104 THE NON-ARAB RACES OF DARFUR i.4.xxl —and there is no evidence of recent change in this respect—is

simple. At the head of the ajffairs of each district is a Shartdi {pi.

Shardtiy, corresponding roughly to the 'omda of the rest of the

Sudan. An important Shartdi has under him several lesser Shardti,

each of whom controls a particular group of villages^, and all alike

are purely secular officials of the same tribe or sub-tribe as the people

to whom their district belongs.

Each Shartdi has also under him a varying number of damdlig

{sing, dimlig) or tribal elders^.

A Ktirsi is a kind of president of the council of damdlig.

In dividing tribal dues (in Gebel Si) the Shartdi takes two

shares (one for himself and one for the Sultan), while the Kursi

takes one share, which again is subdivided in similar proportions,

the Kursi getting two-thirds of it and the rest of the dimligs one-

third. The functions of the Kursi are executive, viz. to carry

out the behests of the Shartdi, collect taxes, etc. His position is

customarily hereditary, passing to the brother or son, but in cases

of personal unsuitability some other dimlig is chosen. Below the

above in rank are the village sheikhs, commonly called mulUk {sing,

meliky.

There is also, however, an interesting and somewhat shadowy

figure still to be accounted for—the Urundulu. In the Fur country

proper every Shartdi has his Urundidu, and the Sultan at el

Fasher always used to have one also. As to what exactly were his

functions there is some difference of opinion. In Dar Abu Di'ma and Kerne his functions appeared to approximate to those of a Kddi and

to have been primarily religious. If there is a criminal or civil case

to be decided and the facts are not in dispute, the judgment is simply

given by the Shartdi. But if proofs are needed or witnesses are

called the matter goes before the Urundulu who reports his finding

to the Shartdi to enable the latter to give judgment or sentence. If

a fine is imposed it is shared between the two.

^ The word is regarded as of Arabic derivation though whether this is really so seems doubtful. The proper Fur term for a Shartdi is "Klso," or "Kis6ng"

{pi. " Kfsong'ong").

^ A head-Shartai is called " Ki'songong Kirri" (Chief of the Shartais).

^ El Tunisi, p. 176: " Les simples gouverneurs secondaires de districts ou de communes sont appeles 'chartay' (au pluriel 'cheraty'). Les inspecteurs des tribus portent le nom de

' damalidj ' (singulier de 'doumloudj') qu'ils prononcent 'doum-

ledj.'" As el Tunisi's editor notes, the term "dimlig" is of Arabic derivation and means " a sort of bracelet worn above the elbow." The proper Fur term for " damd- lig" is "kilmo," and a single "dimlig" is usually called by them "dilmong" when they talk in Fur. Cp. note to p. 74 above.

* "Melik" is, of course, a purely Arabic term meaning "king." The proper Fur term for a "melik" is "sagal" {pi. "sagla").