The Tuareg the Nomadic inhabitants of North Africa Tifinagh - The Tuareg Script The Tuareg inhabit the Saharan regions of North Africa - Niger, Mali, Libya, Algeria and Burkina Faso. Tuareg is an Arabic term meaning abandoned by God. They call themselves Imohag, translated as free men . No one knows the true origin of the Tuareg, where they came from or when they arrived in the Sahara . Reputedly of Berber descent, the language of the Tuareg is Tamachek, with their own script known as Tifinagh , thought to have ancient Libyan roots. Their numbers are unclear, but estimates run between 300,000 and 1 million. The Tuareg were recorded by the Greek historian Herodotus in the 5th Century BC. The most striking attribute of the Tuareg is the indigo veil, worn by the men but not the women, giving rise to the popular name the Blue Men of the Sahara , or Men of the Veil . Men begin wearing a veil at the age 25.

One of the traditional dances of the nomadic Tuareg is the 'Tam Tam' where the men on camel circle the women while they play drums and chant. The huts of the Tuareg nomad are easily constructed, and comprised of weaved matting and tradition fabrics on a timber frame. Most Tuareg practice some degree of Islam Although most Tuareg now practice some degree of Islam - the Maliki sect of Islam, resulting from the teachings of the great prophet El Maghili from the early 16th century - they are not considered Arabic. They have preserved many pre-Islamic traditions and do not strictly follow many Islamic rituals. Among the Tuareg the women have a great freedom and participate in family and tribal decisions . Descent and inheritance are both through the maternal line. Tuareg camel caravans played the primary role in trans-Saharan trade until the mid-20th century when European colonial infrastructure - railways and roads - were introduced. Until then, there were five principal trade routes which extend across the Sahara from the northern Mediterranean coast of Africa to the great cities on the southern edge of the Sahara. Tuareg merchants were responsible for bringing goods from these cities to the north.

From there they were distributed throughout the world. Because of the nature of transport and the limited space available in caravans, Tuareg usually traded in luxury items, things which took up little space and on which a large profit could be made. Agadez, Niger Tuareg were also responsible for bringing enslaved people north from west Africa to be sold to Europeans and Middle Easterners. Many Tuareg settled into the communities with which they traded, serving as local merchants . Tuareg Merchant Trade Routes across the Sahara One of the most important trade routes across the Sahara was to the west - the Taghaza Trail - in the north from the oasis town of Aoudaghost (near Fez in Morocco) to the Atlantic coast (now Freetown in Sierra Leone). The route passed through Sidjilmasa, Taghaza, Walata, Ghana, Bamako and Niani before reaching the coast. Flowing south - beads, ceramics, glass, oil lamps, saffron, dates, flour and salt. Flowing north - slaves, kola nuts and gold. Off this to the west ran the route from Idjil, through Tichitt to Walata, bringing salt.

This route then went on to be one of the main east-west routes across the Sahara; from Walata on to Timbuktu, Jenne (to the south), Goa, through the Tenere Desert to Agadez , before joining the north-south route in the east, running from Benin in the south, through Bilma and Zawilah, before heading north into Egypt. Flowing east - salt, kola, gold, ivory, and slaves. Flowing west - copper, ceramics, and cowrie beads. Two further diagonal routes crossed the Sahara. From Timbuktu, through Araouane and Taoudenni, then across to Ghadames before reaching Tripoli. And to the south, from Gao across to Ghat and then on to Egypt. Towards Egypt, gold, slaves, ebony and ivory, in exchange for ceramics, glass, oil lamps, silk, saffron and beads. Most Tuareg practice some degree of Islam Historically, Tuareg society was divided between those who tended the land and those who did not. At one time, tilling the land was considered the work of the lower classes, while the upper classes reaped the benefits of trading.

Usually groups of sedentary Tuareg would pay allegience to a locally appointed headman, who in turn would report to the noble who considered the village his domain. As time has passed, however, these sedentary farmers have been able to accumulate wealth while the trans-Saharan trade routes diminished in importance. They were also given political status by colonial and postcolonial administrations. The Tuareg have survived in the harsh Saharan environment for thousands of years, a region that has also played host to a succession of political struggles, which the Tuareg has also survived. Between 1916 and 1917 the Tuareg rebellion was a reaction to French colonialism. Between 1961 and 1964 it was a reaction to the Mali government land reforms infringing upon traditional Tuareg areas. Between 1990 and 1995 the Tuareg in Niger sought autonomy from the government, ending in a peace deal which promised them a bigger share of the region's mineral wealth. In February 2007, again because of unequal distribution of mineral wealth - the uranium deposits - fighting has resumed.

The central government in Niamey has shown itself unwilling to cede control of the highly profitable mining to indigenous clans; the Tuareg are determined not to relinquish the prospect of substantial economic benefit; the French government has independently entered the fray to defend a French firm, Areva, established in Niger for fifty years and now mining the massive Imouraren deposit. Dr Jean Clottes honoured by the Blue Tuareg people Dr Jean Clottes 'ALMAWEKIL' It is with great excitement that we report that Dr Jean Clottes who, as everyone knows, has been a major contributor to the understanding of Rock Art around the world, has been honoured by the Blue Tuareg people of the Sahara Desert. In a rare ceremony in the Niger Sahara outside Agadez, Jean was made an Honorary Tuareg with the name ALMAWEKIL, literally translated as our respected representative. An unique accolade bestowed by the wonderful desert people whose home for many thousands of years has been the vast expanse of desert between the Nile and Timbuktu. I am sure you will join us all at the Bradshaw Foundation in congratulating Jean on this honour in acknowledgement of his services to mankind.

Tuareg : ManuTeeFaktur Posted on Tuesday, March 12, 2013 · Leave a Comment The Tuareg The Tuareg (also spelled Twareg or Touareg; endonym Imuhagh) are a Berber people with a traditionally nomadicpastoralist lifestyle. They are the principal inhabitants of the Saharan interior of North Africa. The Tuareg language, a branch of the Berber language, has an estimated 1.2 million speakers. About half this number is accounted for by speakers of the Eastern dialect (Tamajaq, Tawallammat). Most Tuareg live in the Saharan parts of Niger, Mali, and Algeria. Being nomadic, they move constantly across national borders, and small groups of Tuareg are also found in southeastern Algeria, southwestern Libya and northern Burkina Faso, and a small community in northern Nigeria. The name Tuareg is possibly derived from Targa, the Berber name of Libya’s Fezzan province.

The name Tuareg thus in origin designated the inhabitants of Fezzan from the perspective of the Berbers living closer to the Mediterranean coast, and was adopted from them into English, French and German during the colonial period. The Berber noun targa means “drainage channel” and by extension “arable land, garden”. It designated the Wadi al-Haya area between Sabhaand Ubari and is rendered in Arabic as bilad al-khayr ”good land”. The name of the Tuareg for themselves is Imuhagh or Imushagh (cognate to northern Berber Imazighen). The term for a Tuareg man is Amajagh (var. Amashegh, Amahagh), the term for a woman Tamajaq (var. Tamasheq, Tamahaq, Timajaghen). The spelling variants given reflect the variety of the Tuareg dialects, but they all reflect the same linguistic root, expressing the notion of “freemen”, strictly only referring to the Tuareg “nobility”, to the exclusion of the artisan client castes and slaves.

Another self-designation of more recent origin is linguistic, Kel Tamasheq or Kel Tamajaq ”Speakers of Tamasheq”. Also encountered in ethnographic literature of the early 20th century is the name Kel Tagelmust ”People of the Veil” and “the Blue People” (for the indigocolour of their veils and other clothing, which sometimes stains the skin underneath). … Pray for the unreached people - Tuareg, Tamajaq of Niger Pray for the unreached people - Tuareg, Tamajaq of Niger April 19, 2012 Tuareg, Tamajaq of Niger The Tuareg are nomadic people and the principal inhabitants of the Saharan interior of North Africa, and are descended from the Berbers. For over two millennia, the Tuareg operated the trans-Saharan caravan trade connecting the great cities on the southern edge of the Sahara. Ministry Obstacles The Tuareg live in areas that may be difficult for Christian workers to enter, and to remain for any length of time. Outreach Ideas It may be feasible for traveling teams to take the Jesus film, God's Story video, and Gospel recordings to these people.

Stories from Scripture can often powerfully communicate vital truths. Pray for the followers of Christ Pray for the few believers among the Tuareg, that they may be strengthened in the faith, rooted and established in love, and may become a Godly influence on those around them. Pray for the entire people group Pray for improved living conditions for the Tuareg, for better educational opportunities for their children, and for improved employment opportunities. Scripture Focus "Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession." Psalm 2:8 Tuareg facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Tuareg COPYRIGHT 1996 The Gale Group, Inc. Tuareg ETHNONYMS: Kel Tagelmust, Kel Tamacheq, Tamacheq, Targui. There are also numerous names designating the different political confederations and descent groups. These latter are ofter preceded by "Kel," which denotes "people of." Orientation Identification. The Tuareg, a seminomadic, Islamic people who speak a Berber language, Tamacheq, live in the contemporary nation-states of Niger , Mali , Algeria , and Libya .

They are believed to be descendants of the North African Berbers and to have originated in the Fezzan region of Libya but later to have expanded into areas bordering the Sahara , assimilating into their traditionally stratified society the sedentary farming peoples from regions south of the Sahara. Tuareg traded with these populations and also raided them for slaves. Thus, Tuareg display diverse physical and cultural traits ranging from Arabic influences to influences stemming from south of the Sahara. "Tuareg," the term by which they are most commonly known today, is actually a term of outside, possibly Arabic origin. It was imposed as a gloss, or cover-term, to designate the ethnicity and culture of a people who, although unified by their common language and culture, belong to diverse social strata based on descent, have different geographic origins, and practice varied subsistence patterns of stock-breeding, oasis gardening, caravanning, professional Quranic scholarship, and smithing. There are also names for numerous subdivisions of Tuareg, based upon precolonial descent groups and confederations.

Many Tuareg call themselves "Kel Tamacheq" (people of the Tamacheq language), "Kel Tagelmust" (people of the veil, a reference to the distinctive practice of men's face veiling), and other more specific terms. There are names referring to the precolonial social categories based on descent, still ideologically important in rural communities: imajeghen, denoting nobility, refers to those Tuareg of aristocratic origin; imghad refers to those of the tributary social stratum; inaden refers to smith/artisans; and iklan and ighawalen denote, respectively, peoples of various degrees of servile and client status. Currently, there is disagreement regarding which term to use to refer to these peoples as a group. "Tuareg" still predominates in most English-language historical and ethnographic literature. "Touareg" and "Targui" are often found in French-language sources. Many contemporary local intellectuals of Niger and Mali refer to themselves as "Tuareg," but some have expressed a preference for "Kel Tamacheq." For purposes of standardization, the term "Tuareg" is used in this article. Location.

The Saharan regions where Tuareg originated—southern Algeria, western Libya, eastern Mali, and northern Niger—are still the regions where they predominate today. During the late twentieth century, many Tuareg have migrated to rural and urban areas farther south—into Sahelian and coastal regions of West Africa—because of drought, famine, and political tensions with the central governments of Mali and Niger. Since the early 1990s, some Tuareg have joined an armed insurrection against those governments (Bourgeot 1990, 129-162). A few Tuareg have emigrated to France . The Saharan and Sahelian regions of Mali and Niger, where most Tuareg still live are the principal biomes to which the culture is adapted (Baier and Lovejoy 1977; Bernus 1981). The topography includes volcanic mountains, flat desert plains, rugged savanna, and desert-edge borderlands where agriculture is possible only with daily irrigation. The major ranges are the Ahaggar Mountains in Algeria and the Aïr Mountains in Niger.

Temperatures range from 4° C at night in the brief cold season, from December to March, upward to 54° C during the day in the hot season. There is a short and unreliable rainy season between June and September; annual precipitation often amounts to less than 25 centimeters. Pasturelands have been diminishing, and, consequently, livestock herds are shrinking. Many herds were decimated in the droughts of 1967-1973 and 1984-1985. During the brief cold season, there are high winds and sandstorms. Demography. Tuareg constitute about 8 percent of the population of Niger (U.S. Department of State 1987). The total population of Tamacheq speakers who identify themselves culturally as Tuareg has been estimated at about 1 million (Childs and Chelala 1994, 16). Linguistic Affiliation. There are numerous dialects of Tamacheq, a language of the Berber Family.

French sources (Fraternité Charles de Foucauld 1968, 1) list the three major dialects as "Tamaheq" (in the Ahaggar Mountains of Algeria and in the Tassili mountain range in the Ajjer region of Mali), "Tamacheq" (in the desert-edge region along the River Niger and in the Adrar des Iforas of Mali), and "Temajeq" (in the Aïr Mountains of Niger). In many other sources (Rodd 1926; Nicolaisen 1963; Bernus 1981), the major language is called "Tamacheq," without specifying dialectal distinctions, a usage also adopted in this article. Tuareg also use a written script known as Tifinagh. Many contemporary Tamacheq speakers also speak Songhay, Hausa , or French. History and Cultural Relations Early origins and migrations of the various confederations of Tuareg are related in oral traditions and have been documented by Rodd (1926), Nicolaisen (1963), and Bernus (1981).

Early events are also recorded in Tifinagh inscriptions on Saharan rocks and in Arabic manuscripts such as the Agadez Chronicle. Many of these written records were lost when the central Sahara was plundered by French colonial patrols after the unsuccessful 1917 Tuareg revolt against France. The Tuareg came to prominence as stockbreeders and caravanners in the Saharan and Sahelian regions at the beginning of the fourteenth century, when trade routes to the lucrative salt, gold, ivory, and slave markets in North Africa, Europe , and the Middle East sprang up across Tuareg territory. Nicolaisen (1963, 411) suggests that the first Tuareg to come to the Air region were caravan traders who were attracted by the area's excellent grazing grounds. As early as the seventh century a.d., there were extensive migrations of pastoral Berbers, including the two important groups related to contemporary Tuareg: the Lemta and the Zarawa.

Invasions of Beni Hilal and Beni Sulaym Arabs into Tuareg Tripolitania and Fezzan pushed Tuareg southward to Aïr (Nicolaisen 1963, 411). Among these was a group of seven clans, allegedly descended from daughters of the same mother, a matrilineal myth widespread among many Tuareg groups, with cultural vestiges today in the high social prestige and economic independence of women. These matrilineally based social institutions, manifested in inheritance and descent, mythology and ritual, counterbalance more recent Islamic elements in the culture. In the late nineteenth century European exploration and military expeditions in the Sahara and along the Niger River led to incorporation of the region into French West Africa. By the early twentieth century, the French had brought the Tuareg under their colonial domination. As a result, Tuareg forfeited their rights to tariff collection and protection services for trans-Saharan camel caravans. Ocean routes had diverted most of the trade to the coast of Africa. Laws against raiding and slavery were strictly enforced.

After independence and the establishment of nation-states in the region in the early 1960s, the Tuareg continued to lose economic strength and political power. They had resisted, first, French, and later, central-state schools and taxes, suspicious of them as strategies to forcibly sedentarize them and gain control over their destiny. As a result, Tuareg tend to be underrepresented today in jobs in the new infrastructure of the towns, as well as in central governments in the region. These governments imposed restrictions on trade with neighboring countries, in order to protect national economic interests. Droughts and decreasing value of livestock and salt—the last remaining export commodity of the Tuareg—have weakened a once strong and diverse local economy (Childs and Chelala 1994, 17). Development programs involving the Tuareg from the 1940s to the 1970s failed miserably because they worked against the traditional pastoral production systems.

During the 1984-1985 drought, some Tuareg men, calling themselves ishumar (a Tamacheq variant of the French verb chomer, denoting "to be unemployed"), left for Libya, where they received military training and weapons. In the early 1990s they returned to their homes and demanded autonomy. Since that time, there has been continuous guerrilla warfare in some regions of Mali and Niger. Some Tuareg have been forced into refugee camps in neighboring countries (e.g., Mauritania ). Settlements Precolonial Tuareg communities were predominantly rural and nomadic, with a few urban settlers. Today most Tuareg are seminomadic and remain in rural areas. Rural communities range from clusters of six to ten nomadic tents, temporarily camped to follow herds in search of pasture, to semisedentarized hamlets with compounds of tents and adobe houses reflecting the mixed subsistence of herding and gardening, to fully sedentarized hamlets, the inhabitants of which engage primarily in irrigated gardening. In all communities, each tent or compound corresponds to the nuclear household.

Each compound is named for the married woman, who owns the nomadic tent, made by elderly female relatives and provided as a dowry, from which she may eject her husband upon divorce. Within compounds in more sedentarized areas, residential structures are diverse: there may be several tents, a few conical grass buildings, and sometimes, among the more well-to-do, an adobe house, built and owned by men. There are thus significant changes taking place in the property balance between men and women as a result of sedentarization. Economy Subsistance and Commercial Activities. Traditionally, occupations corresponded to social-stratum affiliation, determined by descent. Nobles controlled the caravan trade, owned most camels, and remained more nomadic, coming into oases only to collect a proportion of the harvest from their client and servile peoples. Tributary groups raided and traded for nobles and also herded smaller livestock, such as goats, in usufruct relationships with nobles. Peoples of varying degrees of client and servile status performed domestic and herding labor for nobles. Smiths manufactured jewelry and household tools and performed praise songs for noble patron families, serving as important oral historians and political intermediaries.

Owing to natural disasters and political tensions, it is now increasingly difficult to make a living solely from nomadic stockbreeding. Thus, social stratum, occupation, and socioeconomic status tend to be less coincident. Most rural Tareg today combine subsistence methods, practicing herding, oasis gardening, caravan trading, and migrant labor. Nomadic stockbreeding still confers great prestige, however, and gardening remains stigmatized as a servile occupation. Other careers being pursued in the late twentieth century include creating art for tourists, at which smiths are particularly active, as artisans in towns, and guarding houses, also in the towns. On oases, crops include millet, barley, wheat, maize, onions, tomatoes, and dates. Trade. The caravan trade, although today less important than formerly, persists in the region between the Air Mountains and Kano, Nigeria . Men from the Aïr spend five to seven months each year on camel caravans, traveling to Bilma for dates and salt, and then to Kano to trade them for millet and other foodstuffs, household tools, and luxury items such as spices, perfume, and cloth. Division of Labor.

Most camel herding is still done by men; although women may inherit and own camels, they tend to own and herd more goats, sheep, and donkeys. Caravan trade is exclusively conducted by men. A woman may, however, indirectly participate in the caravan trade by sending her camels with a male relative, who returns with goods for her. Men plant and irrigate gardens, and women harvest the crops. Whereas women may own gardens and date palms, they leave the work of tending them to male relatives. Kinship Kin Groups and Descent. The introduction of Islam in the seventh century a.d. had the long-term effect of superimposing patrilineal institutions upon traditional matriliny. Formerly, each matrilineal clan was linked to a part of an animal, over which that clan had rights (Casajus 1987; Lhote 1953; Nicolaisen 1963; Norris 1975, 30). Matrilineal clans were traditionally important as corporate groups, and they still exert varying degrees of influence among the different Tuareg confederations.

Most Tuareg today are bilateral in descent and inheritance systems (Murphy 1964; 1967). Descent-group allegience is through the mother, social-stratum affiliation is through the father, and political office, in most groups, passes from father to son. Kinship Terminology. Tuareg personal names are used most frequently in addressing all descendants and kin of one's own generation, although cousins frequently address one another by their respective classificatory kinship terms. Kin of the second ascending generation may be addressed using the classificatory terms anna (mother) and abba (father), as may brothers and sisters of parents, although this is variable. Most ascendants, particularly those who are considerably older and on the paternal side, are usually addressed with the respectful term amghar (masc.) or tamghart (fem.). The most frequently heard kinship term is abobaz, denoting "cousin," used in a classificatory sense.

Tuareg enjoy more relaxed, familiar relationships with the maternal side, which is known as tedis, or "stomach" and associated with emotional and affective support, and more reserved, distant relations with the paternal side, which is known as arum, or "back" and associated with material suport and authority over Ego. There are joking relationships with cousins; relationships with affines are characterized by extreme reserve. Youths should not pronounce the names of deceased ancestors. Marriage and Family Marriage. Cultural ideals are social-stratum endogamy and close-cousin marriage. In the towns, both these patterns are breaking down. In rural areas, class endogamy remains strong, but many individuals marry close relatives only to please their mothers; they subsequently divorce and marry nonrelatives. Some prosperous gardeners, chiefs, and Islamic scholars practice polygyny, contrary to the nomadic Tuareg monogamous tradition and contrary to many women's wishes; intolerant of co-wives, many women initiate divorces. Domestic Unit. Tuareg groups vary in postmarital-residence rules. Some groups practice virilocal residence, others uxorilocal residence.

The latter is more common among caravanning groups in the Aïr, such as the Kel Ewey, who adhere to uxorilocal residence for the first two to three years of marriage, during which time the husband meets the bride-wealth payments, fulfills obligations of groom-service, and offers gifts to his parents-in-law. Upon fulfillment of these obligations, the couple may choose where to live, and the young married woman may disengage her animals from her herds and build a separate kitchen, apart from her mother's. Inheritance. Patrilineal inheritance, arising from Islamic influence, prevails, unless the deceased indicated otherwise, before death, in writing, in the presence of a witness: two-thirds of the property goes to the sons, one-third to the daughters. Alternative inheritance forms, stemming from ancient matriliny, include "living milk herds" (animals reserved for sisters, daughters, and nieces) and various preinheritance gifts. Socialization. Fathers are considered disciplinarians, yet other men, particularly maternal uncles, often play and joke with small children. Women who lack their own daughters often adopt nieces to assist in housework.

Although many men are often absent (while traveling), Tuareg children are nonetheless socialized into distinct, culturally defined masculine and feminine gender roles because male authority figures—chiefs, Islamic scholars, and wealthy gardeners—remain at home rather than departing on caravans or engaging in migrant labor, and these men exert considerable influence on young boys, who attend Quranic schools and assist in male tasks such as gardening and herding. Young girls tend to remain nearer home, assisting their mothers with household chores, although women and girls also herd animals. Sociopolitical Organization Precolonial Tuareg society was characterized by servility in a multiethnic setting (Baier and Lovejoy 1977, 393). This pattern arose partly as an adaptation to cycles of drought in the Sahara. In the core area of Tuareg operations, the desert, outsiders were acquired as domestic servants, herders, and farmers. Formerly, persons could belong to individuals, tribal sections, or to offices. Those persons who were in areas beyond direct control, particularly the herders, were more like clients than slaves.

Still further away, in the savanna, some were settled on agricultural estates administered by resident agents and occupied a position somewhat between that of tenant farmers and serfs. The former clients and slaves now simply owe hospitality to their former masters. Traditionally, Tuareg social stratification guaranteed that power to make economic decisions remained in the hands of a few. Yet political power in the pastoral nomadic society was fragmented. At the lowest level was the camp (eghiwan ) of five or six families of four or five members each, with dependents (including slaves). There were half as many dependents as free Tuareg. Two to twenty camps formed a descent-group section (tawsit ). The male noble heads of the noble clan of the descent-group section traditionally have chosen chiefs from members of their own clan, but election usually is confirmed by all components of the section. Officeholders keep their positions for life, but traditional powers have been curtailed by colonial and postcolonial governments.

Tenure of office has depended on the willingness of all nobles of the section to pay a small tribute to the chief each year (Briggs 1960, 146; Jean 1909, 175-176; Baier and Lovejoy 1977, 397). These traditional chiefs, called chefs de tribus, now serve as government links in collecting taxes and registering children for school. A group of sections recognizing a common leader constitutes the next level, the drum group, or confederation. Together, the noble clans of the confederations elect the amenokal, or sultan. His precolonial function was to conduct peaceful relations with outsiders or to lead expeditions against enemies; today he acts as a liaison with the central government. Social Control. In the traditional segmentary system, no leader had power over his followers solely by virtue of a position in a political hierarchy. Wealth was traditionally enough to guarantee influence. Nobles acted as managers of large firms and controlled most resources, although they constituted less than 10 percent of the population. Even traditionally, however, there were no cut-and-dry free or slave statuses.

Below the aristocracy were various dependents whose status derived from their position in the larger system (e.g., whether attached to a specific noble or noble section); they had varying degrees of freedom. Tuareg assimilated outsiders, who formed the servile strata, on a model of fictive kinship: a noble owner was expected to be "like a father" to his slave. Vestiges of former tribute and client-patron systems persist today, but also encounter some resistance. On some oases, nobles still theoretically have rights to dates from date palms within gardens of former slaves, but nowadays the former slaves refuse to fetch them, obliging nobles to climb the trees and collect the dates themselves. Conflict. In principle, members of the same confederation are not supposed to raid each other's livestock, but such raids do occur (Casajus 1987). In rural areas today, many local-level disputes are arbitrated by a council of elders and Islamic scholars who apply Quranic law, but individuals have the option of taking cases to secular courts in the towns. Religion and Expressive Culture Religious Beliefs.

The local belief system, with its own cosmology and ritual, interweaves and overlaps with Islam rather than standing in opposition to it. In Islamic observances, men are more consistent about saying all the prescribed prayers, and they employ more Arabic loanwords, whereas women tend to use Tamacheq terms. There is general agreement that Islam came from the West and spread into Aïr with the migration of Sufi mystics in the seventh century (Norris 1975). Tuareg initially resisted Islam and earned a reputation among North African Arabs for being lax about Islamic practices. For example, local tradition did not require female chastity before marriage. In Tuareg groups more influenced by Quranic scholars, female chastity is becoming more important, but even these groups do not seclude women, and relations between the sexes are characterized by freedom of social interaction. Religious Practitioners. In official religion, Quranic scholars, popularly called ineslemen, or marabouts, predominate in some clans, but anyone may become one through mastery of the Quran and exemplary practice of Islam. Marabouts are considered "people of God " and have obligations of generosity and hospitality.

Marabouts are believed to possess special powers of benediction, al baraka. Quranic scholars are important in rites of passage and Islamic rituals, but smiths often act in these rituals, in roles complementary to those of the Quranic scholars. For example, at babies' namedays, held one week following a birth, the Quranic scholar pronounces the child's name as he cuts the throat of a ram, but smiths grill its meat, announce the nameday, and organize important evening festivals following it, at which they sing praise songs. With regard to weddings, a marabout marries a couple at the mosque, but smiths negotiate bride-wealth and preside over the evening festivals. Ceremonies. Important rituals among Tuareg are rites of passage—namedays, weddings, and memorial/funeral feasts—as well as Islamic holidays and secular state holidays. In addition, there is male circumcision and the initial men's face-veil wrapping that takes place around the age of 18 years and that is central to the male gender role and the cultural values of reserve and modesty. There are also spirit-possession exorcism rituals (Rasmussen 1995).

Many rituals integrate Islamic and pre-Islamic elements in their symbolism, which incorporates references to matrilineal ancestresses, pre-Islamic spirits, the earth, fertility, and menstruation. Arts. In Tuareg culture, there is great appreciation of visual and aural arts. There is a large body of music, poetry, and song that is of central importance during courtship, rites of passage, and secular festivals. Men and women of diverse social origins dance, perform vocal and instrumental music, and are admired for their musical creativity; however, different genres of music and distinct dances and instruments are associated with the various social strata. There is also the sacred liturgical music of Islam, performed on Muslim holidays by marabouts, men, and older women. Visual arts consist primarily of metalwork (silver jewelry), some woodwork (delicately decorated spoons and ladles and carved camel saddles), and dyed and embroidered leatherwork, all of which are specialties of smiths, who formerly manufactured these products solely for their noble patrons. In rural areas, nobles still commission smiths to make these items, but in urban areas many smiths now sell jewelry and leather to tourists. Medicine.

Health care among Tuareg today includes traditional herbal, Quranic, and ritual therapies, as well as Western medicine. Traditional medicine is more prevalent in rural communities because of geographic barriers and political tensions. Although local residents desire Western medicines, most Western-trained personnel tend to be non-Tuareg, and many Tuareg are suspicious or shy of outside medical practioners (Rasmussen 1994). Therefore rural peoples tend to rely most upon traditional practitioners and remedies. For example, Quranic scholars cure predominantly men with verses from the Quran and some psychological counseling techniques. Female herbalists cure predominantly women and children with leaves, roots, barks, and some holisitic techniques such as verbal incantations and laying on of hands. Practitioners called bokawa (a Hausa term; sing. boka ) cure with perfumes and other non-Quranic methods. In addition, spirit possession is cured by drummers. Death and Afterlife. In the Tuareg worldview, the soul (iman ) is more personalized than are spirits. It is seen as residing within the living individual, except during sleep, when it may rise and travel about.

The souls of the deceased are free to roam, but usually do so in the vicinity of graves. A dead soul sometimes brings news and, in return, demands a temporary wedding with its client. It is believed that the future may be foretold by sleeping on graves. Tuareg offer libations of dates to tombs of important marabouts and saints in order to obtain the al-baraka benediction. Beliefs about the afterlife (e.g., paradise) conform closely to those of official Islam. Bibliography Baier, Stephen, and Paul Lovejoy (1977). "The Desert-Side Economy of the Central Sudan." In The Politics of Natural Disaster: The Case of the Sahel Drought, edited by M. H. Glantz, 144-175. New York: Praeger. Bernus, Edmond (1981). Touaregs nigeriens: Unité culturelle d'un peuple pasteur. Paris: Éditions de l'Office de la Recherche Scientifique et Technique d'Outre-Mer (ORSTOM). Bourgeot, André (1990).

"Identité touraegue: De l'aristocracie à la révolution." Études Rurales 120:129-162. Briggs, Lloyd Cabot (1960). Tribes of the Sahara. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Casajus, Dominique (1987). La tente dans l'essuf. Paris and London: Cambridge University Press. Childs, Larry, and Celina Chetala (1994). "Drought, Rebellion, and Social Change in Northern Mali: The Challenges Facing Tamacheq Herders." Cultural Survival Quarterly, Winter, 16-20. Fraternité Charles de Foucauld ( 1968). Initiation a la langue des touaregs de l'Aïr. Niamey and Agadez, Niger: Petites Soeurs de Charles de Foucauld; Service Culturel de l'Ambassade de France. Jean, C. (1909). Les touareg de sud-est: L'Aïr. Paris: Emile Larose Librairie—Éditeur.

Lhote, Henri (1953). Touareg du Hoggar. Paris: Payot. Murphy, Robert (1964). "Social Distance and the Veil." American Anthropologist 66:1257-1274. Murphy, Robert (1967). "Tuareg Kinship." American Anthropologist 69:163-170. Nicolaisen, Johannes (1963). Ecology and Culture of the Pastoral Tuareg. Copenhagen: National Museum of Copenhagen. Nords, H. T. (1975). The Tuareg: Their Islamic Legacy and Its Diffusion into the Sahel. Wilts, Eng.: Aris & Phillips. Rasmussen, Susan J. (1994)"Female Sexuality, Sexual Reproduction, and the Politics of Medical Intervention in Niger: Kel Ewey Tuareg Perspectives." Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry 18:433-464. Rasmussen, Susan J. (1995). Spirit Possession and Personhood among the Kel Ewey Tuareg. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Rodd, Lord of Renell (1926). The People of the Veil. London: Anthropological Publications. United States Department of State (1987). "Niger." Background Notes, 1-8. Washington, D.C.: Bureau of Public Affairs. SUSAN J. RASMUSSEN Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. MLA The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright The Columbia University Press Tuareg or Touareg (both: twä´rĕg), Berbers of the Sahara, numbering c.2 million. They have preserved their ancient alphabet, which is related to that used by ancient Libyans. The Tuaregs traditionally maintained a feudal system consisting of a small number of noble families, a large majority of vassals, and a lower class of black non-Tuareg serfs, who performed the agricultural tasks. The upper classes, organized in tribes, convoyed caravans and, until subdued by France, were feared as raiders. The fiercely independent Tuareg resented European hegemony in Africa, and they long resisted conquest. Tuareg men go veiled, while the women are unveiled.

Women enjoy respect and freedom, and descent and inheritance are through the female line. Though nominally Muslim, the people still retain many pre-Islamic rites and customs, but the traditional way of life for the Tuaregs (e.g., raiding neighboring tribes, leading caravans, and exacting taxes from trans-Sahara travelers) has changed. Since the 1970s droughts and famines have forced many Tuaregs from their desert homes into urban areas; many have become farmers. In the 1990s political tensions caused further relocation. Groups of Tuaregs fought for autonomy from Niger and Mali, but cease-fires were signed in both nations in the mid-1990s and largely held in the following decade. Beginning in 2006, however, there were Tuareg attacks against government forces in Mali despite cease-fires in subequent years; in early 2009 Mali's military gained significant victories against the rebels. The collapse of the Qaddafi regime in Libya (2011) revived Mali's Tuareg rebels when Tuaregs who had fought in Qaddafi's army returned to Mali.

Following the 2012 coup in Mali, Tuareg and Islamist rebels seized control of much of N Mali, but Islamists subsequently marginalized non-Islamist Tuaregs, and then French-led forces reestablished (2013) government control over most of the region. A peace agreement with the main Tuareg rebel alliance was signed in 2015. In 2007 a new Tuareg rebel group began mounting attacks in Niger, claiming that the government had failed to honor promises made in the 1995 peace accord. In 2009 negotiations with two of the three Tuareg rebel groups in Niger led to a cease-fire. See F. J. Rennell, People of the Veil (1926, repr. 1966); P. Fuchs, The Land of Veiled Men (tr. 1956). Cite this article Tuareg singing, Sahara desert, Morocco, North Africa, Africa - YouTube Tuareg singing, Sahara desert, Morocco, North Africa, Africa Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content.

Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on May 2, 2014 The Tuareg are a Berber people with a traditionally nomadic pastoralist lifestyle. They are the principal inhabitants of the Saharan interior of North Africa. The Tuareg language, a branch of the Berber languages, has an estimated 1.2 million speakers. About half this number is accounted for by speakers of the Eastern dialect (Tamajaq, Tawallammat). Most Tuareg live in the Saharan parts of Niger, Mali, and Algeria. Being nomadic, they move constantly across national borders, and small groups of Tuareg also live in southeastern Algeria, southwestern Libya and northern Burkina Faso, and a small community in northern Nigeria. The Tuareg people inhabit a large area, Almost all of the middle and the western for the Sahara is inhabited by the Tuareg and the north-central Sahel. In Tuareg terms, the Sahara is not one desert but many, so they call it Tinariwen ("the Deserts"). Among the many deserts in Africa, there is the true desert Ténéré.

Other deserts are more and less arid, flat and mountainous: Adrar, Tagant, Tawat (Touat) Tanezrouft, Adghagh n Fughas, Tamasna, Azawagh, Adar, Damargu, Tagama, Manga, Ayr, Tarramit (Termit), Kawar, Djado, Tadmait, Admer, Igharghar, Ahaggar, Tassili n'Ajjer, Tadrart, Idhan, Tanghart, Fezzan, Tibesti, Kalansho, Libyan Desert, etc. While there is little conflict about the driest parts of Tuareg territory, many of the water sources and pastures they need for cattle breeding get fenced off by absentee landlords, impoverishing some Tuareg communities. There is also an unresolved land conflict about many stretches of farm land just south of the Sahara. Tuareg often also claim ownership over these lands and over the crop and property of the impoverished Rimaite-people, farming them.

The Tuareg expanded southward from the Tafilalt region into the Sahel under their legendary queen Tin Hinan, who is assumed to have lived in the 4th or 5th century.[8] Tin Hinan is credited in Tuareg lore with uniting the ancestral tribes and founding the unique culture that continues to the present day. At Abalessa, a grave traditionally held to be hers has been scientifically studied. Traditionally, Tuareg society is hierarchical, with nobility and vassals. Each Tuareg clan (tawshet) is made up of several family groups, each led by its chief, the amghar. A series of tawsheten (plural of tawshet) may bond together under an Amenokal, forming a Kel clan confederation. Tuareg self-identification is related only to their specific Kel, which means "those of". E.g. Kel Dinnig (those of the east), Kel Ataram (those of the west). The position of amghar is hereditary through a matrilineal principle, it is usual for the son of a sister of the incumbent chieftain to succeed to his position.

The amenokal is elected in a ritual which differs between groups, the individual amghar who lead the clans making up the confederation usually have the deciding voice. In Tuareg society women do not traditionally wear the veil, whereas men do.[36][38] The most famous Tuareg symbol is the Tagelmust (also called éghéwed), referred to as a Cheche (pronounced "Shesh"), an often indigo blue-colored veil called Alasho. The men's facial covering originates from the belief that such action wards off evil spirits. It may have related instrumentally from the need for protection from the harsh desert sands as well. It is a firmly established tradition, as is the wearing of amulets containing sacred objects and, recently, also verses from the Qur'an. Taking on the veil is associated with the rite of passage to manhood; men begin wearing a veil when they reach maturity. The veil usually conceals their face, excluding their eyes and the top of the nose. Taguella is a flat bread made from millet, a grain, which is cooked on charcoals in the sand and eaten with a heavy sauce.

Millet porridge is a staple much like ugali and fufu. Millet is boiled with water to make a pap and eaten with milk or a heavy sauce. Common dairy foods are goat's and camel's milk, as well as cheese and yogurt made from them. Eghajira is a thick beverage drunk with a ladle. It is made by pounding millet, goat cheese, dates, milk and sugar and is served on festivals like Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. In the Maghreb, a popular tea called "atai" or "ashay" is made from Gunpowder Green Tea with a handful of fresh mint sprigs and several cubes of sugar. After steeping, it is poured three times in and out of the tea pot over the tea, mint and sugar and served by pouring from a height of over a foot into small tea glasses with a froth on top. The Tuareg speak Tamajaq/Tamasheq/Tamahaq, the language is called Tamasheq by western Tuareg in Mali, Tamahaq among Algerian and Libyan Tuareg, and Tamajaq in the Azawagh and Aïr regions, Niger.

French missionary Charles de Foucauld famously compiled a dictionary of the Tuareg language. Category Tuareg: Impromptu Women's Wrestling in the Matriarchal Society (Female SIngle Combat Club) Tuareg: Female Wrestling in the Matriarchal Society "La lutte des fillettes" (girl wrestling). Painting by Etienne Dinet пїЅпїЅпїЅпїЅпїЅпїЅпїЅ пїЅпїЅпїЅпїЅпїЅпїЅ The Tuareg (also spelled Twareg or Touareg; endonym Imuhagh) are a Berber people with a traditionally nomadic pastoralist lifestyle. They are the principal inhabitants of the Saharan interior of North Africa. Most Tuareg live in the Saharan parts of Niger, Mali, Algeria, Lybia and Morocco. Being nomadic, they move constantly across national borders with their herds of camels and goats, so small groups of Tuareg are also found in other African countries. Tuaregs are widely known by their matriarchal traditions. That was no accident, that the most famous Tuareg leader of all times was a woman.

Legendary Tin Hinan (left) was a heroine, spiritual leader and the founder of one of the biggest Tuareg tribes. According to a legend, Tin Hinan came from the Tafilalt oasis in the Atlas Mountains in the area of modern Morocco accompanied by a maidservant named Takamat. Tin Hinan became the ancestor of the Tuareg of the Ahaggar (a highland region in southern Algeria). It was said that numerous suitors came to Tin Hinan seeking her hand in marriage. But after having sex with them, she killed everyone. According to another legend, noble people were descended from Tin Hinan, whereas their vassals - from Takamat. The 14th century historian Ibn Khaldun recorded a legend about queen named Tiski who was ancestral mother of the Ahaggar tribes, which is somewhat closer to the archaeological record. Although the most of the Tuareg profess Sunni form of Islam, those tribes which are not influenced by the fundamentalists yet, maintain elements of the traditional matriarchate.

Women keep household keys, show off their "strength" by impromptu wrestling matches, go unveiled - while the men modestly cover their noses and mouths with the end of their пїЅtagelmustsпїЅ (several meters of gauze, wrapped around the head in a turban), and have equal - if not greater rights to choose/take as many lovers as they wish before marriage: it only increases their value, skill and desirability. The Tuaregs celebrated a woman's divorce with a party, and rape was extremely rare among them. Wrestling matches between girls were a part of traditional Tuareg culture. Girls wrestle whenever they want and for many reasons: to improve her position in the female society, to win a lover or just for fun. Girl wrestling is also an element of rituals of initiation into the adult life of a mature woman. However, recently, Islam fundamentalists grab more and more power in Sahara, which affects traditional womenпїЅs freedoms. Sources "Where all the Women are Strong (Women of the Tuareg tribe)" by Barbara A. Worley. "Natural History". November 1992. V101 N11 p. 54.

The Tuareg | Swords and Knives | David Atkinson Swords and Knives List The Tuareg are Berber-speaking pastoralists who inhabit an area in North and West Africa ranging from Touat, Alg., and Ghudamis, Libya, to northern Nigeria and from Fezzan, Libya, to Timbuktu, Mali. Their political organizations extend across national boundaries. In the late 20th century there were estimated to be 900,000 Tuareg. The Tuareg are the famous camel riders of North Africa, wearing turbans and braving the wasteland of the desert, sand and heat in their nomadic quests. For thousands of years the Tuareg people have been transporting and trading between the north and south (central) ares of Africa, often the only means of moving goods before the arrival of cars, trucks, trains and airplanes.

The Tuareg protected their business well.ï¿½ They long dominated the central and west-central areas of the Sahara desert (including portions of what is now Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, and Morocco) and had a reputation as effective warriors and as highwaymen, exacting heavy tolls from trans-Saharan caravans for over a millennium.ï¿½ Until technology displaced them from this traditional role, they were among the most wealthy and powerful of the northern African groups. Tracks of the Caravans (1820) The Tuareg descended from ancient Berber tribes of North Africa. They moved southward to escape Arab invasions, which began in the 7th century to take refuge in southern Algeria. Niger, Mali and covering portions of what are now Algeria Libya Mauritania and Morocco. Named Taureor "abandoned of God" by crusading Arabs the refer to themselves as the "Isashaghen" (the noble and the free).ï¿½ Historically, camel breeders and traders, the Tuareg ruled the trade routes that crossed the Sahara and brought silver, gold, ivory and gold to the north.

Tuareg traders staged raids on other caravans and groups of herders.ï¿½ Traditionally they refused to integrate with other Berber tribes maintaining their own distinctive style. The Tuareg are known as speakers of the Tamashek language of "Kel Taggelmoust" (wearers of the blue veil) and as the blue men of the Sahara because the indigo used to dye the robes rubs off on their skin.ï¿½“Tuareg” means “abandoned by God, a name given to them by Arabs during the time of the Crusades.ï¿½ It is not a name they use for themselves; they say they are “the noble and free”, or “wearers of the veil”, or even “speakers of the Tamashek language”.ï¿½ However one refers to them, the Tuareg are easy to identify and distinguished from other tribes because of their blue robes, turban and veils.ï¿½ They love the color indigo, and the blue of their fabric has also given them the name, the “blue nomads” as the indigo dye gradually changes the color of their skin.

A custom which distinguishes the Taureg people is the wearing of a veil.ï¿½ Men begin wearing the veil at about age 25. It is never removed, even in front of family.ï¿½ Taureg women, however, are not veiled.ï¿½ It is thought that this veiling custom arose from the need to protect their faces from wind and sand during their long desert treks. The northern Tuareg live mainly in true desert country, whereas the southerners live primarily in steppe and savanna. The Tuareg consist of confederations including the Ahaggar (Hoggar) and Azjer (Ajjer) in the north and the Asben (Aï¿½r Tuareg), Ifora, Itesen (Kel Geres), Aulliminden, and Kel Tademaket in the south. The southerners breed zebu cattle and camels, some of which are sold to the northern Tuareg. Raiding of caravans and travelers was important in pre-European times, as was caravan trading, which declined with the introduction of motor vehicles.

Droughts across southern Mauritania, Senegal, Niger, Burkina Faso (Upper Volta), and Chad in the 1970s and '80s both reduced the numbers of the southern Tuareg and eroded their traditional pastoral way of life. Tuareg society is traditionally feudal, ranging from nobles, through clergy, vassals, and artisans, to labourers (once slaves). The conventional Tuareg dwelling is a tent of red-dyed skin (sometimes replaced in the later 20th century with plastic). Traditional weapons include two-edged swords, sheathed daggers, iron lances, and leather shields. Adult males wear a blue veil in the presence of women, strangers, and in-laws, but that practice began to be abandoned with urbanization. They have preserved a peculiar script (tifinagh) related to that used by ancient Libyans. The Tuareg hang sheathed swords from their shoulders or wear them low at their hips. This leather and metal scabbard is decorated with cutwork and stamped, pierced and engraved designs.ï¿½ The takuba has been adopted for wear by prosperous men of numerous ethnic groups in Sudanic Africa.

The smiths,ï¿½“Ineden”, who make and mount these swords are predominantly of Negroid Sudanic African ancestry, and form a separate caste which has its own secret language “tï¿½net”. Members of the blacksmith caste do not intermarry with the Tuaregs and are often regarded as possessing dark mystic powers. "A Tuareg in Bilma. For more than 3,000 years, the Tuareg were known as the bandits of the Tï¿½nï¿½rï¿½, robbing camel caravans as they headed across the void."

Question: The Tuareg are the principal inhabitants of which area?
Answer: Sahara Desert