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| Total population | |
|---|---|
| about 502,000 in 1983,[1] about 744,000 in 2004,[2] about 1,100,000 as of 2017[3] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Sudan 894,000,Chad 17,000,Central African Republic 14,500,Egypt 4,200[4] | |
| Languages | |
| Native Fur Also Arabic • French | |
| Religion | |
| Sunni Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Amdang,Masalit,Tunjur,Zaghawa,Nilo-Saharans |
TheFur (Fur:fòòrà,Arabic:فورFūr) are an ethnic group mainly inhabitingDarfur in the westernSudan, where they are the largest ethnic group.[5] They speak theFur language, which belongs to theNilo-Saharan family. Muslim cattle herders and farmers, they have been displaced and attacked in ethnic conflicts. Darfur means home of the Fur.
The Fur are the largest ethnic group in the Darfur region of westernSudan. They are also sometimes referred to by the names Fora, Fordunga, Furawi, Konjara, or Kungara. They are an activeagricultural people and may also herd cattle. Some Fur families who have accumulated a substantial cattle herd developed a morenomadic lifestyle like that of their herding neighbors, theBaqqara (Baggara) Arabs. Culturally, those cattle-herding Fur are now considered to be Baqqara. The Fur are nominallySunni Muslims following theMaliki school of Islamic law.[6]
They are a Western Sudanese people who practicesedentary herding and agriculture, mainly the cultivation ofmillet. Their society is a traditional one governed by village elders. They speakFur, aNilo-Saharan language, and areMuslims, having adopted the religion following the region's conquest by theKanem-Bornu Empire during theMiddle Ages. Some of them have come to speakArabic in recent years.[6]
The name of Darfur comes from the name of this ethnic group and means "the home of the Fur".[7] Most of the well known governors of Darfur such asDeriage andTegani Seisei are members of the Fur. The Fur established the historicalSultanate of Darfur which governed Darfur until 1916 (seeHistory of Darfur).[6]
Abdul Wahid al Nur, a leader among the Fur,[8] established theSudan Liberation Movement and Army. Another leader of the Fur, as of 2007[update], is Ahmed Abdelshafi (Toba).[5]
The traditional heartland of the Fur is the mountainous region aroundJebel Sî andJebel Marra Wadi Salih and Zaligi; today, however, most of them live in the lower country west and southwest of that area, between 11–14 N and 23–26 E. Some Fur live across the border inChad, many of themrefugees.
The Furs' lifestyle has led to conflict with the nomadicBaggara, cattle-herders of the region, concerning access to water and grazing land, particularly in Darfur's centralJebel Marra mountains where the best agricultural land is to be found. This has been the source of ethnic tensions for many years, culminating in theDarfur conflict which began in 2003.[citation needed]
Many Fur villagers were massacred in theethnic fighting asMahria [ar] andTerjem tribes divided up land they conquered from the Fur, according to a 3 September 2007New York Times account citing United Nations officials and Fur survivors.[5]
The Fur speak theFur language, which belongs to theNilo-Saharan family. Arabic is also used as a lingua franca and in correspondence with theSudanese government. There is no written or symbolic script for the Fur language. They recently have been using Arabic or Latin characters to put the language in written form. Most Fur people speak Fur fluently as their mother tongue.
Fur people make their own handmade art and utensils includingtalak, used for cleaning pots (talak looks like a sponge);birish, a carpet for sitting; andgada, a wood plate or bowl used for important occasions.[citation needed]
Among the Fur people, stories are told to keep children safe from the outside world. These stories are designed to keep children close to home. In some stories children are told that if they go out in the morning they will die from the heat of the sun, and in the night they are told if they go out an animal callednyama will eat them.[6]
Fur music is very popular in their culture. The main instruments are drums. The music is played with a heavy drumbeat that accompanies their celebrations. Some popular Fur musicians are; Abdalla Kioka, Marium Amo and Tour Baréé'ng Kwee.[6]
A common type of architecture in homes and buildings is called mud architecture. They dig the clay from the ground, break it up, mix it with water, work thoroughly, and also mix other substances like straw. The clay will then pile up while still wet, pressed on to the scaffolds made out of wood, or cast in molds of various sizes into bricks. When the mud dries up in the molded shape, the process is complete. This technique is applied to most architecture in Western Sudan such as farmhouses, barns, outer walls, palaces, and even mosques. Mud is good at absorbing heat, which is advantageous for cold nights. Because of its low resistance to wind and rain, there is a need for frequent repairs. Mud architecture is fragile and being used less as cultural changes and foreign influences bring change.[9]
The men bear the family name. They work to bring money to the family and are responsible for all important decisions related to the family, such as finances and marriages. The women get water, prepare the food and ensure the cleanliness of the home.
Millet is used to makeasida. Parts of theBalanites aegyptiaca including leaves and fruit are prepared as food. Rats and animals bones are part of the diet of the Fur.[10]
Sudan's Guhwahcoffee is served from ajebena, a special Sudanese pot. The coffee beans are roasted in this pot over charcoal, then ground withcloves and other spices. The grounds aresteeped in hot water and the coffee is served in tiny cups after straining it through agrasssieve.[6]
Tea is also very popular and served in small glasses without milk. Some beverages enjoyed in the non-Islamic areas areAragi, a clear, strong spirit made from dates; Merissa, a type of beer; andTedj, a wine prepared from dates or honey.
Sudanese cuisine is as varied as its cultures, especially in the south, but it has certain unique characteristics. Millet porridge and fool medamas, a savory dish of mashed fava beans, are popular breakfast foods in the north. Lamb and chicken are often eaten, but pork is prohibited to Muslims.[6]
Wheat and dura sorghum are the staple starches. Breads include the Arabiankhubz andkisra, an omelet-like pancake which is part of the Sudanese dinner.Maschi, a beef and tomato dish, is also typical. Fruits are peeled for dessert and a favorite treat iscreme caramel.[citation needed]
In the south, dinner is served on a low, bare table. There may be five or six dishes to dip into with large pieces of flatbread. These dishes are accompanied by a salad and shata, a red-hot spice mixture served in small dishes. After the meal, dessert is served, then tea. On special occasions incense may be lit. The ritual of hospitality is important in Sudan.[6]
The Fur people have many types of families.Porundia, nuclear families, are a very common type. They normally have 2 or more children. In a typical Fur family the parents of the groom and wife will be taken care of until they die.[6]
In a Fur marriage, the groom's father goes to the bride's father and asks for his son's permission to marry. The bride's father does not give an answer immediately, but then asks the village for its opinion. If everyone approves, the bride's father accepts. The whole village gathers for the announcement of the marriage, and preparations are made. Then the marriage starts in the groom's house. TheImam recites words from theQuran. The groom and bride hold hands during this time. After the wedding, the family and guests have lunch, then they start a lively dance called firalubia. Then the bride and groom are taken to the bride's house and given food during which everyone says congratulations (mabrouk in Arabic).
The Fur people came from Central Africa, specifically theCentral African Republic andChad to the northwest of Sudan, where they settled in Darfur. They had 36 sultanates. The Fur were also one of the first people from other ethnic groups in the country who were picked to build the wall covering and mosque surrounding theKaaba. Moreover, they managed to send conveys informs of aid every year to Makkah.[11]
Until 1916, the Fur were ruled by an independent sultanate and were oriented politically to peoples in Chad. Though the ruling dynasty before that time, as well as the common people, had long been Muslims, they have not beenArabized. They are now incorporated into the Sudan political system. The Fur had been basically independent from the 17th century. After British reconquest in 1899, the British approved the re-establishment of the Fur Sultanate, assumed byAli Dinar when theMahdistmovement crumbled.
Mahdist revolts continued to break out in Sudan until 1916. The fall of Darfur was decided when Ali Dinar declared loyalty to theOttoman Empire inWorld War I. The British abolished theFur Sultanate in 1916 after Dinar died in battle.
During World War I, Darfur made a bid for independence by allying withTurkey against the British. The British conquered Darfur in 1916, and since then it has been part of Sudan. Since the 1970s, the Darfur area has suffered some of the effects of the northern Arab war prosecuted in the south against Southern ethnic groups who wanted to secede from Sudan.
War and conflict have ravaged the Darfur region in recent decades. A civil war lasted about 20 years until the end of the 20th Century. Conflict in the region arose again in 2003, deriving from earlier disputes surrounding water and land use between the Fur and other sedentary agricultural populations and Arab nomadic groups who had historically inhabited the region.[12] TheSudanese military, in alliance with a proxy Arab nomadicmilitia known as theJanjaweed, orchestrated a concerted, scorched earth campaign in Darfur against the Fur and other historically sedentary groups.[13] Forces would move from village to village, burning nearly everything in many places and carrying out a campaign of masssexual violence against civilians, including children.[14] This resulted in the deaths of upwards of 200,000 to 300,000 civilians from 2003-2005.[13][15] The Darfur region has remained a bastion for forces of theRSF, an outgrowth of earlier Janjaweed militias, amid the ongoingSudanese Civil War, with violence against Fur inhabitants and othertargeted and displaced groups increasing at a rapid, concentrated pace.[16] Many human rights observers have described the RSF's campaign in the region and in its siege of theNorth Darfurian capital ofAl-Fashir, as constituting crimes against humanity, and, at its greatest extremes, genocide.[17][18][19]
Analysis of classic genetic markers and DNA polymorphisms by Tay and Saha (1988) found that the Fur are most closely related to theHawazma of Sudan. Both populations have gene frequencies intermediate between those of theAfro-Asiatic-speakingBeja,Gaalin andGulf Arab populations and those of the localNilo-Saharan-speakingNuba andNilotes.[20]
According to Hassan et al. (2008), around 59.4% of Fur are carriers of theE1b1b paternal haplogroup. Of these, 68.4% bear the V32 subclade. Approximately 6.3% also belong to the haplogroupJ1. This points to significant patrilineal gene flow from neighboringAfro-Asiatic-speaking populations. The remaining Fur individuals are primarily carriers of theA3b2 lineage (31.3%), which is instead common amongNilotes.[21]
Maternally, the Fur entirely belong to African-based derivatives of themacrohaplogroup L according to Hassan (2010). Of these mtDNA clades, theL0a1 (15.3%) andL1c (11.5%) lineages are most frequent. This altogether suggests that the genetic introgression into the Fur's ancestral population was asymmetrical, occurring primarily through Afro-Asiatic-speaking males rather than females.[22]
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