African history is often seen as little more
than a footnote in the march of human civilization, an appendage to the supposedly richer tapestries
of European and Middle Eastern antiquity. This assessment could not be more wrong. In modern day Sudan, there are the ruins of
once-magnificent Cathedrals, hewn from mud brick, standing amidst the desert sands, remnants
of a mighty civilization in the heart of eastern Africa, which for centuries stood as an enclave
of Christendom amidst a sea of Islamic powers. Welcome to our first video on the civilizations
of Africa, where we will cover the forgotten Kingdoms of Nubia. If you want to learn about the history of
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full membership! Our story begins on the banks of the Nile
River, whose rich silt deposits nurtured the ancient land of the Pyramids and Pharaohs. However, the Nile does not stop flowing where
Ancient Egypt ended, instead snaking south into the heart of Africa, allowing many other
civilizations to thrive upon its shores. The most prominent of these were the Nubians,
a people who flourished in what is now Sudan. Around 2500BC, the first powerful state in
Nubia, Kerma, rose to prominence. Running roughly parallel to the middle Kingdom
of Egypt, the Nubian people of Kerma were sophisticated agriculturalists, cattle-herders,
ceramicists, and metalworkers. They left behind huge ritualistic tombs known
as Defuffas. Around 1550BC, the armies of the Egyptian
“New Kingdom” thundered southwards in their war chariots and brought Kerma under
their rule. Egypt ruled over Nubia for roughly 500 years,
during which time the Nubian peoples adopted many aspects of Egyptian culture, including
the worship of Egyptian gods like Amun and Isis. Despite being under occupation, the Nubians
maintained much internal autonomy and a distinct identity. Egyptian art at the time depicted Nubian nobility
with darker skin than their own, bedazzled in large earrings and draped in robes made
of exotic animal skins, making them very distinct from the average Egyptian. In the immediate aftermath of the apocalyptic
Bronze Age Collapse, which devastated all civilization on the Eastern Mediterranean,
the Nubians were able to reassert their independence, establishing the Kingdom of Kush, with its
capital at the Amunic cult-center of Napata. In the centuries that followed, the Nubians
were able to reverse the tides against their former conquerors. It would be around 745BC that the mighty Kushite
King Piye would take advantage of unrest in the north to launch an invasion, occupying
Egypt and becoming the first Pharaoh of its 25th Dynasty. Egypt flourished under Nubian rule, as the
Kushite Pharaohs oversaw a renaissance in Egyptian art and religion. This included the first widespread construction
of Pyramids in nearly 2,000 years, both in Egypt proper and in their homeland of Nubia. The good times were not to last, however,
as in 674BC, the warlike Assyrians marched down from the Fertile Crescent, and after
a 90 year struggle, permanently pushed the Kushites out of Egypt and back into Nubia. Kushite Civilization continued on after this,
with its capital moved to the ancient city of Meroe. Even in their reduced state, the realm remained
an economic powerhouse- most prominently as a hub of trade, for they sat at the strategic
crossroads between Subsaharan Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Mediterranean World. Nubian traders peddled luxury goods such as
gold, ivory, and ebony, as well as a host of exotic African animals such as wildcats,
monkeys, elephants, and giraffes. One can’t help but imagine a cheering throng
of plebeians in the Circus Maximus of Rome, and wonder if they owed the grim spectacle
of the ravenous Lions in the sand below to the skilled trappers of Nubia. For centuries longer, the Kingdom of Kush
coexisted with a string of foreign dynasties that ruled over their Egyptian neighbours-
Persian Achaemenids, Ptolemaic Greeks, and the Roman Empire. A brief war was fought with Rome in the 1st
century BC, but the Kushites, led by queen Amanirenas, managed to assert their sovereignty
against the Legions, establishing the city of Aswan as the border between them and the
Imperial Eagle. However, as Rome grew, it was able to monopolize
Mediterranean trade, greatly reducing the Nubians’ influence in that trading node. Furthermore, the nascent Kingdom of Aksum
had begun to expand to the southeast at the expense of Kushite territory, pushing the
Nubians out of the lucrative Red Sea trade. With Kush in terminal decline, the Aksumites
would launch a full scale invasion in around 350AD, resulting in the final collapse of
the ancient Kingdom. The Nubian peoples would weather this calamity,
and consolidate into three smaller successor states in Kush’s former territory: Nobatia,
Makuria, and Alodia. For a time, the fragmented Nubian states would
continue to cling on to the bygone days of Kushite glory. Throughout the 5th century, the Kings of Nobatia
continued to adorn themselves in the royal regalia of their Meroeite ancestors, and worship
their Egyptianized Pantheon. However, a new religion would penetrate into
the ancient Nubian desert, and forever change the cultural fabric of the land. It is here that the Christian Faith is finally
introduced to Nubia. By the fourth century AD, Christianity had
become the cultural backbone of the Roman Empire. In time, there emerged five main ecclesiastical
centers of Christianity within its borders: Rome, Constantinople, Jerusalem, Antioch,
and Alexandria. Egypt became Christian through the Alexandrian
Church. By the early 6th century, the western half
of the Empire had fallen, but the Greek-speaking “Byzantine” half endured and retained
control of the wealthy region, becoming the greatest political and cultural powerhouse
in the Mediterranean. Nubia had always been malleable to adopting
the religions that came out of Egypt. Now, in order to strengthen their economic
ties to the powerhouse that was Justinian’s’ Roman Empire, they considered doing so again. The Romans in Alexandria sent their Priests
southwards. The Christianization of the Nubians was complete
by 580 and the Kushite temples were converted into Churches. The most striking evidence of social change
during this era can be observed in the shift in burial rites. Whereas before, Kushite Rulers were buried
in ornate royal tombs amidst piles of wealth, no such glamour has been found for the monarchs
of the Christian era- the deity above now meant more than any worldly king. For roughly a century, the Kingdoms of Christian
Nubia enjoyed a period of prosperity. Wealth from Eastern Rome flowed down the Nile
into their lands, and with it, cultural influence. Greek emerged as the dominant language among
the Nubian aristocracy and clergy. It was around this time that the Kingdom of
Makuria absorbed Nobatia, becoming the predominant power in the region. However, across the Red sea, a new faith was
about to be born, and with it, a new era. By the time of Muhammad’s death in 632,
the young faith of Islam had spread firmly across the entirety of Arabia. Immediately afterwards, the Rashidun Caliphate
stormed out of its homeland as some of the most efficient conquerors in world history. By 641 the armies of the Caliph Umar had seized
Egypt. All of a sudden, the Kingdoms of Nubia found
themselves isolated from the rest of Christianity. Knowing the Nubians to be a dangerous power
to leave unchecked, the Rashiduns immediately attacked the ancient land of Kush. In 642, the Arab General Uqba ibn Nafi led
a column of 20,000 horsemen into Makuria. Initially uncontested, they proceeded towards
the capital city of Dongola. The Muslims had vanquished the mighty Sassanid
Persians and even brought the Romans to heel. So what was there to fear from bilād as-sūdān,
the “land of the black skinned people”? And yet, as they approached the Makurian capital,
their foe finally emerged like a desert mirage, arrow points gleaming beneath the scorching
sun. At the first battle of Dongola, the deadly
aim of 10,000 Nubian marksmen was able to inflict between 10,000 and 15,000 deaths on
the unsuspecting Arabic horsemen. Ibn Nafis’ army was eviscerated, and the
Arabs were forced to retreat. They returned in 652 with a new army and siege
weapons in tow, but were once more defeated in a pitched battle outside the mud-brick
walls of Dongola. After this setback, the Muslim Rulers of Egypt
and the King of Makuria came together and brokered a peace treaty known as the Baqt. This pact was stipulated on an annual exchange
of goods: The Makurians would export 360 slaves to Egypt per year, while the Egyptians would
provide wheat, textiles, and other essential goods to the Makurians. Additionally, both parties would allow safe
passage for each other’s citizens in the others’ lands, and the Makurians would maintain
a Mosque in their Kingdom for use of Muslim visitors. The Baqt treaty was a remarkable milestone:
Firstly, it confirmed that the Nubians were the only ones who had successfully fended
off the early Arabic invasions. Secondly, although no one knew it at the time,
the Baqt would turn out to be one of longest lasting diplomatic treaties in human history. It is during the long era of Baqt that we
have the most archaeological and literary records of Medieval Nubian culture. So let us take a brief pause from the march
of history to paint a picture of what Nubian society looked like during this time. Christianity was integral to every level of
Nubian society. The King of Makuria traditionally also held
the role of priest, and was capable of performing mass. Six major cathedral sites have been uncovered
by modern archaeologists, the best preserved being located at Faras and Qasr Ibrim. Additionally, hundreds of smaller churches
have been found across the land. Although Egypt was ruled by Muslims, there
remained a thriving protected class of Christians, known as the Copts. These peoples were the descendants of the
ancient Egyptians, and practiced a vibrant brand of Orthodox Christianity. From the 8th to 14th centuries, the Church
in Nubia took its cues from the Coptic Church. The two worked hand in hand, and most Bishops
in Nubia were ethnic Copts appointed from Egypt. However, unlike the Copts, who used their
native Egyptian tongue to perform Church services, the Nubians continued to use Greek as their
liturgical language, remarkably so, as at that point they had been severed from regular
contact with Eastern Rome for centuries. In later centuries, the indigenous Nubian
language was incorporated into religious texts as well, written using a modified version
of the Greek alphabet. For the average Medieval Nubian, daily life
was not unlike that of their Kushite ancestors. Society was overwhelmingly rural, composed
of many little hamlets dotted along the fertile banks of the Nile which farmed sorghum, millet,
wheat, and barley as they had for millenia. The only striking difference from their pagan
ancestors was how they expressed their faith. In every village, the Church was the center
of community life. Additionally, Medieval Nubian peasants decorated
the insides of their houses with protective biblical inscriptions. Many wore Irigabs, locket-like leather amulets,
within which a piece of scripture had been carefully sewn up inside. Medieval Nubia was a fairly egalitarian society. Women could own and transfer property independently
and enjoyed great political power, as the royal succession of Nubian Kings was matrilineal,
so the Queen Mothers were revered. Literacy was encouraged amongst both sexes,
and women sometimes served dignified positions as court scribes. On top of being sophisticated literati, Nubians
were excellent craftsmen, producing many skilled textile weavers, carpenters, and potters. Indeed, southern ceramics were widely considered
to be of better quality than their Egyptian counterparts, and were a common export in
trade. The Nubians were fine artists as well, this
was most prominently displayed in the interior of their Churches, which were lovingly painted
with ornate murals depicting winged angels, biblical prophets and prominent Nubian Kings
and Queens in luxurious robes. For centuries, the Christian Kingdoms of Nubia
enjoyed an era of prosperity, predicated on their unprecedentedly long and stable peace
with the Islamic world. In 833, King Zacharias III of Makuria even
managed to send his son, Georgios, to Baghdad, where he successfully bartered down the annual
Nubian slave tribute to a third of its original amount. However, as remarkably long as it endured,
the peace of the Baqt era would not last forever. Between the 7th and 12th centuries, power
in Egypt had passed between various different Muslim dynasties, and each one had continued
the tradition of peace with Nubia. This, however, would change with the ascension
of the slave-soldiers-turned-Sultans of the Mamluk dynasty. Over time, the practice of sending slaves
northwards, as stipulated in the Baqt, had long since ceased in favour of the exchange
of other goods. When the Mamluk Sultanate came to power in
Cairo in 1250, they aggressively demanded the slave-tribute not only be re-instituted,
but an amount of slaves equal to the number of annual payments missed were to be immediately
sent northwards. This was unacceptable to the Makurians, and
before long, armed conflict had escalated. This officially ended the Baqt, which endured
for 600 years. One potential reason for the Mamluk aggression
on Nubia could be because the Crusades were in full swing at the time, and as European
Knights penetrated into the Islamic World, they became increasingly aware of their long-lost
co-religionists in the desert. The Mamluks’ war-like policy was therefore
a likely effort to subjugate them before they could form an alliance with their fellow Christians,
and attack Islamic Egypt from two fronts. Makuria saw some initial successes in the
war that followed. In 1265 they survived a large-scale Mamluk
raid, and in 1272, they struck back. Led by their King David, The Nubians destroyed
the port town of Aidhab, a crucial stop on a pilgrimage route to Mecca. Three years later they scored another victory,
razing the city of Aswan, which for centuries had been a peaceful trading hub between Christians
and Muslims. Thoroughly incensed, the Mamluks levied an
army in Cairo in 1276 and marched south, winning three decisive victories against the Makurians,
sacking Dongola, then capturing and executing King David. After that, Makuria fell into a steep decline. As power dynamics in the region shifted drastically,
the royal family fell victim to infighting, with various factions looking to win over
Mamluk benefactors to gain the throne, putting the independence of the Kingdom at risk. In 1317, the Mamluks were able to install
a Muslim ruler, Sayf al-Din Abdullah, onto the Makurian throne and the great throne hall
of Dongola was converted into a Mosque. While the general population did not convert
to Islam it was still a heavy blow to Christian Nubia. In the following decades, the situation would
continue to spiral as the Bubonic plague devastated communities across the Upper Nile, and warlike
Bedouin tribesmen crossed the Red sea, inflicting devastation upon Nubian lands. In 1365, a brutal civil war resulted in Dongola
being destroyed, abandoned, and overrun by foreign tribes, thus reducing the once mighty
Kingdom of Makuria to an irrelevant rump state controlling a roughly 100km strip of the Nile
River around the town of Addo. The Southern Nubian Kingdom of Alodia was
not faring any better: Its capital, Soba, was sacked and destroyed during this time,
either by the Bedouins or by the Funj Sultanate, which had taken advantage of the decline to
expand into the region. Nubian society utterly collapsed in this era,
what remained of their governments descended into anarchy, the Nubian church ceased to
exist as an organized entity, while Nubian literature and art completely disappeared
from the historical record. Some semblance of independent African Christianity
would linger on in the Upper Nile until the early 16th century, before finally being snuffed
out through a process of Islamification, and Arabization. When the Ottoman Empire expanded into Nubia
in the 1560s, they found no traces of an organized Christian society remaining in the region,
marking the end of an era that had lasted over for a millennium. Despite the collapse of their Kingdoms, the
Nubians themselves have persevered into the modern day. Although now predominantly practicing Sunni
Islam, they have managed to keep their traditional languages, and many aspects of their indigenous
culture alive. As the Nubian people look back upon over 4000
years of proud, rich history, we too should all remember that in the heart of the African
continent exists a legacy of rich and mighty Kingdoms, and when it comes to the lesser
known regions of world history, there is always more than meets the eye. More videos on the African kingdoms are on
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