My Haladie

[Tim Simmons]

Extracts from "Warfare in the Sokoto Caliphate" I will add more on munitons trade route and there disruption latter {firearms and gunpowder}.

[Jim McDougall]

Absolutely fascinating and wonderful text! It is always great to see good documented material describing the weapons and characteristics. This pretty much confirms that many of the swords (takouba) were locally made. While takouba often carried trade blades, it is clear that many of the blades that were of characteristic form typically with the central fullers and crescent moon markings were produced in these northern regions. It seems also that the predominant tribal group producing weapons were the Hausa.

The interesting link is to Briggs showing the kaskara blade covered in thuluth as a Hausa weapon. The question would be, would this indicate a Hausa weapon from Nigeria, or would it be Hausa from other domiciles to the east including Chad or the Nilotic Sudan. If the Hausas did use thuluth covered kaskara, could this have been as far westward as Nigeria?
We know the takouba was the predominant broadsword in Saharan regions with the Tuareg, as well as Fulani, and that Hausas were among the swordsmiths who produced them.....but what of the kaskara? there seem to be no accountable references or indications to suggest that kaskaras were among swords used in Nigeria.
That is, unless the drawing in Briggs of the 'Hausa' kaskara might carry a subtle clue....looking carefully amidst the thuluth script, one can see the distinct dual crescent moons characteristic on the Saharan takoubas.
Here can be seen the signal of Hausa provenance.

This leaves us with the same dilemma however, could this kaskara be of Hausa production from the Nigerian regions, or from Hausa smiths to the east who might have come there from Nigeria carrying traditional blade marking symbols in thier product? Since takouba blades are made by Hausas in many cases in Nigerian and Saharan regions, and as far as I know, none carry the acid etched thuluth decoration, I am inclined to believe that the kaskara would have been of the former.

So the next question is, why is thuluth seen on the Sword of Bayajidda? It would seem because, as Bivar has suggested, the blade was imported from the east, probably Nilotic Sudanese regions.

Returning to the original weapon discussed on this thread, the haladie, my perception of the evidence at hand is that while thuluth inscriptions are seen on at least one of the Nigerian regalia swords, it was not applied by Nigerian smiths. Since neither the kaskara (as seen attributed to the Hausa in some cases with thuluth, but probably from eastern tribal units) nor the haladie, are weapons found in Nigerian weaponry, but are profusely found among that of the Nilotic Sudan, then the Sudanese attribution is most plausibly correct.

Could either of these type weapons have been brought into Nigeria via the constant trade routes that are well known? Absolutely, but on a singular basis, much as the examples that include the blade on the Sword of Bayajidda. But incidental examples of a particular weapon form found in an incongruent region do not expand the attribution of that weapon form into that region.

As always, my opinions and perceptions, and always looking forward to hearing other views and thoughts. In the meantime, I would like to thank Tim for adding these outstanding references to carry forward the discussion.

[Tim Simmons]

Obviously the real situation was more complicated than can be shown with these extracts but they are a pointer to the politcal embargos of the time. The situation was to change in the last quarter of the 19th century. Indeed the Emir of Sokoto was strongly urged by his merchants to import more guns in preperation to square up to the British in the very early 20th century.

[Tim Simmons]

A route not mentioned before.

[Iain]

Few things I'd bring up, I don't think the half moon marks are indicative of takouba over kaskara - they appear on plenty of kaskara and I don't think signal Hausa providence particularly - unless I misunderstood your point Jim?

Regarding the sword of Bayajidda I also find it a bit confusing - but wouldn't agree it was imported from the east necessarily. I tend to think that the lack of presence of the kaskara in Nigeria and surrounding areas is indicative of the widespread local manufacture of takouba blades. Otherwise I would expect to see Sudanese kaskara blades in takouba mounts fairly frequently.

Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than myself could comment on the religious impact of the Mahdi movement in wider Islamic Africa. Such events seem far more likely a reason for the presence of thuluth on the Bayajidda sword then an imported Sudanese blade in a non Sudanese form?

Just a few thoughts, from someone who sadly has less reference material at hand than the rest of you...

Feel free to correct my ramblings.

[Tim Simmons]

This is a very good starting point, but you had better be quick. One paper back copy on UK Amazon. "History of Nigeria, Sir Alan Burns"

[Tim Simmons]

May be of some interest to link this thread. Ottoman infleunce {Tripoli, Chad, Sudan} ending at the start of ww1

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=bayonet

[Jim McDougall]

Excellent points you guys!!! This is really great to be able to discuss these very complex areas of North African history, which is far underresearched with reference material very esoteric. Thank you Tim for sharing and highlighting these references on the Sokoto Caliphate, and it is interesting to see how colonialism and geopolitical matters had such dramatic impact.

Ispn, the reference to half moon markings are to the paired crescent moons as seen on takouba, usually at the base of the outside fullers in the center of the blade. There are indeed crescent moons on many kaskaras but they are the large man in the moon in the astral grouping with sun and star, in most of those I have seen. As noted the small paired crescent are indeed in some kaskara, as seen by the Briggs illustration, but uncommon as far as I know.
I believe the Hausa attribution in Briggs is based on the presumption that a great number of the smiths were Hausa.

The presence of thuluth was more attributed to Mamluk influence, which of course could have moved westward through trade as well as the slaving activity which the Mamluks were active in Sudan with. The takouba blade form is somewhat different in being somewhat lighter blades, and it is worthy of note that they invariably seem to have rounded tip. The kaskara blades have more of an angled spear type point typically.

The Bayajidda sword seems to have the wider at the shoulder and gradual parallel taper to the point. There are Sudanese short swords of this type in the northern regions near Dongola and similar variations. While Bivar tries to allude to much earlier period for the sword than it probably is, the likelihood of its provenance from the east still seems good.

I am of the impression that the Mahdist movement in the Sudan was quite an independant situation from the numerous instances of Jihad in many of the Caliphates and kingdoms to the west. Even considerable resistance to involvement was known in Darfur, where some tribal groups moved into remote regions avoiding contact. I read of this some time ago in I believe it was "Prisoners of the Mahdi" , Byron Farwell. As far as the thuluth type of script, I think we need to look further into the types of calligraphy that would have been used in Nigeria and West African regions, and try to find other examples of weapons from those regions with thuluth inscriptions. The Bayajidda sword is quite frankly, the only one I know of. If Mamluk influence was so prevalent in western Sudanese regions, I would expect to see this broad and distinct script on much of the material culture metalwork.

I really appreciate you guys discussing this with me here. It really helps to have input on ideas that I have formed from resources and things I have seen which may of course not be entirely correct. That is why it is so imortant to have other perspective, not so anyone can be more right than the other, but so we all gain knoeledge together. Thank you so much, and I hope others will join in as well.

All best regards,
Jim

[Iain]

Hi Jim,

Maybe I've only been looking at the unusual ones... But I've seen the half moon marks on quite a few kaskara. Just a few examples I quickly turned up online (note for moderators: the links to auction sites are all for expired auctions, nothing active).

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/6221477

http://www.thomasdelmar.com/catalogu...1205/lot27.jpg

http://www.oriental-arms.com/photos.php?id=109

http://www.oriental-arms.com/photos.php?id=3436

http://www.oriental-arms.com/photos.php?id=4018

Now, one thing I notice is all the blades I turned up with the half moons on kaskara are the triple fullered variety more similar to takouba blades - this could support the idea that perhaps there a Hausa connection to these examples? Maybe an easy way to differentiate between the Darfur examples? I really haven't handled enough kaskara to do more than just throw it out as a thought.

About other blades exhibiting thuluth script... Oddly I stumbled yesterday across a record in the American Museum of Natural History collections for a kaskara attributed as Tuareg with thuluth. THe attribution is directly in the collection notes, very odd.

http://anthro.amnh.org/anthropology/...from_anthro=no

I would probably discount this attribution entirely, but thought it was an oddity worth bringing up as the attribution is from the collector not the museum mislabeling at a later date.

The profiles of kaskaras and takoubas... Unfortunately this rather complex even from my own brief experiences. Takouba blades are generally lighter, but come in a wide variety of profiles and are not always rounded at the tip - personally I have a couple with sharp tips. I'm not familiar with the Sudanese short swords you referenced but that's probably not entirely surprising as your own experience is quite a bit larger!

My major "beef" with the Bayajidda sword is that it simply makes no sense to me. I was also under the impression that the script used in amongst the Fulani, Hausa and Turaeg was Maghribi. With the sub forms being Saharan, Suqi and Sudani. My reference for this is mainly reading articles about the manuscripts known from Timbuktu.

However one article I found on Arabic literary tradition of West Africa had this to say:

In the 19th century, the connections between Muslim scholars of the western Sudan (Futa, Mali, Masina, etc.) and those of the central Sudan (Hausaland, Bornu, Adamawa) intensified. These networks encouraged circulation of the political enthusiasm conveyed by the successful experience of the Sokoto Caliphate of the Fodios; the doctrinal renewal conveyed by the Sufi turuq; and the anxieties, joined with millennial beliefs, created by the news of the coming wave of European conquests. In 1825 and 1837, Sokoto was visited by a Fulani scholar from Futa Jallon, al-Hajj ‘Umar, on his way to and from Mecca. Back in the western Sudan, al-Hajj ‘Umar rallied an army and launched a jihad that would lead him to confront both local kingdoms and the rising French colonial power. An important effect of al-Hajj ‘Umar’s campaigns was that they contributed to the spread of small Tijani communities throughout the region—these would later develop into the most active religious networks of the 20th century in most of West Africa.

http://digital.library.northwestern....istorical.html

So I would say that the style of the script is not impossible for West Africa given the interaction between scholars of Sudan and West Africa. I still find it strange that it is hard to find other takouba with script on the blades. Or simply kaskara with takouba hilts.... Well wait a sec I just remembered one.

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpo...0&postcount=26

So that's two at least.

Cheers,

Iain

[Tim Simmons]

Also this example. When I acquired this perhaps a decade back. I was still stuck in the Sudan Omdurman thing. Latter and on this forum I was shown that this blade is a Tuareg form. I have been brought to believe the Tuareg are most domminant in the west and have some influence in the area discussed here. The area has several Mosque/Universities, I believe one is said to be very old for the Islamic world, so I do not think there would be any lack of schoolars to guide any artists.