This article is about the geographical region to the south of the Sahara. For the geopolitical region in Northeast Africa, see the Sudans. For the two neighboring countries in Northeast Africa, see Sudan and South Sudan.
Sudan is the geographical region to the south of the Sahara, stretching from Western Africa to Central and Eastern Africa. The name derives from the Arabicbilād as-sūdān (بلاد السودان) and arḍ as-sūdān (أَرْض السودان), both meaning "the lands of the Black [Africans]", referring to West Africa and northern Central Africa.[1]
According to some modern historians, of all the regions of Africa, western Sudan "is the one that has seen the longest development of agriculture, of markets and long-distance trade, and of complex political systems." It is also the first region "south of the Sahara where African Islam took root and flowered."[2]
Early on in the first millennium, many people from the Sudan were used as "a steady steam of slaves for the Mediterranean world" in the Saharan slave trade. With the arrival of the Portuguese in the fifteenth century, "people were directed to the Atlantic slave trade," totaling over a thousand years for the Saharan and four centuries for the Atlantic trades. As a result, slavery critically shaped the institutions and systems of the Sudan. The Portuguese first arrived at Senegambia and found that slavery was "well established" in the region, used to "feed the courts of coastal kings as it was used in the medieval empires of the interior." Between the process of capture, enslavement, and "incorporation into a new community, the slave had neither rights nor any social identity." As a result, the identity of people who were enslaved "came from membership in a corporate group, usually based on kinship."[6]
^International Association for the History of Religions (1959), Numen, Leiden: EJ Brill, p. 131, West Africa may be taken as the country stretching from Senegal in the west, to the Cameroons in the east; sometimes it has been called the central and western Sudan, the Bilad as-Sūdan, 'Land of the Blacks', of the Arabs.
sudan, region, this, article, about, geographical, region, south, sahara, geopolitical, region, northeast, africa, sudans, neighboring, countries, northeast, africa, sudan, south, sudan, sudan, geographical, region, south, sahara, stretching, from, western, af. This article is about the geographical region to the south of the Sahara For the geopolitical region in Northeast Africa see the Sudans For the two neighboring countries in Northeast Africa see Sudan and South Sudan Sudan is the geographical region to the south of the Sahara stretching from Western Africa to Central and Eastern Africa The name derives from the Arabic bilad as sudan بلاد السودان and arḍ as sudan أ ر ض السودان both meaning the lands of the Black Africans referring to West Africa and northern Central Africa 1 Sudanب ل اد الس و د انAn open hay landscape in the northern GambiaWest Sudanian savannaEcologyBordersSaharaGeographyRiversChari Niger and the White Nile East Sudanian savannaContents 1 History 1 1 Middle Ages 1 2 Slave trade 2 See also 3 Notes 4 ReferencesHistory editAccording to some modern historians of all the regions of Africa western Sudan is the one that has seen the longest development of agriculture of markets and long distance trade and of complex political systems It is also the first region south of the Sahara where African Islam took root and flowered 2 Middle Ages edit Its medieval history is marked by the caravan trade 3 The sultanates of eastern Sudan were Darfur Bagirmi Sennar and Wadai In central Sudan Kanem Bornu Empire and the Hausa Kingdoms To the west were Wagadou Manden Songhay and the Mossi 4 5 Slave trade edit Early on in the first millennium many people from the Sudan were used as a steady steam of slaves for the Mediterranean world in the Saharan slave trade With the arrival of the Portuguese in the fifteenth century people were directed to the Atlantic slave trade totaling over a thousand years for the Saharan and four centuries for the Atlantic trades As a result slavery critically shaped the institutions and systems of the Sudan The Portuguese first arrived at Senegambia and found that slavery was well established in the region used to feed the courts of coastal kings as it was used in the medieval empires of the interior Between the process of capture enslavement and incorporation into a new community the slave had neither rights nor any social identity As a result the identity of people who were enslaved came from membership in a corporate group usually based on kinship 6 See also editJews of Bilad el Sudan Sub Saharan Africa Sudanian savanna East Sudanian savanna West Sudanian savannaNotes edit International Association for the History of Religions 1959 Numen Leiden EJ Brill p 131 West Africa may be taken as the country stretching from Senegal in the west to the Cameroons in the east sometimes it has been called the central and western Sudan the Bilad as Sudan Land of the Blacks of the Arabs Klein 1998 p 1 Encyclopaedia of Islam IX pp 752 758 Encyclopedia of African History and Culture volume II New York Facts on File 2005 2005 p 211 ISBN 0 8160 5270 0 Gale New Encyclopedia of Africa volume 4 Farmington Hills pp 752 758 ISBN 978 0 684 31458 7 Klein 1998 p 1 2 References editKlein Martin A 1998 Slavery and Colonial Rule in French West Africa Cambridge University Press Reader s Digest Atlas of the World 1991 Rand McNally ISBN 0 276 42001 2 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sudan region amp oldid 1194226675, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
