Tagale, Arabized

The roots of the Tagale go back to the Nuba peoples who inhabited the Taqali massif long before the arrival of Islam in the region. According to oral tradition, a kingdom was born there around the sixteenth century, protected by the rugged geography that made any invasion from the neighboring plains difficult.

For more than a century this kingdom kept its autonomy, until it was conquered by the Mahdists in 1884 and, a few years later, passed under British rule. The monarchy lost its administrative power in 1969, but the traditional title of its leader is still remembered with respect. It was through this long historical process that the Nuba people of the massif adopted the Arabic language and the Islamic faith of the peoples of the north, giving rise to today's Arabized identity.

Life revolves around the land: sorghum, millet, watermelon, sesame and cotton are grown on the fertile slopes of the massif, while goats, sheep and cattle are raised in the surrounding areas. Those who live a more mobile lifestyle set up light dome shaped shelters covered with grass, while more settled families build round mud houses with thatched roofs.

Family honor and kinship ties shape almost every important decision, from marriage to conflict resolution. Birth, marriage, death and male circumcision are marked by ceremonies that bring the whole community together, and it is not uncommon for a man to support more than one wife, following Islamic custom.

Nearly all Tagale today identify as Sunni Muslims, following the five pillars of the Islamic faith as the central mark of communal life and the upbringing of their children. Being Arabized and being Muslim go hand in hand: religion is also a seal of belonging to a wider cultural world, distinct from their Nuba roots of origin.

Alongside Islamic practice, however, a pragmatic spirituality inherited from their ancestors survives: amulets and protective charms are used naturally alongside ritual prayers, a sign that the ancient faith of the mountains never fully disappeared, but simply became interwoven with the Islam brought in from outside over the generations.

The language of the Tagale is Sudanese Arabic, for which Bible portions have existed since the first half of the twentieth century, along with a complete New Testament. Audio recordings and a film about the life of Jesus in this language are also already in circulation. Even so, in the isolation of the Taqali massif, these resources rarely reach families, and most Tagale have never heard a verse of the Bible in their own language.

Among the Tagale, being Arabized and being Muslim have become practically the same thing, so that embracing another faith sounds like abandoning one’s own identity. Added to this are the isolated terrain of the Taqali massif, the distance from major centers, and the instability affecting central Sudan, factors that make any contact with a Christian rare and a local church practically nonexistent.

The instability affecting central Sudan and dependence on regular rains for sorghum, millet and other crops leave the people vulnerable to hunger and displacement in times of conflict or drought. There is a concrete need for lasting peace and security for families and herds.

In the spiritual realm, almost everything is lacking: there is no known Christian community among the Tagale, nor Scripture accessible in everyday life. Anyone who came to believe in Jesus would find few brothers and sisters nearby and would need courage to sustain their faith alone.