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Chapter 34: The Nile basin
In the early 9th century, Yuqubid Egypt was on the offensive. Not only has it conquerred the Palestiniant coast from Gaza all the way to Mount Carmel, but also they have managed to vassalize the newly emerged Kingdom of Israel.
Egypt ruled by an Arab dynasty would naturally orient itself towards the Erythrean (or Red) Sea, as the easern Mediterranean itself has been turned into a Rhomaic lake.
Egypt sought to gain control over the trade with India, which has conducted through the Straits of Bab-el Mandeb. Egyptians would therefore seek to expand into the Hejaz, or more particularly the Hijazi coast, known also as Tihamah. That was demonstrated by a campaign which captured the coastal city of Jedda in the 830s.
As some of our followers may have seen, Egypt is not labelled as having a feudal society, but is labelled as having a „Hierocratic“ society; that means that besides the King, the two most important institutions in the country are the Church and the bureaucracy.
View attachment 464217
The Coptic Church has by the first hal of the ninth century become the most important institution in the country, owning vast swathes of agricultural land in the Nile valley and the Delta. Given the strong place of the Church in the Egyptian state, religious minorities viewed as heretic (meaning mostly Gnostics) would be openly persecuted, while in the cities of Cairo , Alexandria or Damietta, you could get a more of a multicultural feel. Alexandria and Damietta, as well as some coastal settlements in the western part of the Delta would still host a Melkite community, known as the Alexandrian Greeks. Mizraim (Egyptian) Jews could be found in the cities of Alexandria and Cairo.
By the mid-ninth century the Arab vernacular would disappear from the streets of the cities in Egypt, as they would have been largely assimilated into the Coptic populace. The only exception of this would be the region Bani Suef.
As mentionned further uptext, Gnostic communities would be exposed to persecution in this period. Surviving at least until 800AD, there would have been Sethians in the Upper Egypt in places like Nag Hammadi, and the Basilideans of the central Nile Delta. It appears that around two-thirds of the Sethians would accept Coptic Christianity, while the remaing third would be dispersed, heading to places outside of Egyptian dominance: to the Kharga oasis and then to the Tebou mountains; Nile-upstream into the Nubian lands or into the Beja coast.
The Basilideans would see their numbers dwindle and retreat into the marshy environment, careful not to be spotted by their Christian neighbours; however some of them would migrate into Mesopotamia, where they appear to integrate easily into the Mandean community.
Devoid of its feudal organization, Egypt would employ a significant number of Armenian and Nubian soldiers as mercenaries, who would have settled in their distinct neighbourhoods; other foriegn mercenaries would include Berber and Arab tribesmen as well.
However, the Egyptian realm ran into a crisis by the mid 840s. In 844, the King died childless, and two of his nephews contested the throne.
Boutros was the son of the kings elder sister and was supported more openly by the townsfolk; Shenouti was the son of the kings younger brother and supported in the Upper Egypt.While the bureaucracy supported Boutros, Shenouti was favoured by the Church. One statement by the Coptic Pope would pathe Shenouti the path to the coronation cermony... or not?
For there was a general called Vahram of Alexandria, son of an Armenia father and a Melkite mother, who participated in the Palestinian campaign an had great popularity among the soldiers, especially the Armenian and partially also the Berber and Arab troops. After Boutros was assassinated, Vahram earned the sympathy of the townsfolk; winning Lower and Central Egypt, as well as Cyrenaica, which also formed part of the realm. Shenouti would continue to rule Upper Egypt until 849, with his realm gradually shrinking, as Vahram knew that Shenouti would have been cut off, and forced to depend on Nubians...
Nubia was by this time divided into two realms, known by their names as Dotawo, and Alwa; to outsiders ,they were known as Makuria and Alodia. The Nubian region has always been an appendix to Egypt ever since the times of the Pharaohs, and Nubian culture would be greatly influenced by what was happenning downstream.
View attachment 464218
Although Nubia belonged to the Coptic Orthodox Church , for some reason Greek was used as a liturgical language; Nubian has been written in Coptic letters.
Makuria was situated further north, and had previously conquered the relam of Naatio or Migitin Goul , lying between it and Egypt. Makuria had regular contact with Egypt, and its society was organized in something what resembles to a feudal system, with some sort of aristocracy over there.
View attachment 464219
Alodia on the other hand lay further upstream ,and contact with Egypt was scarcer. Its tribal society was gradually adapting to become a little more organized.
Further west are the Fur people, residing the Darfur region. They are coming into contact with Nubia and Kanem due to caravan routes passing through their territory, connecting Lake Tchad to Nubia. East of the Nubian region are the Beja, organized in a chiefdom, and still practicing the Old Egyptian religion, although a Coptic bishopric has already been established in Suakin, and hopes to extend the Coptic religion (and dominance) over the people.
As for Vahram, he sought to diminish the power of the clergy ,mainly by giving city rights to urban communities. In his reign, he welcommed some 100 000 Greek settlers, who would install themselves on the Mediterranean coast. Vahram sought to turn Egypts southeastern orientation to a northwestern one; opening the country towards the Mediterranean. He would plant forests in the newly acquired lands of western Palestine, from which there would be wood to build a reasonable navy for the realm.
So far, we have ommitted the region of Cyrenaica, yet there is not much to speak of – the area remains populated by Cyrenaic-Greek speaking people on the coasts, the desert hinterlands populated by Berber tribesmen.
Egypt ruled by an Arab dynasty would naturally orient itself towards the Erythrean (or Red) Sea, as the easern Mediterranean itself has been turned into a Rhomaic lake.
Egypt sought to gain control over the trade with India, which has conducted through the Straits of Bab-el Mandeb. Egyptians would therefore seek to expand into the Hejaz, or more particularly the Hijazi coast, known also as Tihamah. That was demonstrated by a campaign which captured the coastal city of Jedda in the 830s.
As some of our followers may have seen, Egypt is not labelled as having a feudal society, but is labelled as having a „Hierocratic“ society; that means that besides the King, the two most important institutions in the country are the Church and the bureaucracy.
View attachment 464217
The Coptic Church has by the first hal of the ninth century become the most important institution in the country, owning vast swathes of agricultural land in the Nile valley and the Delta. Given the strong place of the Church in the Egyptian state, religious minorities viewed as heretic (meaning mostly Gnostics) would be openly persecuted, while in the cities of Cairo , Alexandria or Damietta, you could get a more of a multicultural feel. Alexandria and Damietta, as well as some coastal settlements in the western part of the Delta would still host a Melkite community, known as the Alexandrian Greeks. Mizraim (Egyptian) Jews could be found in the cities of Alexandria and Cairo.
By the mid-ninth century the Arab vernacular would disappear from the streets of the cities in Egypt, as they would have been largely assimilated into the Coptic populace. The only exception of this would be the region Bani Suef.
As mentionned further uptext, Gnostic communities would be exposed to persecution in this period. Surviving at least until 800AD, there would have been Sethians in the Upper Egypt in places like Nag Hammadi, and the Basilideans of the central Nile Delta. It appears that around two-thirds of the Sethians would accept Coptic Christianity, while the remaing third would be dispersed, heading to places outside of Egyptian dominance: to the Kharga oasis and then to the Tebou mountains; Nile-upstream into the Nubian lands or into the Beja coast.
The Basilideans would see their numbers dwindle and retreat into the marshy environment, careful not to be spotted by their Christian neighbours; however some of them would migrate into Mesopotamia, where they appear to integrate easily into the Mandean community.
Devoid of its feudal organization, Egypt would employ a significant number of Armenian and Nubian soldiers as mercenaries, who would have settled in their distinct neighbourhoods; other foriegn mercenaries would include Berber and Arab tribesmen as well.
However, the Egyptian realm ran into a crisis by the mid 840s. In 844, the King died childless, and two of his nephews contested the throne.
Boutros was the son of the kings elder sister and was supported more openly by the townsfolk; Shenouti was the son of the kings younger brother and supported in the Upper Egypt.While the bureaucracy supported Boutros, Shenouti was favoured by the Church. One statement by the Coptic Pope would pathe Shenouti the path to the coronation cermony... or not?
For there was a general called Vahram of Alexandria, son of an Armenia father and a Melkite mother, who participated in the Palestinian campaign an had great popularity among the soldiers, especially the Armenian and partially also the Berber and Arab troops. After Boutros was assassinated, Vahram earned the sympathy of the townsfolk; winning Lower and Central Egypt, as well as Cyrenaica, which also formed part of the realm. Shenouti would continue to rule Upper Egypt until 849, with his realm gradually shrinking, as Vahram knew that Shenouti would have been cut off, and forced to depend on Nubians...
Nubia was by this time divided into two realms, known by their names as Dotawo, and Alwa; to outsiders ,they were known as Makuria and Alodia. The Nubian region has always been an appendix to Egypt ever since the times of the Pharaohs, and Nubian culture would be greatly influenced by what was happenning downstream.
View attachment 464218
Although Nubia belonged to the Coptic Orthodox Church , for some reason Greek was used as a liturgical language; Nubian has been written in Coptic letters.
Makuria was situated further north, and had previously conquered the relam of Naatio or Migitin Goul , lying between it and Egypt. Makuria had regular contact with Egypt, and its society was organized in something what resembles to a feudal system, with some sort of aristocracy over there.
View attachment 464219
Alodia on the other hand lay further upstream ,and contact with Egypt was scarcer. Its tribal society was gradually adapting to become a little more organized.
Further west are the Fur people, residing the Darfur region. They are coming into contact with Nubia and Kanem due to caravan routes passing through their territory, connecting Lake Tchad to Nubia. East of the Nubian region are the Beja, organized in a chiefdom, and still practicing the Old Egyptian religion, although a Coptic bishopric has already been established in Suakin, and hopes to extend the Coptic religion (and dominance) over the people.
As for Vahram, he sought to diminish the power of the clergy ,mainly by giving city rights to urban communities. In his reign, he welcommed some 100 000 Greek settlers, who would install themselves on the Mediterranean coast. Vahram sought to turn Egypts southeastern orientation to a northwestern one; opening the country towards the Mediterranean. He would plant forests in the newly acquired lands of western Palestine, from which there would be wood to build a reasonable navy for the realm.
So far, we have ommitted the region of Cyrenaica, yet there is not much to speak of – the area remains populated by Cyrenaic-Greek speaking people on the coasts, the desert hinterlands populated by Berber tribesmen.
- Tomislav Addai
- Word Count: 1k