The many hill communities of the Nuba Mountains, speaking languages of several families (Kordofanian, Kadu, Nubian, Daju in the west), each hill under its own elders, rain-priests and war leaders.
Ibn Hawqal (tenth century) placed a district al-Ahdin, perhaps the Nuba Mountains as far as Jebel Liri, under Alodia. Daju speakers in the western and south-western hills (Shatt, Liguri) recall the Daju tradition of an earlier capital at Jebel Gadir in Kordofan. Arab cattle nomads (the Baggara) arrive centuries later.
Who holds it
- Title
- Elders and chiefs
- Since
- Not pinned
- Confidence
- low
Overlord
Alodia claimed al-Ahdin in the tenth century (Ibn Hawqal); not pinned for 1200.
How things stand that morning
Self-governing hills; Alodian lordship of the tenth century is not pinned for 1200.
Customs
Each hill governed by elders, rain-priests and age-grades; terraced farming, cattle, wrestling festivals.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Linguistic and ethnographic evidence and one tenth-century notice.
On the map: The hills only; the clay plains round them were grazed and fought over.
Sources and studies
- Wikipedia: Alodia (Ibn Hawqal on al-Jeblien and al-Ahdin in Kordofan)
- Wikipedia: History of Darfur (Arkell on the Daju; al-Idrisi on Tajuwa and Samna; the Tora traditions)
- Wikipedia: Kordofan
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.