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Geography and History of the Sudan

Sudan is the largest country in Africa. Covering an area of a million square miles , it extends from the desert in the north to almost the equatorial belt in the south , and bordered by the red sea coast in the east , its western borders over-look the center of the continent . For this strategic location it occupies, Sudan is endowed with great climatic and cultural diversity. Throughout many historical periods, Sudan had served as a bridge linking Asia, Africa and a number of Mediterranean countries. The Sudan of today is but the outcome of the historical role it had earlier been playing whose effect is obvious in the population texture. It is composed of more than a hundred different human groupings of different racial and cultural origins. Major factors that contributed to this diversified texture are: first, the Arab-Muslim influence and, second, the African current coming from the of the continent. However, Sudan received and continued to receive people from all parts of the globe, thus becoming melting pot for different races and cultures and, simultaneously, a passage for thought and religions between Africa and the outer world since early times. Early Arab travelers and Muslim historians highlighted aspects of Sudan life in their writings where names like Nubia, Sudan and Abyssinea were mentioned. This unique status it enjoys, made of Sudan the richest country in Africa as regards archeological heritage with many antiquities having been discovered. During the first quarter of the 19^th century, more precisely in 1821, when forces of Khedive Mohammed Ali Pasha entered Sudan, European attention was attracted to the study of Sudan history. Travelers and researchers then started visiting Sudan and some wrote and documented their observations of sites and personal history of some prominent figures.

Religious Diversity in Sudan:

Islam and Christianity are the two major religions in Sudan. Islam is the religion of the majority of the Sudanese people, followed by Christianity and then the other local creeds. Islamic Sharia and customs are the sources of legislation and non-Muslims are governed by their own laws in personal issues. The law guarantees full freedom of worshipping and equality of all religions.

Entry of Islam in Sudan:

Islam entered Sudan from the north via Egypt and from the east across the Red Sea during the reign of Abdalla Ibn Abi al-Sarh in Egypt. It then spread southward rapidly. The spread of islam in Sudan was connected to two basic stages. The first one was the role of Arab immigrants, most of them were beduin and traders. This was considered as a preparatory stage that preceded the rise of Islamic sultanates. The Second stage occurred when a group of Sudanese Arabized Nubians disseminated Islam. The change from a pagan or Christian society to a Muslim one, where Arab curler was dominant, was a slow and peaceful process. Most of those contacts were through the old trade between Egypt and Sudan. Mosques began to spread in Northern Sudan specially after the northern Kingdoms, such as Alwa Kingdom converted, and the appearance of Al-Funj Sultanate in Sennar. Islam got a strong push during this era following the emergence of Sufi sects, which played a prominent role in spreading Islam and building of mosques and Quranic schools.

Traditional Beliefs:

Most Sudanese people believe in the supreme power, Allah the Almighty. The Nilotic tribes (Nuer, Sheluk and Dinka) believe in a higher force, while some other groups have magical practices alongside this bolief, such as Lango. The issue of traditional beliefs is a complex one because of the mix occurring between the local creeds and the heavenly religions, such as Islam. But some southern groups have other magical practices besides their belief in God, e.g. among some tribes of Sheluk, Dinka and Nuer. Some say that the religious thinking of Nuer is difficult to understand, except that they believe that god is close to man but is separate from him. The word "Koz" or spirit means God among the Nuers. Among the Sheluks, the word "Gok" means God. This Gok is invisible and has no particular form, just like air. The spirit among the Dinka is known as "Nilek", that has no beginning or end. They believe that it created the world and it is important because it brings the rain. They also have other spirits, which are intermediary between man and God for solving problems.

As regards the religious beliefs of Ingassina and Medob, they are related to the sun. Ingassina tribesmen also practice fire flames. In Nuba Mountains area, we find the "Kujur" as one of the important religious beliefs. Nuba tribes believe in one God as a supreme power for them, the Kujur is a human being with a spirit of God inside him. The Kujur is used for calling for rain and his aid is sought against disease. These beliefs are still practiced in some areas of Sudan.

Sufi Sects:

The Sufi sects contributed to spreading Islam all over the Sudan. They also contributed to the removal of differences based on racial, tribal and social affiliations by the bond of the path of Allah.

Sudan and Islam Till the Rise of Modern Sudan:

Islam was introduced in Sudan in the 7^th century A.D. during the reign of Caliph Osman ibn Affan when Muslim armies, led by companion Aqaba ibn Nafie Al Fahri, then advanced to Sudan and fought the Nubians, followed by Abdullah ibn Abi Al SSSarh who succeeded in concluding an agreement with the Nubians known as the Baqt Agreement (651 AD. –31 Hijiri). Nubia then became a land of chd (agreement)-which ensured a new kind with relations of the Muslim state whereas the dominant relations were either peace 0r war relations. The agreement organized the relations between the Muslim state and Nubia with major gains including:

This agreement marked peaceful of Islam by the Sudanese people. A number of Muslim communities then developed in Old Dongola, Suakin and Izab then Muslim Kingdom of Dongola. That was followed by an Arab influx into the country and their interaction with the natives leading to the rise ofSinnar Muslim state in which the natives allied with the Arab settlers making a state that opened its doors for scholars. Sudan thus became an integral part of the Arab-Muslim entity within an African framework. Due to the spread of religious schools and Sufi brotherhoods besides social interaction, Sudanese people easily absorbed Islam.

The Funj state(Sinnar) was brought to a close by the arrival of the Egyptianized Turkish invader Mohammed Ali Pasha’s forces in Sudan in 1821. The Turc-Egyptian reign lasted till 1885 when victorious Muslim jihad movement led by Imam Mohammed Ahmed Al Mahdi put an end to the Egyptian rule and killed its last Governor, Gen. Charles Gordon. The Mahdist movement succeeded in overthrowing the Egyptianized Tukish administration for the following reasons:

The Mahdist reign lasted for almost 14 years. This may be briefed in the following reasons:

Since the defeat of the Mahdist armies by the crusaders in Karari, a new system of government was imposed on Sudan known as the condominium Rule. Though it was supposed that the Egyptians shared the rule of Sudan, the English, however, were the actual rulers of the country. They introduced railways, river transport, posts and telegraph services, set up the Gezira agricultural scheme and the Gordon Memorial College. They sought to set up a secular state in the north and a Christian state let in the south.

The Sudanese did not surrender to the Condominium Rule: