The kingdom of al-Abwab was a medieval Nubian monarchy located in what is now central Sudan. It emerged as an independent kingdom in the late 13th century after initially being the northernmost province of the Christian Nubian kingdom of Alodia.
Historical Overview
Al-Abwab first appears in historical records in 1268/69, when the Makurian king David deposed his uncle Murtashkara and banished his sons to the region. By 1276, Arabic sources describe it as controlling "vast territories." The kingdom is known primarily through Arabic historical accounts, particularly in connection with the wars between Makuria and the Egyptian Mamluk Sultanate.
The most notable ruler of al-Abwab was King Adur (fl. 1276–1292). In 1276, after the Mamluk sultan Baybars defeated the Makurian king David at Dongola, David fled south to al-Abwab. King Adur captured him and handed him over to the Mamluks. In 1286, Adur sent an ambassador to the Mamluk sultan bearing gifts including an elephant and a giraffe, and professed obedience. He later campaigned against a Makurian king named Any and against an unnamed king who had invaded the "land of Anaj" (possibly Alodia).
In 1316, when the Mamluks invaded Makuria to replace King Kudanbes with a Muslim puppet, Kudanbes fled to al-Abwab, but its king seized him and handed him over to the Mamluks. In 1317, a Mamluk army pursuing Bedouin brigands passed through al-Abwab, plundering the country for provisions.
Location
The precise location of al-Abwab has not been established. The 10th-century writer al-Aswani noted that the Atbara River was within al-Abwab, but also implied its northern border extended to the great Nile bend. In 1317, it was located around the confluence of the Atbara and the Nile. In 1289, it was recorded as being three days' travel from Mograt Island, suggesting its northern border was near Abu Hamad. In the early 20th century, Sudanese used the term "al-Abwab" to describe a region near Meroe.
Religion and Culture
The kingdom's religious character is ambiguous. The 15th-century writer al-Qalqashandi noted that the king of al-Abwad had a titulature similar to the king of Armenia, implying it was a Christian state. Christian pottery continued to be produced in the region until the rise of the Funj. However, King Adur was probably a Muslim, and an Isma'ili Assassin was stationed in al-Abwab to watch over the Mamluk puppet king in Dongola. Bedouin Arab tribes that overran Nubia in the 14th and 15th centuries contributed to the Islamisation of the region.
Decline and Legacy
Al-Abwab is last mentioned in historical sources in 1367, when the Mamluk sultan corresponded with a Shaikh Junayd of the Arab Jawabira tribe residing in al-Abwab. However, archaeological evidence—including Christian pottery found alongside Funj pottery—suggests the kingdom "certainly" thrived until the 15th century and possibly into the 16th. During the reign of the first Funj king, Amara Dunqas (r. 1504–1533/34), the region was unified under the Funj Sultanate.
Very little is known about the internal history, governance, or social structure of al-Abwab, as the surviving evidence is limited to a handful of medieval Arabic sources and archaeological findings.
