Fertit
Encyclopedia
Dār Fertit is a historical term for the lowlands south of Darfur
(Dar Fur
) and east of the highlands in the east of the modern-day Central African Republic
that contain tributaries of the White Nile
River. This region included parts of southwestern Sudan
and northwestern South Sudan
. In the present era, Fertit is a catch-all word for non-Dinka, non-Arab, non-Luo, non-Fur groups of the state of Western Bahr el Ghazal in South Sudan. Historically and down to the present, the region has been home to many ethnic groups and languages, some going back before 1800, others having migrated there since then. The name is a thus a misnomer because although dār means "homeland", there is in fact no "Fertit people". Nor has Dar Fertit ever been a polity
. Until the 1840s it, along with the rest of modern day South Sudan, was unclaimed by any state, in particular the Muslim sultanates with slave-based economies that filled modern day southern Chad
and the northern Central African Republic (among them Dar Fur, Dar Runga
, Waddai, Dar al-Kuti, etc.). After that time, Egypt, then a domain of the Ottoman Empire
, steadily expanded up the White Nile and then westwards, eventually annexing the region in 1873.
Today's Dar Fertit consists mostly of the western part of Raga Countyin the state of Western Bahr el Ghazal.
As Egypt expanded into what is now South Sudan
, it granted concessions to private merchants for gathering ivory and slaves. These merchants operated out of forts they constructed, called zaribas. For a time in the mid 1800s, one of these merchant warlords, al-Zubayr, conquered Dar Fertit and made it his personal domain. His zariba, Deim al-Zubayr (Zubayr's Camp), was the nucleus of the modern town of the same name.
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
(Dar Fur
Fur people
The Fur are an ethnic group from western Sudan, principally inhabiting the region of Darfur where they are the largest tribe....
) and east of the highlands in the east of the modern-day Central African Republic
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...
that contain tributaries of the White Nile
White Nile
The White Nile is a river of Africa, one of the two main tributaries of the Nile from Egypt, the other being the Blue Nile. In the strict meaning, "White Nile" refers to the river formed at Lake No at the confluence of the Bahr al Jabal and Bahr el Ghazal rivers...
River. This region included parts of southwestern Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
and northwestern South Sudan
South Sudan
South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...
. In the present era, Fertit is a catch-all word for non-Dinka, non-Arab, non-Luo, non-Fur groups of the state of Western Bahr el Ghazal in South Sudan. Historically and down to the present, the region has been home to many ethnic groups and languages, some going back before 1800, others having migrated there since then. The name is a thus a misnomer because although dār means "homeland", there is in fact no "Fertit people". Nor has Dar Fertit ever been a polity
Polity
Polity is a form of government Aristotle developed in his search for a government that could be most easily incorporated and used by the largest amount of people groups, or states...
. Until the 1840s it, along with the rest of modern day South Sudan, was unclaimed by any state, in particular the Muslim sultanates with slave-based economies that filled modern day southern Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
and the northern Central African Republic (among them Dar Fur, Dar Runga
Dar Runga
Dar Runga was a sultanate in what is today southern Chad. It was a tributary state of the Ouaddai Empire. It was conquered by Rabih az-Zubayr in 1890 and annexed to its former vassal, the sultanate of Dar al-Kuti.- References :*...
, Waddai, Dar al-Kuti, etc.). After that time, Egypt, then a domain of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, steadily expanded up the White Nile and then westwards, eventually annexing the region in 1873.
Today's Dar Fertit consists mostly of the western part of Raga Countyin the state of Western Bahr el Ghazal.
History
The region, and adjacent regions at the same latitudes, have an inhospitable terrain which becomes impassable during the wet season. From the 1700s on, Dar Fur and other Muslim sultanates would raid this region for slaves or would levy slaves from the communities there. The name "Fertit", whose etymology has been lost to history, came to be applied to the populations living south of Dar Fur, and it signified non-Muslims, people who were legally enslavable. Throughout the 1800s, individuals and peoples from the west and north fled to "Dar Fertit" seeking escape from slave raids.As Egypt expanded into what is now South Sudan
South Sudan
South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...
, it granted concessions to private merchants for gathering ivory and slaves. These merchants operated out of forts they constructed, called zaribas. For a time in the mid 1800s, one of these merchant warlords, al-Zubayr, conquered Dar Fertit and made it his personal domain. His zariba, Deim al-Zubayr (Zubayr's Camp), was the nucleus of the modern town of the same name.