Banu Kanz
Encyclopedia
The Banu Kanz were a group of Rabi'ah Arab
s who emigrated to Egypt and Sudan, eventually dislocating the Beja
and penetrating into the desert
east of the Nile
around Aswan
. During the period, the gold mines of the region briefly made a resurgence.
In 1004 the Caliph
al-Hakim
bestowed the title of Kanz ad-Dawla upon the leader of the tribe for their capturing of the fugitive Abu Rakwa. In 1066, the Kanz ad-Dawla Nasir invaded Nobadia but was repulsed and had his lands raided instead. Still, the family became an important power in the region, gaining control of the Aswan region and achieving nominal independence before being defeated by the Ayyubids under Shams ad-Dawla Turanshah, Saladin
's brother, in AD 1173.
Contrary to simplified accounts, the Banu Kanz never conquered Makuria
, the largest medieval Christian state in Nubia
, but were gradually married into the royal family. Because Makurian inheritance, like its Kush
ite model, passed matrilineally to the son of the king's sister, members of the Banu Kanz eventually inherited the throne of the kingdom in AD 1412.
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
s who emigrated to Egypt and Sudan, eventually dislocating the Beja
Beja people
The Beja people are an ethnic group dwelling in parts of North Africa and the Horn of Africa.-Geography:The Beja are found mostly in Sudan, but also in parts of Eritrea, and Egypt...
and penetrating into the desert
Eastern Desert
The Eastern Desert is the section of Sahara Desert east of the Nile River, between the river and the Red Sea. It extends from Egypt in the north to Eritrea in the south, and also comprises parts of Sudan and Ethiopia.-Features:...
east of the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
around Aswan
Aswan
Aswan , formerly spelled Assuan, is a city in the south of Egypt, the capital of the Aswan Governorate.It stands on the east bank of the Nile at the first cataract and is a busy market and tourist centre...
. During the period, the gold mines of the region briefly made a resurgence.
In 1004 the Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
al-Hakim
Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah
Abu ‘Ali Mansur Tāriqu l-Ḥākim, called Al-Hakim bi Amr al-Lāh , was the sixth Fatimid caliph and 16th Ismaili imam .- History :...
bestowed the title of Kanz ad-Dawla upon the leader of the tribe for their capturing of the fugitive Abu Rakwa. In 1066, the Kanz ad-Dawla Nasir invaded Nobadia but was repulsed and had his lands raided instead. Still, the family became an important power in the region, gaining control of the Aswan region and achieving nominal independence before being defeated by the Ayyubids under Shams ad-Dawla Turanshah, Saladin
Saladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
's brother, in AD 1173.
Contrary to simplified accounts, the Banu Kanz never conquered Makuria
Makuria
The Kingdom of Makuria was a kingdom located in what is today Northern Sudan and Southern Egypt. It was one of a group of Nubian kingdoms that emerged during the decline of the Aksumite Empire, which it had been part of from approximately 4BC to AD 950...
, the largest medieval Christian state in Nubia
Nubia
Nubia is a region along the Nile river, which is located in northern Sudan and southern Egypt.There were a number of small Nubian kingdoms throughout the Middle Ages, the last of which collapsed in 1504, when Nubia became divided between Egypt and the Sennar sultanate resulting in the Arabization...
, but were gradually married into the royal family. Because Makurian inheritance, like its Kush
Kingdom of Kush
The native name of the Kingdom was likely kaš, recorded in Egyptian as .The name Kash is probably connected to Cush in the Hebrew Bible , son of Ham ....
ite model, passed matrilineally to the son of the king's sister, members of the Banu Kanz eventually inherited the throne of the kingdom in AD 1412.