• INHABITANTS OF KOEDOPAN— THE MUSABATS AND ZOGHAWAS. 261 



Inhabitants of KordofIn. 



Central Kordofan, in the vicinity of El-Obeid, is one of the most densely- 

 inhabited regions of eastern Africa ; in a radius of about 60 miles round the 

 capital, the villages are on the average not more than 2 or 3 miles from each 

 other. Each tokid, or circular hut of thatch with a conic roof, and occasionally 

 the village itself, is surrounded by a belt of prickly hedges. The peoples who 

 occupy these settled groups of houses are of a very mixed race, and the original 

 type is very difficult to be recognised. 



Founded as commercial stations on the routes from the Nile to the countries 

 of Central Africa, the towns of Kordofan are places of assembly for the merchants, 

 who here come to rest from their march across the surrounding deserts. The 

 soldiers and slaves of every tribe who accompany these traders tend to corrupt 

 the race and destroy its primitive elements. The people who are the result 

 of these crossings are intelligent, happy, talkative, and " given to dancing and 

 amusements." 



In some villages the Ghodiats (Gilledats or Gowameh), supposed to be of more 

 or less pure aboriginal descent, are still said to survive. According to Munzinger, 

 who calls them Kadejat, they are related to the Funj. They dwell to the east 

 and south of the mountains of Kordofan and Jebel-Ai'n or " Mountain of the 

 "Waters," and, in spite of the conquests and changes in the political régime they 

 still constitute an independent group. Thej'^ acknowledge one of their own 

 people as a sheikh and pay tribute to him ; but if they are not satisfied with him 

 they beseech a fakih to take off his turban of investiture and place it on the head 

 of another person. This ceremony is quite sufficient to effect a transfer of the 

 authority. 



The Musabats and Zoghawas. 



By virtue of a long occupation, the descendants of those who invaded this 

 country at an already distant period are considered as having the best right to the 

 name of Kordofanese. Such are the Musabats, who say they are of For descent, 

 and whose chief, residing at El-Obeid, still takes the name of sultan. Such are 

 also the Kunjaras, likewise of For descent, who obtained possession of Kordofan 

 at the end of the eighteenth century, but who were compelled to yield their 

 power to the Egyptians in 1820, after their defeat at the battle of Bara. About 

 one thousand of them still live isolated in a few villages near El-Obeid, and their 

 chief takes the title of sultan, like that df the Musabats. Some twenty years ago 

 a few Kunjara still spoke their native For dialect ; but Arabic has now become 

 generally employed by them as well as by the sons of the conquering Forians. 



The Zoghawas, the remains of the nation which in the twelfth century ruled 

 over all the space comprised between the mountains of Dar-For and the Nile, are 

 still to be found in the northern part of Kordofan. The other inhabitants of 

 the country whose origin is known are the Jalin Arabs, who have nearly all 

 the trade in their hands, and the people of Dougola, the Danageleh or Danagla, 



