The Midob or Meidob are a group who live in the Meidob Hills in Darfur Province of western Sudan. There is also a concentration of Meidobs in the city of Malha.
The population of this ethnic group is estimated at 99,000. Most are Muslims.
The Meidobs cali themselves the Tiddi.
The Midob's roots are claimed to go back to Meroitic Kingdom (Kingdom of Kush) in Northern Sudan. It is not clear if linguistics are in support of this, as the linguistic relationship of Nubian languages with the Meroitic language is still debated. Nevertheless, historians like Brown (The History of Sudanese Tribes) mention that Midob was the ruling family in the Nubian Civilization and their roots extended to the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt.
They trace their origins to the Nubian groups of the Nile River in Egypt, and many contemporary Meidobs are familiar with Nubian kinship groups.
Historically, the Meidobs have made their living raising livestock, particularly sheep, goats, and camels, and collecting salt, all of which they trade across the Libyan caravan routes. They also raise sorghum and vegetables for local consumption.
The Midob are semi-nomadic shepherds who rely on the acquisition of livestock for their livelihood. They mainly raise sheep and goats, but also keep some donkeys, camels, and cattle. Young adult men and adolescents tend to the sheep and camels. These animals are raised separately from other livestock because they must be moved continuously from pasture to pasture. Women tend to the goats, cattle, and donkeys, which are kept in the settlements within easy reach of water supplies. The Midob also are farmers, growing enough sorghum, millet, and vegetables to supplement their diet of goat meat and milk.
The Meidobs are a fiercely independent people whose relationship with outsiders has often been hostile. The Meidobs are divided into three primary subgroups:
They speak a language that is classified as part of the Nilo-Saharan family.
The Midob language, also called Midob, can be traced to the language of the Nubians, a people from Eastern Sudan.
The Meidob conversión to Islam began in the seventeenth century but was not complete until the nineteenth century.
Today, Meidob men are devout Muslims, but Meidob women have retained and still practice a number of pre-Islamic rituals, including fertility rites and divination.
When Darfur became part of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan in 1916, the British recognized the Shalkota malik (chief) as the local political administrator. That political authority did not end until 1971 when the Sudanese government formally abolished all forms of "native administration." During the 1980s, the Meidobs were hurt by the severe drought affecting the región, which led to the migration of increasingly large numbers of Meidob young men to Libyan cities in search of work.:
With regard to their traditions and their culture, the Midob also are linked to various Nubian groups such as the Mahas and the Dongolawi. These are completely Muslim peoples. Traces of Islam have existed in Midob history from as early as the seventeenth century; but the Midob only fully converted to Islam in the nineteenth century.
Midob villages are located at the foot of the hills. Each family lives in a settlement which consists of a small number of separate huts. These huts are dome-shaped and are constructed of poles, branches, and grass. Each adult woman has her own hut and lives with her children; her husband also lives there when he is not off tending the livestock. In each village is a headman who handles village disputes and directs village affairs. Many villages also have a mosque where the men meet daily for prayer.
Midob men usually have more than one wife. Polygyny exists to fulfill the Islamic rule that one should produce many children. Also, a large family provides the help needed at home during the husband's absence when he is caring for the livestock. After marriage, a couple will move to live with either the husband's or wife's family, depending on the needs of the family. Residence therefore is determined not by descent, but by kinship needs.
The Sudan area has experienced drought over the last ten years. Consequently, more and more young Midob men have migrated temporarily to Libyan cities in search of work. Also, in connection with the sales of their camels, the Midob have regular contacts with Libyan and Egyptian markets. These market contacts have exposed the isolated Midob to current economic and political affairs, not only locally, but also nationally. A number of Midob, therefore, have become successful businessmen, re-investing their wealth in herd expansion.
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