Merchant’s report of journeys across an autonomous African state
Muhammad ibn Umar al-Tunisi (d. 1274/1857) was a member of an extended group of Tunisian merchants who traded with Egypt and, more recently, Sudan. Al-Tunisi was born in Cairo and was a graduate of al-Azhar.
At 14 years old, al-Tunisi set off for the Sultanate of Darfur, where his father had left the previous year. He travelled his route, the Forty Days Road, was brought back to his father and later took over the administration of the large estates that his father was granted by the Sultan of Darfur. The story of Darfur is the remarkable story of his ten years in this state that was independent.
Suggested Read: The Silk Roads , History of the World, World War I, The Islamic World by Ladan Akbarnia, Nahj al-Balagha, Lost Islamic History, Stranger The History, Realizing Islam, Prophet Muhammad
The second volume of al-Tunisi provides a map of the region and the customs of Darfur’s courtly kings, the petty monarchs and the clothes worn by the rulers, wedding customs and eunuchs, diseases as well as food, hunting animals and plants, currency and plants, divination, magic and dances. The book In Darfur is a blend of literature and ethnography with history language, travel, and adventure. The book, which is quite unique for its time, has fifty-two illustrations, created from the perspective of the creator.
The story of Darfur is an exceptional example of an Arab description of Africa at the time of Western colonization. It vividly depicts an era in which travel was not hampered by bureaucracy borders were fluid, and shocking coincidences are almost routine.
Suggested Read: The Afghanistan File , Islam in Saudi Arabia, Top Seller: Islamic Art by Luca Mozzati, Jewish Morocco, Kingdoms of Faith and Islamic History For Kids: Story of Uhud
A bilingual Arabic-English edition.
Product details
- Publisher : NYU Press
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 400 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1479867845
- ISBN-13 : 978-1479867844
- Item Weight : 1.4 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.98 x 0.88 x 9.02 inches
