Biography
Friends and Family
Gamal Abdel Nasser
[Father]
Trivia and Quotes
Trivia
 The Roman emperor Diocletian (284-304 AD), unable to repulse the attacks of Bisharin Beja, abandoned the old southern frontiers of the empire and withdrew to the Aswan cataract.
Then he invited the Hereditary Chiefs and Nobatae from Egypt`s Western Desert (probably Kharga Oasis) to settle in the Nile valley in order to separate the lands of the Beja to that of Egypt, thus acting as a buffer state.
This state of affairs continued in Lower Nubia until 350 AD.
By viewing this invitation as a voluntary venture, it constitutes a different element in the history of human migration since the most common displacements have taken place throughout centuries as a result of either natural disasters or political upheavals – such as, the outbreak of famines, floods, volcanoes, epidemic diseases, wars or mass slavery. Questions as to how many of the Nobatae were resettled there, and were they able to affect the demographic changes of the area socially, linguistically and culturally remain mooted. For until these questions are answered there is no way to ascertain the socio-economic changes brought about by these invitees. Nonetheless, under constant Roman pressures, the Beja retreated to the Red Sea hills, which proved to be inaccessible to foreign intruders.
In the sixth century AD, the Nubian kingdoms in Northern Sudan embraced Christianity and in the seventh century Islam was foisted on them, but the Beja who became Muslims in later years were not affected by Islam, and their distinct culture and identity remained intact, even after the influx of Arabs into the Sudan and the discovery and exploitation of gold mines in the Red Sea hills.
During the reign of Mamlukes in Egypt, Sultan al-Nasser Mohamed ibn Galawoon dispatched an expeditionary force to the Beja territory where they killed 460 Halanga tribesmen and injured several others. The Halanga, who refused to surrender nor were they willing to reach a deal with the Egyptian invaders, preferred to do it or die rather than being captured as slaves.
Due to Beja raids against the Muslim residents of Aswan in Egypt, Caliph Mamoun sent a punitive force to punish them in 831 AD. The force, which was led by ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Jaham, defeated the Beja and subjected them to a humiliating treaty that was signed by their Paramount Hereditary Chief – namely, Kanoun ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, a direct descendant of the Dynastic Egyptian Warrior Masaharta. Its terms run as follows:
[1] The Bejaland from the borders of Aswan to Dahlak and Badei will be the dominion of Caliph, and the Beja and their chief are his slaves.
[2] The Beja King should pay land tax, which comprises 100 camels and 300 dinars annually.
[3] The Beja should respect Islam; they should not impinge on it nor should they aid and abet anyone against the adherents of Islam.
[4] They should not deny a Muslim an access to their land, nor trade whether by land or sea.
[5] If a Muslim entered [their land] as a trader, resident, passer-by or pilgrim, he should enjoy a safe passage until he leaves.
[6] If the Beja happen to be in southern Egypt as passers-by or traders, they should not carry arms nor should they enter cities and villages by any means.
[7] They should not destroy any mosque built by Muslims at Saiha and Hajr.
[8] Kanoun ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz should allow the tax collectors of Amir al-Muminein [the Prince of the Faithful] to enter the Bejaland to levy alms from those who embraced Islam.
These dictated terms of subjugation are as preposterous as those forced onto the Nubians by the Arabs in the wake of the battle of Dongola in 652 AD; thence and after, it has been referred to as the Baqt Treaty. In addition to these conditions as to cater to Arabs’ interests in the Nubialand, the Nubians were forced to pay 400 slaves annually from which 40 were to go to the Arab Governor of Aswan as his private chattels and the remaining rest were to be transferred to the Caliph of the Faithful in Baghdad, the centre of the Abbasid Dynasty rule in Iraq.
Statistically speaking, one could imagine as to how many Nubians were captured, taken into slavery and delivered to the Arab world according to this ignominious Baqt Treaty that lasted for more than six centuries. History records have shown that this was a blatant, unprovoked attack by the Arabs on a sovereign state. Like Christopher Columbus and his brothers Bartolme and Diego who forbade natives in colonies on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola from Baptism so they could be used as slaves, the Arabs were not interested in spreading Islam, bearing in mind that Islam forbids enslaving fellow Muslims. Instead, they were interested in exploiting Nubian and Bejan wealth, including gold bullions, trade and slavery. The fact that they were providing the Nubians with annual amount of wine, which is prohibited by the Islamic faith, is a solid proof of this account. So this is the kernel of emotional truth behind a nihilistic hate with which the African Sudanese have become gripped, and, long after that, the hate will still burn.
The surviving Hereditary Chief of the To Bedawie Bisharin is Maahes Sheik Khor al-Allaqui a direct descendant of dynastic rulers from Egypt`s Western Desert. His family is descended of both Western and Eastern Desert chiefdoms. Sheikh Khawr al-Allaqui belongs to one of the world`s oldest surviving royal families. He is Hereditary Chief of the Beja, Sahidi, Eastern and Western Desert tribal indigenous.
|
Profile
Married
Relationship
"Encounter"
Comments
Continue the Conversation