The Maba, also called Bargo or Wadai people, are a Sunni Muslim ethnic group found primarily in the mountains of Wadai region in eastern Chad, Central African Republic and southern Sudan. Their population is estimated to be about 542,000. Other estimates place the total number of Bargo people in Sudan to be about 700,000..
The Burgu people have also been referred to as the Wadai, a derivative of Ouaddaï.
The Bargo today primarily adhere to Islam, following the Maliki school of Sunni Islam. They supported the Sultans of Abeche and the Sudanic kingdoms, who spoke their language. Little is certain about their history before the 17th century. They are noted as having helped expel the Christian Tunjur dynasty and installed an Islamic dynasty in their region in the early 17th-century. Their homelands lie in the path of caravan routes that connect the Sahel and West Africa with the Middle East. The Bargo people are an African people. They are traditionally pastoral and farmers who are clan-oriented.
The Bargo people have also been referred to as the Wadai, an alternate spelling for Ouaddaï. They speak Maba, a Nilo-Saharan language, of the Maban branch. Locally this language is called Bura Mabang. The first ten numerals in Bargo language, states Andrew Dalby, are "tek, bar, kungal, asal, tor, settal, mindri, rya, adoi, atuk", and this is very distant from other Nilo-Saharan languages. Although an ethnic group, their Bargo language was the state language of the Islamic Wadai Empire, and continued to be an important language when the Islamic Bornu Empire conquered these lands. Many Bargo people also speak Arabic, as their traditional trade language.
The Bargo people rebelled against the tribute demands of the Bornu Empire, and became sovereign people. They then led raids to southern regions for plunder and slaves from non-Muslim African ethnic groups. The African slaves of the Bargo people were absorbed in the Bargo tribal culture, and often they converted to escape slavery. In the 19th century, a powerful Bargo Sultanate on slave trading caravan route emerged under rulers such as Muhammad al-Sharif and Doud Murra. The Bargo Sultanate was abolished by the French in 1912, and the Bargo people's region thereafter annexed into the Ubangi-Shari colony. The Barg’s participated in the efforts to end the colonial rule and then in the civil wars in Chad.
Gustav Nachtigal, famous German explorer of Central and West Africa, described the Maba as the most arrogant and fanatical men he had ever met on his travels, stating that they were not only religious extremists, but also possessed a deep conviction in the superiority of their country, their king and themselves, which according to Nachtigal explained his aggressive behavior towards foreigners.
The Burgu today primarily adhere to Islam, following the Maliki Sunni denomination. They supported the Sultans of Abeche and the Sudanic kingdoms, who spoke their language. Little is certain about their history before the 17th century. They are noted as having helped expel the Christian Tunjur dynasty and installed an Islamic dynasty in their region in the early 17th-century. Their homelands lie in the path of caravan routes that connect the Sahel and West Africa with the Middle East. The Burgu people are an Arabized African people. They are traditionally pastoral and farmers who are clan-oriented.
They are divided into a variety of subgroups, all of whom consider themselves Maba and who intermarry with individuals who also speak Bora Mabang. The Kodoi, Awlad Jema, Madaba, Debba, Dekker, Djema, Abissa, Malanga, Mandala, and Madanga are all primary Maba subgroups. Another cluster of Maba subgroups consists of people who assimilated to the Maba during the last several centuries. They include the Marfa, Karanga, Kashméré, Koniéré, and Kadianga.
Finally, the Daramdé (Kultu) are a special caste of hunters, potters, and blacksmiths who occupy subservient positions in Maba society.
The Burgu people are subdivided into many sub-clans, each controlling certain grazing lands and sources of water. Among the various sub-clans, the largest are the Marfa, Djene and Mandaba.
It is believed the term “Maba” is used to describe the mountain tribes which other ethnic groups have been assimilated. The Maba ethnic groups are grouped into subgroups such as Marfa , Mandaba, Karanga, Kibet, Massalat, Dadjo which includes the Western and Eastern Dadjo, Hajerai and Guera are also part of the Maba.
They speak Maba, a Nilo-Saharan language, of the Maban branch. Locally this language is called Bura Mabang. The first ten numerals in Maba language, states Andrew Dalby, are "tek, bar, kungal, asal, tor, settal, mindri, rya, adoi, atuk", and this is very distant from other Nilo-Saharan languages. Although a small ethnic group, their Maba language was the state language of the Islamic state of Wadai, and continued to be an important language when the Islamic Bornu Empire conquered these lands. Many Burgu people also speak Arabic, as their traditional trade language.
Maba grow crops such as millet, wheat, maize, yam and raised horses, cattle, goats, sheep, and chickens are raised for their milk, yogurt, butter, wool, eggs, and meat.
The Maba live in a Sahelian environment where they raise sorghum, millet, maize, peanuts, cattle, sheep, and goats. Most Mabas live in villages with between 200 and 1,500 people.
Maba dishes Include Porridge made up of Sorghum, their sauces contain meat, dried fish, tomatoes, rice, sesame and some bean species. Among them Imam is considered as their Spiritual leader and It is said Cassava, sugarcane, yams, rice, sweet potatoes and grilled lamb , homemade Cheese and brewed local beer is known as Gala .
Chiefs and members of a Royal clan still possess a higher degree of prestige and power. The Ancestral homeland is in the Wadai region, which has a broad flat grasslands and plateaus characterize the area. Their animals Include Elephants , Antelopes, Giraffes and Lions among them with their neighboring ethnic groups.
In Maba Culture, women help the men work in fields, the men alone are responsible for clearing the land and doing other heavy work. The men also tend to the animals , trade at the local markets, and make important family decisions. The women are responsible for milking the animals, brewing beer from millet , preparing a daily millet based porridge.
In Maba tradition, they lived in large towns. There, they lived in huts that are clustered tightly together, many others lived in compact rural villages. Their huts are grouped into compounds surrounded by grass mat fences and the huts are usually made up of straw, high peaked roofs and are reserved for both resting and storing grains.
Other Maba Community activities, such as dances or local assemblies, roofed pavilion for the Elders are also located in the Central Square. It is believed the Village mosque and a straw roofed pavilion for elders are also located in the Central Square.
In Maba tradition, Marriages generally take place between a man who is in his 20s and a woman who is in adulthood as well.
Polygamy is permitted, however, It is limited by Islamic law to not have more than a setting numbers of wives like more than 4 wives.
When a Couples are married , Among Maba they usually live with the bride’s family for 2 years , after which time they move into their own newly built house .It is said a man’s wife as the ‘’Chief” or “guardian” over any additional wives. It is believed only the 1st wife lives with the husband in his house. Others live in their huts which is separated.
The Maba’s Sultan Palace is in the Capital town of Abeche, Sultan traditionally is the head of the State and rules that directs the people through governors, district Chiefs, and various Other Official. Sultan is also referred as Son of Queen or son of the Queen Mother, who is believed to be the widow of the previous Monarch and women have the highest status and great Influence among the Maba People of Chad, Central African Republic and Sudan.
Maba People celebrate festivals such as Nebewi, Id El Kabir, El Mouloud, harvest cassava festival and other festivals. Their folk songs Include Sur Tol, Dambodjoya, Maba dance song and they performed traditional dances such as Gangang Abeche dar, Dilingala, Haryavi folk dance, Pigeons dance It is said Pigeons dance which is a set of their traditional dance which represents human life , the dancers play teenagers dating and forming Couples in a circular.
Because of their religious beliefs, Muslim women usually dress modestly in head-to-toe robes, although government regulations do not require them to do so. However, for visitors to the country it can be important to keep this in mind. In southern Chad, which is inhabited by many non-Muslims, women wear wraps called rabott or pagne around their upper and lower halves, or in the case of married women, as an apron. They'll add a short-sleeved shirt with an elaborately patterned neckline. A 5-meter-long scarf called a lafai can be wrapped around the body in many different ways, and women put them on when going to the market or for special occasions.
Men in most areas of Chad continue to dress traditionally, according to their ethnic background, although men in urban areas might wear Western clothing, making it easier for visitors to fit in. Traditional Chadian Arab attire such as long robes called jalabiyas are worn by men in public, along with white turban-like headgear known as a tagiya. Muslim men wear outfits consisting of long robes with matching pants known as boubous, and in the southern tribes, they wear tunic outfits called complets.
Since much of the population is subsistence farmers, clothing material is harvested cotton and animal fibers. As in many developing countries, dress styles indicate social stratification. The families of wealthy businesspeople and industrialists will wear more expensive attire to demonstrate how much they can afford, but no matter how wealthy a family is, both adults and children will keep their clothing clean and mended. Although the population of Chad is approximately 50 percent Muslim, no nationwide laws are restricting what people, including visitors, may wear in public, as there are in some other Muslim countries.
According to the Oral tradition , Maba Languages had changed when they migrated from Present day Yemen westward to avoid Arab on the east , the Maba other languages include Dadjo , Mimi , Sungor , Kibert , Mourro and Dagel are considered to be part of Tama which is also part of the Maba languages , although Maba lived in the arid Sahel , to settle in their Present day homelands . Once the rulers of Sultanate ruled . It is said the Dadjo part of the Maba were separated into 2 groups during the 15th Century . Tunjur conquered Waddai some of the Maba the Dajo fled West and the Eastern Dadjo remained in Southern Present day Ouaddai Prefecture and , following defeat by the Tunjur founded a new Sultanate with its Capital at Groz Beida . The Hajerai and Gudra are also part of the Maba who lived with Dadjo and have common origins some also claimed Maba are descendants of the Berber People .
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