Manasir
Encyclopedia
The Manasir people constitute one of many Sunni Arab
riverine tribe
s of Northern Sudan
. They are not to be confused with the Al Manaseer of the Gulf region in the Arabian Peninsula based mainly in the United Arab Emirates. They inhabit the region of the Fourth Cataract of the Nile
and call their homeland Dar al-Manasir
. Similar to their neighbouring tribes, the upstream Rubatab
(الرباطاب) and the downstream Shaiqiyah (الشايقيّة), the Manasir are indigenous nile culture who adapted islam and became arabic speakers. Unlike other riverain tribes of the Sudan a considerable part of their population actually lives as Bedouins in the adjacent Bayudah Desert. The nomadic life of herding their stock of goats, sheep and camels in desert valleys is however limited for many to the rainy season, coinciding with the annual inundation of the Nile.
.
According to their self presentation in a recent publication by a committee of Manasir responsible for relocation issues resulting from the Merowe Dam
, which is going to affect all villages of Dar al-Manasir
, multiple explanations of their origin are offered (LAGNAH 2005:2):
It might be worth mentioning that earlier travellers witnessed Beja
and Bisharin
influences from the Red Sea Hills
among the Manasir (INNES 1931:187).
Strong similarities of their burial customs with that of the Nubians
can still be observed (cf. CAVENDISH 1966, Local beliefs among the Manasir).
Critical research suggests that the current Manasir community should be viewed as a voluntary amalgamation throughout the centuries between indigenous mostly Nubian groups, descendants of emigrating Arabs and recruited tribal minorities living among them or in the adjoining areas. By recognizing a common genealogical pedigree, all members of the tribe establish a system of mutual respect, rights and obligations, thereby uniting themselves in their claims for land and other resources against neighbouring tribes.
Varying detailed charts of their genealogy can be studied in SALIH (1999:20) and TAIYEB (1969:between 4-5).
The current Manasir clans are divided into Riverain Manasir (Manasir al-Nil, مناصير النيل) and Bedouin Manasir (Manasir al-Badiyah, مناصير البادية), (cf. TAIYEB 1969:2).
During the dry season some clans migrate to the desert area of the Kababish
tribe to the west (Khala' Kabushiyah, خلاء كبوشية) others to the grazing grounds of Wad Hamid (بادية ود حامد) in the Ga'ali Country (الجعليين) or to the Rubatab (الرباطاب) Country. (cf. LAGNAH 1969:3, TAIYEB 1969:2)
Both figures remain vague and don't specify to what extend they include the Bedouin Manasir in the Bayudah Desert.
and the Ga'aliin the lines are vertical, the scars in the case of the Rubatab being rather larger and closer together (cf. CROWFOOT 131-132). The Manasir do not have a unique design of tribal marks, but copy either the upstream or downstream neighbouring tribes.
(cf. Date Cultivation in Dar al-Manasir
). They are also renowned for their skill in building mud houses (Galus, جالوص) and they used to float wood from the region of Atbarah
(cf. TAIYEB 1969:3, SALIH 1999:152).
Their material culture is simple and consists mainly of a variety of storage containers and tools (cf. Material Culture of the Manasir
). An insight into their culture and perception can be obtained by studying the Diwan of their recent poet Ibrahim 'Ali Salman
.
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...
riverine tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
s of Northern Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. They are not to be confused with the Al Manaseer of the Gulf region in the Arabian Peninsula based mainly in the United Arab Emirates. They inhabit the region of the Fourth Cataract 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...
and call their homeland Dar al-Manasir
Dar al-Manasir
Dar al-Manasir is the region of the Fourth Cataract, the most impassable of all rapids of the Nile. It is the homeland of the Arab tribe of the Manasir and from them gets its name...
. Similar to their neighbouring tribes, the upstream Rubatab
Rubatab
-Communication:The Rubatab tribe is a tribe in Sudan that speaks in Arabic. Their accent is different from other tribes in Sudan, but the language is the same, including the alphabets. People from other tribes may have difficulty understanding them because of their distinct accent.People in Rubatab...
(الرباطاب) and the downstream Shaiqiyah (الشايقيّة), the Manasir are indigenous nile culture who adapted islam and became arabic speakers. Unlike other riverain tribes of the Sudan a considerable part of their population actually lives as Bedouins in the adjacent Bayudah Desert. The nomadic life of herding their stock of goats, sheep and camels in desert valleys is however limited for many to the rainy season, coinciding with the annual inundation of the Nile.
Origin
Similar to other Arab tribes, the people trace their origins back to one historical ancestor. According to the current oral tradition of many Manasir this person is called Mansur and belongs to the line of descendants of al-'Abbas, the uncle of MuhammadMuhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
.
According to their self presentation in a recent publication by a committee of Manasir responsible for relocation issues resulting from the Merowe Dam
Merowe Dam
The Merowe Dam, also known as Merowe High Dam, Merowe Multi-Purpose Hydro Project or Hamdab Dam, is a large dam near Merowe Town in northern Sudan, about north of the capital Khartoum. Its dimensions make it the largest contemporary hydropower project in Africa...
, which is going to affect all villages of Dar al-Manasir
Dar al-Manasir
Dar al-Manasir is the region of the Fourth Cataract, the most impassable of all rapids of the Nile. It is the homeland of the Arab tribe of the Manasir and from them gets its name...
, multiple explanations of their origin are offered (LAGNAH 2005:2):
- The Manasir living in Gezira claim that their apical forefather is called Mansur bin Qahtan (منصور بن قحطان), belonging to the Southern Arabs called Qahtaniin (القحطانيين).
- Some historians (sources not mentioned) trace the origin of the Manasir back to the KawahlaKawahlaKawahla is an ethnic group of Eastern Sudan. They speak Sudanese Arabic. Members of this ethnicity are Muslims. The population of this ethnicity exceeds 1,0000000. They used to settle among the Beja....
(الكواهلة), saying that they are sons of Mansur bin 'Aim (منصور بن عايم). - Other historians (sources not mentioned) insist that they are the descendants of a group of cousins from a Shaiqi clan called al-Hankab (الحنكاب), who had to migrate after internal fights. According to the last opinion Mansur is a direct descendant of King Sabir (الملك صبير).
It might be worth mentioning that earlier travellers witnessed 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 Bisharin
Bisharin
The Bisharin are a mostly Sufi Muslim tribe of the Beja nomadic ethnic group. They inhabit the eastern part of the Nubian Desert in Sudan and southern Egypt, living in the Atbai between the Nile River and the Red Sea, north of the Amarar and south of the Ababda. The population is about 42,000...
influences from the Red Sea Hills
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:...
among the Manasir (INNES 1931:187).
Strong similarities of their burial customs with that of the Nubians
Nubians
The Nubians are an ethnic group originally from northern Sudan, and southern Egypt now inhabiting North Africa and some parts of East Africa....
can still be observed (cf. CAVENDISH 1966, Local beliefs among the Manasir).
Critical research suggests that the current Manasir community should be viewed as a voluntary amalgamation throughout the centuries between indigenous mostly Nubian groups, descendants of emigrating Arabs and recruited tribal minorities living among them or in the adjoining areas. By recognizing a common genealogical pedigree, all members of the tribe establish a system of mutual respect, rights and obligations, thereby uniting themselves in their claims for land and other resources against neighbouring tribes.
Varying detailed charts of their genealogy can be studied in SALIH (1999:20) and TAIYEB (1969:between 4-5).
The current Manasir clans are divided into Riverain Manasir (Manasir al-Nil, مناصير النيل) and Bedouin Manasir (Manasir al-Badiyah, مناصير البادية), (cf. TAIYEB 1969:2).
- Manasir al-Nil: al-Wahabab (الوهاب), al-Suleimaniyah (السليمانية), al-Kabanah (الكبانة), al-Diqeisab (الدقيساب), al-Hamsab (الهامزاب), al-Ga'al (الجعل), al-'Ababsah (العبابسة), al-Farei'ab (الفريعاب) [Rubatab], al-Hamdatiab (الحمدتياب) [Shaiqi] and al-'Amasib (العماسيب).
- Manasir al-Badiyah: sharing the grazing grounds of Abisba' (ابسباع) and Sani (سانى) are al-Khabra (الخبرا), al-Hamamir (الحمامير), al-Muleikab (المليكاب) and al-Kagbab (الكجباب).
During the dry season some clans migrate to the desert area of the Kababish
Kababish
The Kababish are a Sunni Muslim nomadic camel-raising tribe of the northern Kordofan region of Sudan.The Kababish are a loose tribal confederation of Arabic people of mixed origins, numbering about 70,000, who live in a region of desert scrubland....
tribe to the west (Khala' Kabushiyah, خلاء كبوشية) others to the grazing grounds of Wad Hamid (بادية ود حامد) in the Ga'ali Country (الجعليين) or to the Rubatab (الرباطاب) Country. (cf. LAGNAH 1969:3, TAIYEB 1969:2)
Population
The de-facto population of the Manasir (in the Shiri Rural Council) in 1993 had been 30.000, according to data of The Federal Department of Statistics of Sudan cited and empirically verified by SALIH (1999:10-11). The publication of the Manasir committee is talking about 33.000 resident and 17.000 non-resident Manasir (تعداد السكان المقيمين فى 92/1993 م=33.000 نسمة, تعداد الاسر المترددة فى92/1993 م=17.000 نسمة), (LAGNAH 2005:6).Both figures remain vague and don't specify to what extend they include the Bedouin Manasir in the Bayudah Desert.
Tribal marks
Like other tribes in Sudan, most Manasir of the grown-up generations have tribal marks (Shilukh, الشلوخ) which possibly originate from a Sheikh's animal burning mark (Wasm, وسم). The tribal marks are cut with a razor on the cheeks of a child to mark it belonging to a specific tribe. Among the Donqolawi and the Shaiqiya these marks usually consist of three horizontal scars, among the RubatabRubatab
-Communication:The Rubatab tribe is a tribe in Sudan that speaks in Arabic. Their accent is different from other tribes in Sudan, but the language is the same, including the alphabets. People from other tribes may have difficulty understanding them because of their distinct accent.People in Rubatab...
and the Ga'aliin the lines are vertical, the scars in the case of the Rubatab being rather larger and closer together (cf. CROWFOOT 131-132). The Manasir do not have a unique design of tribal marks, but copy either the upstream or downstream neighbouring tribes.
Economy and culture
The riverain Manasir pursue small scale agriculture on alluvial soils in the immediate vicinity of the Nile. Their most important cash crop sold on the national market is a wide variety of datesDate Palm
The date palm is a palm in the genus Phoenix, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit. Although its place of origin is unknown because of long cultivation, it probably originated from lands around the Persian Gulf. It is a medium-sized plant, 15–25 m tall, growing singly or forming a clump with...
(cf. Date Cultivation in Dar al-Manasir
Date cultivation in Dar al-Manasir
Date palms are cultivated in Sudan from the Egyptian border in the North all the way along the Nile south of Khartoum until Sennar. In addition to the banks of the Nile, isolated occurrences of cultivated date trees occur in the Red Sea Hills in the vicinity of Port Sudan, in Kassala, along the...
). They are also renowned for their skill in building mud houses (Galus, جالوص) and they used to float wood from the region of Atbarah
Atbarah
Atbarah is a town of 111,399 located in River Nile State in northeastern Sudan.It is located at the junction of the Nile and Atbarah rivers. It is an important railway junction and railroad manufacturing centre, and most employment in Atbarah is related to the rail lines...
(cf. TAIYEB 1969:3, SALIH 1999:152).
Their material culture is simple and consists mainly of a variety of storage containers and tools (cf. Material Culture of the Manasir
Material Culture of the Manasir
The material culture of the Manasir is very basic and primarily relies on the by-products of palm tree cultivation . Date trees not only constitute the main source of income and an important supply of nutrition in Dar al-Manasir, but the Manasir also make intelligent use of all different parts of...
). An insight into their culture and perception can be obtained by studying the Diwan of their recent poet Ibrahim 'Ali Salman
Ibrahim 'Ali Salman
Ibrahim 'Ali Salman is the most famous contemporary poet of the Arab Manasir who inhabit the area of the Fourth Cataract of the Nile in Northern Sudan...
.