The Tuaregs: Their Islamic Legacy and its Diffusion in the Sahel

Title

The Tuaregs: Their Islamic Legacy and its Diffusion in the Sahel

list of authors

Harry T. Norris

Abstract

Hitherto studies of the Tuaregs have concentrated on the nomads of the north to the neglect of their southern brethren of Mali and Niger who have contributed most to the spread of Islamic culture and institutions. Their share in the foundation of towns like Timbuctoo, in the transmission of ideas particularly from Mamluk Egypt, their mystic lodges and their scholars played a key role in the penetration of Islam into the remote regions of the Southern Sahara. This is a comprehensive account of the history and spread of Islamic culture through the medium of the sacerdotal 'caste' of the Ineslemen, from the Arab conquests of the 7th century to the golden age of Tuareg scholarship in the 15th and 17th centuries. Tuareg history is brought up to date with an account of their resistance to the French and their present status in Niger after their severe sufferings in the recent Sahelian droughts. By detailed examination of the literary sources, talking and living with Tuareg scholars, the author is able to place the contribution of these devoted adherents of Islam in its true setting. This book is important for Islamists Africanists, Anthropologists and all those who wish to understand the achievements of this unique people.

Provenance

Warminster

Publisher

Aris & Phillips

Date

1975

number of pages

234

Language

Anglais

Type

Livre

Subject

Mali

Sahel

Tuareg

history

Identifier

Q117312367

iwac-reference-0000678

Spatial Coverage

Niger