FAZUGHLI

The Kingdom of Fazughli was established at the beginning of the 16th century by defiant survivors of the Kingdom of Alodia. Situated in the mountainous area between the Sennar region of Sudan [i] and Ethiopia, Fazughli stood for nearly 200 years. A vast majority of this time saw Fazughli exist as an independent kingdom [ii], but an Ethiopian invasion in 1615 and subsequent power struggles led outside forces to wield varying levels of control for the rest of the kingdom’s existence. The final blow was dealt in 1685 when the Funj Sultanate [iii] successfully conquered and subjugated Fazughli.

Fazughli stood between two powerful neighbors. The Funj Sultanate occupied the Sennar to the West, and Ethiopia occupied lands to the East. These neighbors contributed to the eventual destruction of Fazughli, but relations between these states had not always been hostile. Fazughli was renowned for its large deposits of high-quality gold. For this reason, the Funj and Ethiopians maintained trade relations [iv] with Fazughli. The Ethiopians went further in relationship building by using missionaries to celebrate the shared Christian faith of the two states and even having their emperor, Yohannis I, marry a Sudanese (Fazughlian) woman as a sign of unity between the two peoples.

The modern influence and legacy of Fazughli have only surfaced in recent decades as scholars, Jay Spaulding in particular [v], has conducted ethnographic studies of the land between Sennar and Ethiopia. Epigraphical and archeological finds in Fazughli have undercut longstanding beliefs of Nubian dominance in the region. The picture this new evidence paint is that of Alodia and Fazughli being polyethnic but largely Prenilotic [vi] in composition. Put simply, Fazughli fills in gaps between one period of history in the region and the next. It provides continuity in the region’s story by showing how different cultures and societies meshed and merged.

The Kingdom of Fazughli was a monarchy of kings with a ruling class known as the Hamaj [vii]. Unlike many European monarchies, Fazughli was a matrilineal monarchy. This means that the next in line to the throne of Fazughli would be the current king’s nephew, his sister’s son, rather than his own son. This system of matrilineality was common in the region and was also practiced by the Funj Sultanate. Though little information is available on specifics of governance in Fazughli, it is known that this matrilineal system contributed to Hamaj power acquisition following Fazughli’s absorption into the Funj Sultanate.

When Soba, the capital of the Kingdom of Alodia [viii], fell sometime around 1500, survivors migrated to the Southern reaches of their territory to rebuild. The new kingdom these survivors built, Fazughli, stood until it was absorbed into the Funj Sultanate in 1685. Following this, the Hamaj ruling class was highly valued by the Funj due to the gold Fazughli provided and the role it played as a buffer between Ethiopia and the rest of the sultanate. From 1761 to 1762, the Hamaj led a successful coup against the Funj and would retain control of the sultanate until a Turkish invasion in 1821.

Arguably, the Kingdom of Fazughli’s greatest accomplishment [ix] was achieved after it was conquered in 1685. The Funj Sultanate was a matrilineal monarchy, so it required its vassal rulers in Fazughli to take Funj brides. Over time, this created a situation in which many power-holding noblemen in Funj society were of Fazughlian descent. Although these noblemen were raised in Funj territory away from Fazughli, they remained loyal to the traditions and customs of their fathers. Between 1761 and 1762, the Hamaj successfully launched a coup and seized control of the Funj Sultanate. The Hamaj of Fazughli controlled the sultanate until it fell to the Turks in 1821.

Evidence indicates that Fazughli’s economy revolved largely around the trade of gold. During its time of independence, Fazughli used the vast gold deposits in its territory to build influence. While traveling through the kingdom in 1607, a Portuguese traveler noted that “Fazughli was a kingdom of considerable political and commercial significance, having… fine gold [x].” After becoming a vassal state of the Funj Sultanate, the gold-oriented economy of Fazughli retained its significance. Because gold was an essential resource for the Funj sultan [xi], the ruling Hamaj enjoyed special rights and privileges not extended to other vassal states.