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Arabs in sub-Saharan Africa.

In the pre-colonial era, Madagascar was mostly animist, with Arab Muslim influence on their culture coming through Arab merchants.

Madagascar's animist Kings had Arab Muslims at their courts who wieled influence, the Malagasy language received many Arabic loanwords like the names of months, Islam was introduced to Madagascar, they used Arabic script (Sorabe) to write Malagasy and other elements of Muslim culture and science came along with the Muslims. Some of the non-Muslim Malagasy people still practice elements of Muslim culture brought by the Arabs. Circumcision was inroduced by the Muslims. The general population was animist with a minority of Muslims descended from Arabs mixed with natives. But the Portuguese came to Madagascar and introduced Catholicism and it became the majority religion. Muslims are around 7% today. Madagascar was a French colony and this helped make it Francophone and entrench Catholicism. The Antemoro (Antaimoro) in particular are said to be descended from Arabs.

http://www.mohamedrabeea.com/books/book1_357.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Madagascar

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/64617/wdg_1.pdf?sequence=1

http://archive.org/stream/jstor-1799385/1799385_djvu.txt

http://archive.org/stream/jstor-3025257/3025257_djvu.txt

http://archive.org/stream/jstor-3025288/3025288_djvu.txt

https://www.zotero.org/groups/substratejiljadid/items/itemKey/EJZIFEXK

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=85469
 
This thread is for Arab minorities in Sub-saharan Africa and Arab League relations with African countries.
The Shuwa (Baggara) Arabs are nomadic herders who live in a belt stretching from Sudan, through Chad, Niger, and Nigeria. They are descended from Arabs who migrated to the Chad basin via Egypt in Medieval times. They are Afro-Arabs (mixed with black Africans).

http://books.google.com/books?id=_SQqNlHA5hsC&pg=PA7#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://www.academia.edu/2558357/Mig..._Age_Canaan_and_Shuwa-Arabs_in_the_Chad_Basin

http://www.academia.edu/2992628/Shuwa-Arab_Economics_Livestock_Management_and_Animal_Consumption

http://cnp.nonuniv.ox.ac.uk/pdf/NP_...d_patterns_of_transhumanance_U_Braukamper.pdf

http://ils.uofk.edu:8001/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=10475

http://search.library.wisc.edu/items/T4WNCSG6VCY2D8L

http://books.google.com/books?id=-QAJ0iu5PUQC&pg=PA155#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=FFU8AAAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA119#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=stl97FdyRswC&pg=PA88#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=ZDCinRX01F8C&pg=PA92

http://books.google.com/books?id=UU50AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA403

http://books.google.com/books?id=aWS7AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA65

http://web.archive.org/web/20070629...kfurt.de/volltexte/2006/3631/pdf/UDO_1993.pdf

https://sites.google.com/site/adaptationtoclimatechange/Home/the-shuwa-arabs

http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Kanem-Bornu.html




http://books.google.com/books?id=hJ...ce=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=DG...ce=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=Db...ce=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=dVUiAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA260#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=Ih6b9iupT6oC&pg=PA260#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://www.iu.edu/~celtie/Lessons/Arabic/B10/Basic_CHAD_Arabic.pdf

http://www.livelingua.com/peace-corps/Arabic-Chad/Peace Corps Spoken Chad Arabic.pdf

http://pages.uoregon.edu/tpayne/Chapter02-Morphological_Processes/ChadianArabic.pdf

http://books.google.com/books?id=C7...ce=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=XC...ce=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=2r...ce=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=0h...ce=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://www.academia.edu/913497/Counter-assertive_focus_in_Kordofanian_Baggara_Arabic

http://www.academia.edu/2309644/Dia..._in_Kordofanian_Baggara_Arabic_western_Sudan_

There is a picture of the "Baggara Belt" on page 161, which shows where the Shuwa Arabs live.

http://sites.middlebury.edu/arabics...3/03/versteegh-chapter-on-arabic-dialects.pdf

Baggara_Arabs_Belt.svg


General information

http://books.google.com/books?id=nW...ce=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=o_...ce=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90777/90855/7161907.html
 
Very interesting thread 7abibi. Much appreciated once again.

I would maybe slightly change the title of the thread to Arabs in Sub-Saharan Africa/Horn of Africa. That is more accurate given that Arabs live across whole of North Africa. I would ask an moderator to change the thread title.

The Bani Rasheed are quite widespread in the Horn of Africa. Many have mixed though.

I really liked the video with the dances. The Rashaida women had a very funny and interesting dance compared to the Eritrean one that was showed.

I have always had a great interest in the Horn of Africa - especially Ethiopia. It's one of the most ancient regions in the world and a large part of the people there are fellow Semites that speak Semitic languages. Very beautiful region similar in many ways to parts of the Arabian Peninsula.

I have always wanted to learn more about the Baggara Arabs since they live across a very big area and have influenced the locals there greatly but unfortunately I have never studied them closely. I have to read about them. Once I was listening to the Arabic spoken in Chad and it was quite something I have to say. Very interesting.

Here one can read more about the Chadian Arabic:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chadian_Arabic


I also found this. A genetic test showing that all of the Rashaida tested from Egypt, KSA, Sudan, Eritrea, Kuwait etc. all belong to this haplogroup below:

http://www.familytreedna.com/public/alrashaidatribe/default.aspx?section=yresults

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haplogroup_J_(Y-DNA)

Here are some pictures of the Rashaida people in Eritrea:

c3q78.jpg


2en7v41.jpg


2wdyt8g.jpg


voag6h.jpg


o3fie.jpg


The Arab world should have much more cooperation with Sub-Saharan Africa/Horn of Africa than it already has. Great potential, beautiful region, beautiful and friendly people. Especially since we have ties to them be it religious, cultural, linguistic and in some cases even ancestral. Abundance of resources and potential as well.
 
Last edited:
Mauritius was an uninhabited island discovered by Arab seafearing merchants. However, they did not leave behind any permanent settlements. Like Madagascar, it was later visited by the Portuguese. The Netherlands, France, and Britain later colonized the island and populated it with people from its colonies in asia and africa. The Arabs named it "Dina Arabi".

http://books.google.com/books?id=mYdJAiqt_kAC&pg=PA12#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=pyNiZqOosTMC&pg=PA21#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://iels.intnet.mu/discovery_mau.htm

http://mauritius.voyaz.com/history.htm

http://www.mauritius-holidays-discovery.com/discovery-of-mauritius.html

http://www.travelmauritius.info/history.html

http://books.google.com/books?id=JnIb2OCzDvEC&pg=PA2#v=onepage&q&f=false
 
Very interesting thread 7abibi. Much appreciated once again.

I would maybe slightly change the title of the thread to Arabs in Sub-Saharan Africa/Horn of Africa. That is more accurate given that Arabs live across whole of North Africa. I would ask an moderator to change the thread title.

The Bani Rasheed are quite widespread in the Horn of Africa. Many have mixed though.

I really liked the video with the dances. The Rashaida women had a very funny and interesting dance compared to the Eritrean one that was showed.

I have always had a great interest in the Horn of Africa - especially Ethiopia. It's one of the most ancient regions in the world and a large part of the people there are fellow Semites that speak Semitic languages. Very beautiful region similar in many ways to parts of the Arabian Peninsula.

I have always wanted to learn more about the Baggara Arabs since they live across a very big area and have influenced the locals there greatly but unfortunately I have never studied them closely. I have to read about them. Once I was listening to the Arabic spoken in Chad and it was quite something I have to say. Very interesting.

Here one can read more about the Chadian Arabic:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chadian_Arabic


I also found this. A genetic test showing that all of the Rashaida tested from Egypt, KSA, Sudan, Eritrea, Kuwait etc. all belong to this haplogroup below:

http://www.familytreedna.com/public/alrashaidatribe/default.aspx?section=yresults

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haplogroup_J_(Y-DNA)

Here are some pictures of the Rashaida people in Eritrea:

c3q78.jpg


2en7v41.jpg


2wdyt8g.jpg


voag6h.jpg


o3fie.jpg


The Arab world should have much more cooperation with Sub-Saharan Africa/Horn of Africa than it already has. Great potential, beautiful region, beautiful and friendly people. Especially since we have ties to them be it religious, cultural, linguistic and in some cases even ancestral. Abundance of resources and potential as well.

Chad has been floated as a possible new member of the Arab league, both Chad and Arab League states have expressed interest in Chad joining for several years. These are old articles.

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article9323

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90777/90855/7161907.html

The Arab League already has Somalia and Djibouti, which despite being majority non-Arab, have shared historical, religious and cultural background with Arab states. Arabic is an official language in both of them along with their native languages and most Djiboutians speak fluent Arabic, along with Somalis and some Ethiopians. Comoros is also an Arab League member, and its people are a mix of Arabs and Africans.

Eritrea has been an Arab League observer since 2003.

http://somalilandtimes.net/2003/52/5214.htm

Although they are not full Arab League menbers, Eritrea and Chad both have Arabic as an official language and Arabic is also part of Eritrean culture. It has been in Eritrea as a language of politics and commerce since the medieval era. This is a response written by an Eritrean against those who claimed Arabic is not part of Eritrea.

http://awate.com/arabic-in-eritrea-its-history-and-its-reality-iii/
 
There are Arab tribes in the Azawad region of northern Mali.

The Berabiche (Barabish, Barabiche) Arabs live mostly in the area around Timbuktu and all over Azawad. The Kunta (Kounta) and Telemsi Arabs in particular live around Gao. The Kunta Arabs claim Uqba ibn Nafi as their ancestor and trace their genealogies back to him.

Historians say they were Berber tribes who were Arabized a long time ago and adopted the Arabic language and constructed genealogies with Arab ancestors.

Berabiche

http://books.google.com/books?id=q3mx8aAo6x0C&pg=PA171#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=6h8QAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA687#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://collections.si.edu/search/results.htm?q=record_ID:siris_sil_749957

http://books.google.com/books?id=YPK5oEz4X28C&pg=PA634#v=onepage&q&f=false

Kunta

http://books.google.com/books?id=BKulU4bzi7gC&pg=PA164#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=jjBYQCpfCNkC&pg=PA637#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=46UdlxcCN6MC&pg=PA345#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=52mbA5bGB_cC&pg=PA114#v=onepage&q&f=false

This paper explains the process of the Arabization of the Berbers, and how the Berbers attached genealogies tracing their ancestry to Yemeni Arabs.

https://fds.duke.edu/db/attachment/1220

Hassaniya Arabic is spoken in Mali

http://books.google.com/books?id=dF...ce=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://hal.inria.fr/docs/00/56/38/53/PDF/CTC_EALL_Hassaniyya.pdf
 
Eritrea has been an Arab League observer since 2003.

Although they are not full Arab League menbers, Eritrea and Chad both have Arabic as an official language and Arabic is also part of Eritrean culture. It has been in Eritrea as a language of politics and commerce since the medieval era. This is a response written by an Eritrean against those who claimed Arabic is not part of Eritrea.

http://awate.com/arabic-in-eritrea-its-history-and-its-reality-iii/

Eritrea were supported by the Arabs during the independence war where most of them flood to Sudan, Egypt and the Arabian as refugees. They can't speak Arabic inside Eritrea but all of them outside speak Arabic because they grew up in Sudan and the Arab state then raise kids who ends up speaking Arabic. They have 9 tribes with different language and neither include Arabic except if added Rashaida.

Thank you for all of the facts but the people who are from Horn of Africa is where Arab consider them Arab. Chad isn't part of it?
 
Eritrea were supported by the Arabs during the independence war where most of them flood to Sudan, Egypt and the Arabian as refugees. They can't speak Arabic inside Eritrea but all of them outside speak Arabic because they grew up in Sudan and the Arab state then raise kids who ends up speaking Arabic. They have 9 tribes with different language and neither include Arabic except if added Rashaida.

Thank you for all of the facts but the people who are from Horn of Africa is where Arab consider them Arab. Chad isn't part of it?

Chad is indeed not in the Horn, it is in the Sahel, below Libya. I mentioned it with Eritrea because both are possible future members of the Arab League.
 
Mauritius was an uninhabited island discovered by Arab seafearing merchants. However, they did not leave behind any permanent settlements. Like Madagascar, it was later visited by the Portuguese. The Netherlands, France, and Britain later colonized the island and populated it with people from its colonies in asia and africa. The Arabs named it "Dina Arabi".

http://books.google.com/books?id=mYdJAiqt_kAC&pg=PA12#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=pyNiZqOosTMC&pg=PA21#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://iels.intnet.mu/discovery_mau.htm

http://mauritius.voyaz.com/history.htm

http://www.mauritius-holidays-discovery.com/discovery-of-mauritius.html

http://www.travelmauritius.info/history.html

http://books.google.com/books?id=JnIb2OCzDvEC&pg=PA2#v=onepage&q&f=false

Did not know about the fact that Arabs discovered Mauritius. It's an extremely beautiful island. Thank you once again for all the excellent links.

Another future theme in this thread could be Arabs living on the Swahili coast - itself an Arab word and former area where Arabs had great influence. It was even part of the Omani Sultanate not long ago. Zanzibar was that until 50 years ago or so. If I remember correctly from history classes.
Thank you again for this excellent thread.
 
@Wholegrain planning to do any new updates my dear friend?You are probably the member on this forum who makes the most detailed posts full of interesting sources. I always enjoy reading your posts about the ancient and diverse Arab world that you seem to have an enormous knowledge about.

I would wish to contribute more as well but I am writing from my iPhone and I am really bad at using Google Books and other primary sources when I use a smartphone.

Take your time. I at least will be waiting for any updates if they arrive.
 

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