Judala

The Judala were a medieval Berber tribe from North Africa who once lived on the Atlantic coast of what is now Mauritania and operated an important salt trade . Together with other Berber tribes they belonged to the Sanhādscha League .

etymology

The Judala or Jodala , sometimes also Gudala , Godala or Judala , can possibly be associated with the ancient Berber tribe of the Gaetulians .

geography

According to a 1985 study of West African history, the estuary on both sides of Senegal was formerly the settlement area of the Judala. Their main settlement was Naghira . On the coast they lived from fishing for fish and turtles . They mined salt deposits near the island of Awlil (today's In-Wolalan ) north of the Senegal estuary and controlled a trade route to southern Morocco with their very fast dromedaries ( nadjib , plural nudjub ). Salt was also extracted from Ijiil and transported away by caravans.

A southern neighbor of their territory was the realm of Takrur . The Berber tribe of the Lamtuna settled further east in the Adrar .

history

In the course of the second campaign of the Almoravids against Sidschilmasa in 1056, there was a rift between the Judala and the Lamtuna, with the Judala terminating the fighting alliance. When Yahya ibn Umar , the leader of the Lamtuna, advanced into the Adrar to the Arji fortress near Azougui and was about to receive support from the Takrur Empire in Senegal, the Judala attacked with 30,000 warriors and the battle of Tabfarilla broke out , which resulted in a defeat the Lamtuna and the death of their leader ended.

In the course of the 14th century the tribe of the Judala was found together with the Arab tribe of the Dhawu Hassan from the Makil group in the south of the Saguia el Hamra ( Western Sahara ). They later moved back to Mauritania. Today they have almost disappeared and there are only small splinter groups left.

Personalities

Yahya ibn Ibrahim . He was the leader of the Sanhajah League from 1034 or 1038 until his death in 1045.

Individual evidence

^ Niane, Djibril Tamsir: General History of Africa: Africa from the twelfth to the sixteenth century . UNESCO, 1984, ISBN 978-92-3101710-0 , pp. 751 .
^ Africanus, Leo; Brown, Robert; Pory, John: The History and Description of Africa: And of the Notable Things Therein Contained . Cambridge University Press, 2010, ISBN 978-1-108-01289-8 , pp. 366 .
↑ George E. Brooks: Western Africa to c1860 AD A provisional historical scheme based on climate periods . In: Indiana University African Studies Program . Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 1985.

[1] Niane, Djibril Tamsir: General History of Africa: Africa from the twelfth to the sixteenth century . UNESCO, 1984, ISBN 978-92-3101710-0 , pp. 751 .

[2] Africanus, Leo; Brown, Robert; Pory, John: The History and Description of Africa: And of the Notable Things Therein Contained . Cambridge University Press, 2010, ISBN 978-1-108-01289-8 , pp. 366 .

[3] George E. Brooks: Western Africa to c1860 AD A provisional historical scheme based on climate periods . In: Indiana University African Studies Program . Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 1985.