II. 2. XXXIII. AND THE INVASION OF DONGOLA 177 XXXII In 1 1 74 Kanz el Dowla revolted with a following of Arabs and blacks and invaded Egypt in the Fatimite interest. Saladin sent his brother Melik el 'Adil against him, a battle was fought near Tud, and the Nubians were completely defeated. Kanz el Dowla himself was captured and put to death.

With the death of Saladin in 1193 the main centre of power and of interest moves from Egypt to Syria and the continued record of wars with the Crusaders seldom touches our main thesis, XXXIII We gather some valuable information concerning Nubia in the early years of the thirteenth century from Abu Salih the Armenian *, though his value is greatly decreased by his obvious confusion between Abyssinia and Nubia and by his credulity.

The best-known place-names in Nubia were still, as in el Mas'udi's day, Maris, Mukurra, Dongola, and 'Aloa.

Man's was the name of the most northernly province, which stretched southwards from the Egyptian border by Aswan to Korosko, that is to about 60 miles north of Wadi Haifa. Its capital was Bujaras "which is a well-populated city: there is the dwelling place of Jausar, who wore the turban and the two horns and the golden bracelet." This description is extremely interesting. The two horns at once suggest the takia, or two-horned cap, of the Fung king and his Mangils; and the golden bracelet has surely survived in the name of the great Sowar el Dhahab ("Bracelet of Gold") family who still reside in Dongola and claim to be Bedayria of the Dah-MASHIA section. Mukurra was the district stretching from Korosko southwards. It probably contained seven episcopal sees, namely Korti, Ibrim, Bucaras (Bujaras), Dongola, Sai, Termus and Suenkur, and certainly numerous monasteries and churches.

'Aloa lay near the junction of the Niles. The name generally refers to the district of which Soba was the capital, but is also used, by Abu Salih, for instance, for Soba itself.

The description given by Abu Salih of this district with its garrisons and 400 churches of the Jacobite Christians will be quoted Makrizi, Kit. el Seluk, pp. ii8, 119; Khetdt, 11, 574; Burckhardt, Nubia, p. 518; and Ibn Khaldun (ed. ar. Vol. 5, p. 289, Bk. 11). I have followed Makrizi's version. Ibn Khaldun attributes the revolt to Kanz el Dowla's annoyance at certain lands near Aswan being allotted by Saladin to one of his amfrs. He also differs as to the name of the leader of the punitive expedition.

Lane-Poole, p. 212.

Makrfzi {Kit. el Seluk, p. 464) mentions a revolt of Arabs in the Sa'fd in 1 240-1.

* See Abu Salih pp. 260 et seq. and notes by Evetts and Butler. Abu Salih's work was composed about 1208 a.d.: see p. x (Evetts).

See Part III, sub " "Abdullab." See also Part I, Chap, i, xvii, for what may be a Ilimyarite parallel. * So Vansleb.