DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.47598#0171
to Aswan, Ibrim, and the Island of Sai to restore some measure of order and to stabilize the
southern border of Egypt.
The other certain dates which can be read on other scrolls are 1334, 1287, and 1281. The dated
scroll of the year 1334 records that the king of Dotawo was Siti, whose name has been attested
from Arabic sources. A second, undated scroll, is also to be assigned to his reign. In 1287 the king
of Dotawo was George Simon (Fig. 6). Another scroll also belongs to his time, but this is damaged where
the date would be expected to occur. The last dated scroll, 1281, mentions a king of Dotawo whose
name appears to be P(i)arl. Two more scrolls, the dates of which yet cannot be determined, belong
to the reign of a king called David14. In both of these scrolls the name of Ibrim in its medieval form
Phrim appears together with the name of its bishop, Chael. In three of the scrolls the title Papas,
perhaps equivalent to Metropolitan, appears. Thus we have Shenoute in the reign of David, Kosmos
in the reign of Symon, and Merkos in the reign of Joel.
All the scrolls contain lists of the names of officials and the titles of the offices held by them.
By a process of cross-reference to names which occur in more than one scroll it has been possible
to work out a preliminary order for the scrolls themselves. So far as the titles of offices are
concerned it may be noted that the office of FONNEN always follows that of the king, and may
be the Old Nubian equivalent of Vizier. The next office in rank is that of 0)0γρ. Eleven other
titles of office also appear in one or other of the scrolls. In one scroll from the reign of King David
no less than 13 offices are listed, whereas in the reign of King Joel the number has shrunk to 6.
This last figure may well demonstrate the gradual decline in power and the territorial size of the
last of the Christian Kingdoms in the latter half of the 15th century.
For information about the Arabic MSS I am indebted to Mr. Ahmed Al Bushra, one of my
research students at the University of Cambridge, who is preparing a thesis on the Arabic Sources
for the History of Christian Nubia. Mr. Al Bushra has studied the Arabic MSS from Ibrim which
are dated before the Bosnian occupation in the 16th century, and it is on the basis of his report
that the following summary is presented15.
Of the 34 MSS available in photographic record for study the greater part consists of letters
addressed to the Governor of Al Maris, i.e. the Eparch of Ibrim (Fig. 7). These letters emanated from
three main sources, and are to be dated in the 12th century.
The first group consists of seven letters sent to the Eparch from a Fatimid palace official who
owned ships in the port of Aidhab on the Red Sea and also had a trading business centred at Qus.
It appears that he acted as an agent for the Nubian Rulers, sending them various goods and selling
slaves on their behalf, etc. The letters which contain many interesting details of the trade being
carried on between Egypt and Nubia, can be assigned to the middle of the 12th century for one
of them, probably the last to be written, mentions the fate of the Fatimid vizier Shawir who was
put to death in the early part of 1169.
The second group comprising four letters was the correspondence between the Eparch and the
brother and successor of the writer of the first group of letters. In one letter, probably his first,
he informs the Governor that he has succeeded to his brother’s office and expresses the hope that
he may be able to continue his business with Nubia. There is mention of the Khalif’s concern with
Nubia, and more than a mere hint of the requirement to pay the tribute to him. There is a hint
too of changes in Cairo. In this connection it is to be remembered that within a matter of a few
years the new rulers of Egypt, the Ayyubids, took active measures against Nubia and Ibrim itself
was captured and sacked.
A third group of letters, seven in number, are addressed to the Governor from different Emirs
or Princes of the Banu al-Kanz. At least two of these princes are known from other sources to have
lived towards the end of the Fatimid Period.
14 Perhaps the Nubian King David who according to Maqrizi attacked the locality of Aidhab in 1272/73.
15 The 34 MSS mentioned form only a part of the Arabic material found on Ibrim. There are a considerable number
of fragments which have yet to be examined.
106
southern border of Egypt.
The other certain dates which can be read on other scrolls are 1334, 1287, and 1281. The dated
scroll of the year 1334 records that the king of Dotawo was Siti, whose name has been attested
from Arabic sources. A second, undated scroll, is also to be assigned to his reign. In 1287 the king
of Dotawo was George Simon (Fig. 6). Another scroll also belongs to his time, but this is damaged where
the date would be expected to occur. The last dated scroll, 1281, mentions a king of Dotawo whose
name appears to be P(i)arl. Two more scrolls, the dates of which yet cannot be determined, belong
to the reign of a king called David14. In both of these scrolls the name of Ibrim in its medieval form
Phrim appears together with the name of its bishop, Chael. In three of the scrolls the title Papas,
perhaps equivalent to Metropolitan, appears. Thus we have Shenoute in the reign of David, Kosmos
in the reign of Symon, and Merkos in the reign of Joel.
All the scrolls contain lists of the names of officials and the titles of the offices held by them.
By a process of cross-reference to names which occur in more than one scroll it has been possible
to work out a preliminary order for the scrolls themselves. So far as the titles of offices are
concerned it may be noted that the office of FONNEN always follows that of the king, and may
be the Old Nubian equivalent of Vizier. The next office in rank is that of 0)0γρ. Eleven other
titles of office also appear in one or other of the scrolls. In one scroll from the reign of King David
no less than 13 offices are listed, whereas in the reign of King Joel the number has shrunk to 6.
This last figure may well demonstrate the gradual decline in power and the territorial size of the
last of the Christian Kingdoms in the latter half of the 15th century.
For information about the Arabic MSS I am indebted to Mr. Ahmed Al Bushra, one of my
research students at the University of Cambridge, who is preparing a thesis on the Arabic Sources
for the History of Christian Nubia. Mr. Al Bushra has studied the Arabic MSS from Ibrim which
are dated before the Bosnian occupation in the 16th century, and it is on the basis of his report
that the following summary is presented15.
Of the 34 MSS available in photographic record for study the greater part consists of letters
addressed to the Governor of Al Maris, i.e. the Eparch of Ibrim (Fig. 7). These letters emanated from
three main sources, and are to be dated in the 12th century.
The first group consists of seven letters sent to the Eparch from a Fatimid palace official who
owned ships in the port of Aidhab on the Red Sea and also had a trading business centred at Qus.
It appears that he acted as an agent for the Nubian Rulers, sending them various goods and selling
slaves on their behalf, etc. The letters which contain many interesting details of the trade being
carried on between Egypt and Nubia, can be assigned to the middle of the 12th century for one
of them, probably the last to be written, mentions the fate of the Fatimid vizier Shawir who was
put to death in the early part of 1169.
The second group comprising four letters was the correspondence between the Eparch and the
brother and successor of the writer of the first group of letters. In one letter, probably his first,
he informs the Governor that he has succeeded to his brother’s office and expresses the hope that
he may be able to continue his business with Nubia. There is mention of the Khalif’s concern with
Nubia, and more than a mere hint of the requirement to pay the tribute to him. There is a hint
too of changes in Cairo. In this connection it is to be remembered that within a matter of a few
years the new rulers of Egypt, the Ayyubids, took active measures against Nubia and Ibrim itself
was captured and sacked.
A third group of letters, seven in number, are addressed to the Governor from different Emirs
or Princes of the Banu al-Kanz. At least two of these princes are known from other sources to have
lived towards the end of the Fatimid Period.
14 Perhaps the Nubian King David who according to Maqrizi attacked the locality of Aidhab in 1272/73.
15 The 34 MSS mentioned form only a part of the Arabic material found on Ibrim. There are a considerable number
of fragments which have yet to be examined.
106