Iraqw
Encyclopedia
The Iraqw, known as the Mbulu in Swahili
, are a Cushitic people of the Arusha
and Manyara Region
s of north-central Tanzania
, near the Rift Valley
wall and south of Ngorongoro Crater. In 2001 the Mbulu population was estimated to number 462,000 http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=TZ.
The Iraqw language
belongs to the South Cushitic
branch of the Afro-Asiatic family.
The core area of the Iraqw is Iraqw’ar Da/aw (or Mama Issara) in the Mbulu Highlands. It has long been known for its locally developed intensive cultivation, and referred to as an “island” within a matrix of less intensive cultivation.
The areas surrounding Karatu
Town in the Arusha Region are also predominantly settled by the Iraqw.
of the Iraqw people. Their autosomal
DNA
has been examined in a comprehensive study on African genetics Tishkoff et al. (2009), their genetic profile suggests they descend from the first wave of migrations by Southern Cushitic speakers (ancestral to the Iraqw, Gorowa (Fiome), Burunge, and Mbugu), moving south from Ethiopia
into Kenya
and then into Tanzania
where they currently reside. The Iraqw did not absorb much Bantu or Nilotic
admixture from nearby populations and are still predominantly of Southern Cushitic stock. This could be explained by the practice of endogamy
in this community.
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
, are a Cushitic people of the Arusha
Arusha Region
Arusha is one of Tanzania's 26 administrative regions. The regional capital and largest city is Arusha. Other towns include Monduli, just west of Arusha, Longido and Loliondo to the north, Mto Wa Mbu and Karatu to the west and Usa River to the east...
and Manyara Region
Manyara Region
Manyara is one of the 26 Regions of Tanzania. Babati serves as the Region's capital. In its northern part is Lake Manyara. It is bordered to the north by the Arusha Region, to the northeast by the Kilimanjaro Region, to the east by the Tanga Region, to the south by the Dodoma Region, to the...
s of north-central Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, near the Rift Valley
Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately in length, that runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in South East Africa...
wall and south of Ngorongoro Crater. In 2001 the Mbulu population was estimated to number 462,000 http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=TZ.
The Iraqw language
Iraqw language
Not to be confused with Iroquois language.Iraqw is a Cushitic language spoken in Tanzania in the Arusha and Manyara Regions. It is expanding in numbers, as the Iraqw people absorb neighboring ethnic groups. The language has a large number of Datooga loanwords, especially in poetic language...
belongs to the South Cushitic
South Cushitic languages
The South Cushitic or Rift languages of Tanzania belong to the Afro-Asiatic family. The most numerous is Iraqw, with half a million speakers.-Classification:...
branch of the Afro-Asiatic family.
The core area of the Iraqw is Iraqw’ar Da/aw (or Mama Issara) in the Mbulu Highlands. It has long been known for its locally developed intensive cultivation, and referred to as an “island” within a matrix of less intensive cultivation.
The areas surrounding Karatu
Karatu
Karatu is one of the five districts in the Arusha Region of Tanzania. It is bordered by the Ngorongoro District to the north, the Shinyanga Region to the west, the Monduli District to the east, and the Manyara Region to the south and southeast....
Town in the Arusha Region are also predominantly settled by the Iraqw.
Genetics
Recent advances in genetic analyses helped shed some light on the ethnogenesisEthnogenesis
Ethnogenesis is the process by which a group of human beings comes to be understood or to understand themselves as ethnically distinct from the wider social landscape from which their grouping emerges...
of the Iraqw people. Their autosomal
Autosome
An autosome is a chromosome that is not a sex chromosome, or allosome; that is to say, there is an equal number of copies of the chromosome in males and females. For example, in humans, there are 22 pairs of autosomes. In addition to autosomes, there are sex chromosomes, to be specific: X and Y...
DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
has been examined in a comprehensive study on African genetics Tishkoff et al. (2009), their genetic profile suggests they descend from the first wave of migrations by Southern Cushitic speakers (ancestral to the Iraqw, Gorowa (Fiome), Burunge, and Mbugu), moving south from Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
into Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and then into Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
where they currently reside. The Iraqw did not absorb much Bantu or Nilotic
Nilotic
Nilotic people or Nilotes, in its contemporary usage, refers to some ethnic groups mainly in South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, and northern Tanzania, who speak Nilotic languages, a large sub-group of the Nilo-Saharan languages...
admixture from nearby populations and are still predominantly of Southern Cushitic stock. This could be explained by the practice of endogamy
Endogamy
Endogamy is the practice of marrying within a specific ethnic group, class, or social group, rejecting others on such basis as being unsuitable for marriage or other close personal relationships. A Greek Orthodox Christian endogamist, for example, would require that a marriage be only with another...
in this community.