Nubians

Nubians, a historic Negroid people, who give their name to the land of Nubia (q.v.). Here they form three distinct groups, speaking well-marked dialects of a common stock language: (1) Mattohhi (Bani Kenz) from Egypt to Korosko; (2) Saidokki (Mahai, Marisi) from Korosko to Wady Haifa (second cataract); (3) Dongolawi, thence to Meroe. The Nubians, who now call themselves Barabira, are fundamentally of Negro stock, speaking a language closely related to that of the pure Negro Nubas of south Kordofan, whence they migrated to the Nile Valley, where the Nubce are already mentioned as "a great nation" by Strabo. In this region they have intermingled with the Hamitic Blemmyes (Bejas) and the Semitic Arabs, so that the type is now greatly modified, though still distinctly Negroid - deep bronze or mahogany colour, woolly or strongly frizzled black hair, tumid lips, very large black eyes, scant beard worn under the chin like that of the Ethiopians on the Egyptian temples. All are agriculturists and Mohammedans since the 14th century, when their Christian kingdom of Dongola was overthrown by the Arabs after flourishing for over 700 years. The Mahdi, Mohammed Ahmed, was a Nubian of Dongola; in recent years the Nubians have taken active part in the political movements and conquering slave-hunting expeditions of Eastern (Egyptian) Sudan.