Reasons of decline Alodia

remains of columns church c in soba.

after abu-salih came decline: @ soba, no pottery or glassware, neither native nor imported, dating beyond 13th century identified. 2 churches apparently destroyed during 13th century, albeit later resurrected. had been suggested alodia under attack of people called damadim, african people originated in border region of modern sudan , south sudan, along bahr al ghazal. soba might have been conquered @ time, suffering occupation , destruction. according al-maghrebi, attack of damadim on nubia (and abyssinia) occurred in 1220, why called tartars of black , referring mongols swept on persia @ same time. external pressure might have encouraged alodian kings relocate capital, in later 13th century recorded al-harrani capital not soba, large town called waylula. shortly after al-harrani, geographer al-dimashqi claims capital of alodia named kusa, crawford identifies zankor in western kordofan. in late 13th century occurred other invasion unspecified people south. according oral traditions, dinka began migrate out of central gezira modern south sudan during era of alodian decline.

in north, there militant mamluks, seized power in egypt ayyubids in 1250 , became active on southern frontier. makuria became target several invasions , interventions during 13th , 14th century, apparently there expedition east sudan in 1316-17 too, chasing down arab brigandines along atbara river way jebel kassala in taka. on way mamluks plundered al-abwab food, which, former northernmost alodian prvince, recorded splinter kingdom independent alodia since 1276 , attested second half of 14th century. concrete circumstance of secession , relation alodia afterwards remain unknown.

apart of these active interventions nubian affairs, mameluks put lot pressure on christians inside borders. patriarch of alexandria forced cancel dispatchment of priests alodia, problematic, since was, other coptic nations of africa, dependent upon egyptian bishops. consequential deterioration of christian faith attested portuguese sources 16th century. traveller , companion of francisco Álvares, visited nubia in around 1500, states nubians considered christian, lacking in christian instruction had no actual knowledge of faith. in 1520, nubian ambassadors reached ethiopia , asked emperor priests. claimed no more priests reach nubia because of wars between muslims, leading decline of christianity in land.

there economical factor in alodia s downfall. 10th-12th century east african coast saw rise of new trading states (like example sultanate of mogadishu , sultanate of kilwa), not traded similar goods nubia, transport them way faster , cheaper via maritime routes, while alodia dependent on slow , expensive caravans distribute goods among arabic world (for more details on alodia s trade relations see foreign trade ).

an event of major significance nubia described often-quoted 14th century scholar ibn khaldun, records large-scaled migration of arab tribes known juhayna sudan:

albeit not mentioned here, large amount of these arabs have originated upper egypt well, escaping mameluke pressure pouring sudan after detonation of makurian authority during 14th century , continuing until 16th century. has been suggested nomads profited plague, which, during mid 14th century, might have infected , killed many sedentary nubians, not bedouins. arabs have intermixed remaining local population , gradually took control on land , people, benefiting large numbers in spreading culture. main goal of migrations pastoral plains of butana , gezira, i.e. heartland of alodia. apparently, nomads reached blue nile valley in 14th century, while white nile valley said have been conquered alodia during 15th century. southernmost point reached arab settlers aba island. in 1474, arabs founded town arbaji @ blue nile, develop important center of commerce , islamic learning. despite rapid arab infiltration, seems alodia still managed enforce authority @ least on arab groups, forcing them pay tribute. second half of 15th century, arabs have settled in of central sudanese nile valley except of area around soba itself. meanwhile, nubians south of dongola have been described in state of total political fragmentation: