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CHAPTER 2

The General Progress of the Arabs through Egypt

and their Invasions of Dongola

I We have now taken certain of the more notable of the Arab tribes and followed the early fortunes of each in turn, beginning, where

possible, from the time of their immigration to Africa and breaking

off, as a rule, with the temporary disappearance of some of their

branches into Libya or the Sudan, and the merging of others into

the permanent population of Egypt.

Before turning to the more recent history of the Arab tribes now

represented in the Sudan and endeavouring to trace precisely the

links that connect each with the more famous immigrants of the

earlier age let us briefly record the general progress of the latter in

Africa considered as a racial whole. This historical summary will

also afford an opportunity for the passing mention of such con- temporary events in Nubia as have not been completely lost in

obscurity.

II Amr ibn el 'Asi^ invaded Egypt in December 639 a.d. with no more than 3500 to 4000 men, chiefly cavalry; but he was reinforced

almost at once by 4000 others, and in June, 640, Zubayr ibn el 'Awwam also arrived with an army of some 12,000 men^. Alexandria

fell in November, 641, and the conquest was complete^.

Such losses as were suffered during these few years were con-

tinually being made good by fresh contingents of Beduins^. All

these troops were probably drawn more or less indiscriminately from

the various tribes of Arabia, for they are generally spoken of by the

historians by such general terms as "the Muslims" and are grouped

^ 'Amr was a Kurayshite on his father's side: his mother was an 'Anazia (see

Butler, p. 202). For the exact date of the invasion, see Butler, p. xxvii et seq. For the general course of events, see Lane-Poole, Hist. pp. 1-3.

- See Butler, pp. 225 and 226. Lane-Poole thinks Zubayr 's contingent only brought up the total to 12,000. Butler speaks of Zubayr as bringing 4000 men and being followed very shortly by two other contingents of 4000 each. Ibn el Hakam

says 4000, el Baladhuri 10,000 or 12,000, and Yakut and el Siuti 12,000: Makn'zi quotes from el Kindi a statement of Yezid that 'Amr's force was 15,500, i.e. an

original 3500 plus 12,000 reinforcements: Abu Salih (p. 74), on the authority of The Book of el Gandh, says 'Amr came to Fostat with 3005 [3500?] men, and was afterwards joined by Zubayr with 12,000.

^ Lane-Poole, Hist. p. 13 ; Butler, p. xxviii.

* Butler, pp. 213 and 427.