Shaigiya Tribe - History

History

The Shaiqiya lived in the north around Karima 18°33′00″N 31°51′00″E / 18.55000°N 31.85000°E / 18.55000; 31.85000 and Korti. Their origins are still a mystery, as very little of written evidence is found. Around 1690 the tribe broke loose from the Kingdom of Funj, defeating the Abdelab governor and were the only independent tribe in the region. The first account of the Shaigiya tribesmen was given by the Scottish traveller James Bruce in his book "The discovery of the source of Nile", who noticed the tribe migrated from more southern regions to its present homeland around 1772. Still the best early description came from an adventurer and historian John Lewis Burckhardt, who, mesmerised by the Shaigiya, spent some time with the tribe. His accounts of the events were published at 1819 in the "Travels in Nubia". The predatory character of the tribe speaks of change from Bruce's time, "My guide, in constant dread of the Shaiqiya would not allow me to light a fire although the nights were getting very cold". Evidently the tribe was ruled by two Mac/s(the title given by the kings of Funj to tribal chiefs), Mac Jaweesh and Mac Zubeir. Military training of the Shaiqiya youth was brutal, and at very early age they were capable of launching spears from a horseback by astonishing precision. Their unexplainable intolerance of other tribes led to raids against their neighbours and beyond. They attacked villages and caravans as far as Wadi Halfa in the north, and Shendi in the south forcing some families of the neighbouring tribes to emigrate westwards (Danagla). Constantly attacking the town of Shendi and killing some of local Mac Nimr's uncles forced the Ja'Alin to seek help from the king of Funj, who at his political decline was too weakened and unable to help. Burckhardt who spent time in Merowe around 1807 gives us more description of the tribe >>"Shaiqiya are continually at war.They all fight on horseback,in coats of Mail.Fire-arms are not common amongst them,their only weapons being Lance,Target and Sabre.They are all mounted on Dongola Stallions and are famous for their horsemanship.Their youth conduct raids sometimes as far as Darfur.The Shaiqiya are perfectly independent people,and possess great wealth in corn and cattle.They are renowned for their hospitality;and the person of their guest,or companion is sacred.If the traveller possesses a friend among them and has been plundered on the road,his property will be recovered,even if it has been taken by the King.Many of them can write and read.Their learned men are held in great respect by them;they have schools,wherein all the sciences are taught,which form the course of the Mohammedan study,Mathematics and Astronomy excepted.Such of the Shaiqiya as are soldiers,indulge in frequent use of wine and spirits made of Dates.The manners of their women are said to be very depraved."<< . They were challenged around 1811 at Dongola by the Mamelukes, but continued to dominate a considerable part of Nubia. They resisted the Turkish/Egyptian invasion in 1820, at the battle of Korti after refusing to submitt and were defeated due to the use of fire-arms and cannons and retreated southwards. Mac Jaweesh along the majority of his men sought asylum in Shendi in hope to persuade the Ja'Ali chief Mac Nimr to join forces against the much stronger enemy. Mac Nimr declined the offer and the Shaiqiya were handed over to the Turks, who promised to pardon the Shaiqiya warriors and return their land if they accepted the service in Turkish ranks.After the deal was struck Shaiqiya were used during the suppression of the Ja'Alin revolt(1822) and demonstrated astonishing brutality. For their services they obtained lands of the Ja'Alin between Shendi and Khartoum 15°37′59″N 32°31′59″E / 15.633°N 32.533°E / 15.633; 32.533.

In the Mahdist War of 1884/85, General Gordon's first fight was to rescue a few Shaiqiya (still serving with the invader) besieged in a fort at Al Halfaya, just north of Khartoum. The fortress at Al-Ubayyid in 1883, was held by Major Ahmed Hussein Pasha (Suarab Section) and despite Hicks Pasha's attempt to relieve him, the fortress fell to the Mahdi. (Major Hussein escaped to Egypt in 1891 and came back during to the reconquest in 1898. His family still resides in Omdurman Bahri and Hajar al Asal.)His grand children went far as Germany where they go by the name Hussein. In April 1884, Saleh Bey (Saleh Wad el Mek), head of the tribe, and 1400 men surrendered to the Mahdi's forces. Numbers of Shaigiya continued in the service of General Gordon and this led to the proscription of the tribe by the Mahdi. When Khartoum fell, Saleh's sons were sought out and executed by the Dervishes

On the reconquest of the Sudan by the Anglo-Egyptian army (1896/98) it was found that the Shaigiya were reduced to a few hundred families. After this the tribe thrived. They figured prominently in the Egyptian Army and later the Sudan Defence Force. General Ibrahim Abboud, decorated with the MBE for his valour at Keren in 1941, was a Shaiqi from the Onia section and later President of the Sudan in 1964.