreb does not change the meaning and nature of the root word 'Moor'. By the way, the same Roman mosaic in Italy showing the Egyptians as black shows the Arabs as white which supports the theory of 'Arabs' proper having a northern origin and not from deep Arabia itself from whence the Saracens come from. Roman depiction of Egyptians visa vi ArabsSaracen's Head (South Holland, England)Saracen's Head Pub sign
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Post by Brandon S. Pilcher on Oct 22, 2024 2:01:24 GMT -5
Looking at Dana's article on the Saracens, I note that their being of tall stature in addition to have dark skin is a recurring theme in medieval European descriptions. It makes me think back to how limbo described some prehistoric North African or North African-related populations, especially those with relatively low sub-Saharan admixture, as being relatively tall. Might there be a connection there?
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