The Manding sword, the Tuareg aljuinar and Omani curved kattara: Are they connected?

[Jim McDougall]

Interesting rendering by W. Churchill posted by Ibrahiim, and this man was apparently the brother of the British Council in office in Zanzibar 1867-70.
While it is of course quite likely there is a degree of artistic license in the drawing of this rather wild assembly of characters, it does seem that there was some effort toward accuracy in that the hilt of what looks like that of a 'nimcha' is see held aloft by one central figure.

The curved swords shown of course seem pretty generic, as typically the case in these kinds of drawings which simply are for effect, but the point carried is that there were curved sabres present, not just the familiar straight Omani swords.
Charles this is displayed in the photo you show in the previous post, that there were clearly numerous styles of swords at hand in this bustling entrepot in these times.

The shield noted as of a Madagascar type seems interesting, and though I really don't know shields well, it may be equally 'licensed' as are the swords. I am sure that in the busy enterprise in Zanzibar with trade from many sources brought weaponry and goods of wide array into materials handled.

I think one of the most interesting elements of the Churchill drawing is the possibility that this may be a loose interpretation of the Razha sword dance typically performed with the straight blade Omani sword, but using curved swords. This emphasizes the potential for curved bladed swords of Omani form being carried into the trade routes going into the interior, and from there into the networks toward the Sahara, and Manding regions.

[Jim McDougall]

I just noticed, to add to the diversity of the drawing by Churchill, the figure with the drum with zig zag motif......that same type of drum is depicted in the motif of a blade of a flyssa I had. Again, it would seem that items from far and wide ended up in Zanzibar! We cannot underestimate the dynamics of trade networking.

[CharlesS]

Jim,

I think the "zig-zags" you are referring to is Churchill's rendering of the cords that bind the top and bottom "heads" of what is often called the "talking drum" and is seen through large swaths of Africa. Of course, I may be wrong.

This is, again, the problem with artists' renderings. Much is left up to perceptions and even the imagination, especially in a drawing as generalized as that one.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by CharlesS

Jim,

I think the "zig-zags" you are referring to is Churchill's rendering of the cords that bind the top and bottom "heads" of what is often called the "talking drum" and is seen through large swaths of Africa. Of course, I may be wrong.

This is, again, the problem with artists' renderings. Much is left up to perceptions and even the imagination, especially in a drawing as generalized as that one.

Ahah! so there they are. I had thought the 'talking drums' were from West Africa, and there was an article someplace I had on them. It seemed like so much of the cliche' in Tarzan movies but turned out to be truly fascinating cultural reality.
I need to find that flyssa again.
The thing is, like you say, these or ones like them surely must have appeared in a wide scope in Africa if they were known in Kabyle regions in Algeria.

edit: I just found the reference and it was West Africa, with the concept moving into Saharan regions, Mali, Burkino-Faso etc. and on into Hausa land. From here it is not hard to see how these drums made it well into Algeria, or far to the east.....to Zanzibar. This well concurs with the maps and support for the paths which connected West to East in our study.

The zig-zags are indeed a good example of artistic license, and stylized form. While the zig zags should be cords, the hourglass shape is correct, and the curved sabres' shape mindful of the Samurai style sword may well represent the long hilt of the Omani curved kattara,.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by CharlesS

Jim,

I think the "zig-zags" you are referring to is Churchill's rendering of the cords that bind the top and bottom "heads" of what is often called the "talking drum" and is seen through large swaths of Africa. Of course, I may be wrong.

This is, again, the problem with artists' renderings. Much is left up to perceptions and even the imagination, especially in a drawing as generalized as that one.

I agree the sketch is only a sketch...Pity Churchill didn't take a photograph of this scene. What I am trying to convey is the blades. these are curved and carried by African not Omani dancers said to be irregulars in the Zanzibar military contingent. I only show this to suggest that the curved blades were there in Zanzibar ...It may thus be logical that the weapons were arrived from interaction through trade with Manding...and the date( known from churchills time there) adds weight to the trade in slavery being at an all time high in the latter part of the 19thC and that Manding would have been there in large numbers trading ...when the artist was there.

My further hypothesis being that since the Manding were oral ...only passing down information not writing it down ...and since the Omani System The Funun was also similar ( here is where the problem exists...no written evidence), it is almost impossible to ascertain the copied direction or exactly when it was that these hilts moved from one tribal system to another wholly or in part. What I think is obvious is that they were copied and I would go with the East West concept or rather that the hilt moved in two directions concurrently encompassing Omani and Manding at the same time... What did this look like on the ground as a series of events?

I suggest that the Manding either copied the hilt form of the Omani Long Hilt on the dancing sword and put it to use on their curved Manding sabres and the Omani contingent absorbed the Manding curved blades and furnished them with the Omani Longhilt form copied from their dancing swords.

[Edster]

Gentlemen,

I'm not convinced. I see confirmation bias, and we all know that "correlation does not imply causality".

Mainly, why would the Manding, the inheritors of the high cultures of the Mali Empire, appropriate the culture of the Omanis, or the other way around? Basically, why wouldn't form follow function independently for both groups?

Also, opportunities for trade related interaction would be limited. The Manding were a land power that traded north and south. Anything to the East would have been to Darfur and then to Cairo via the 40 Day Road. The route East from Darfur across Kordofon to the Nile is water starved; ask Hicks in 1885. Pilgrims from the East would also follow the 40 Day route, but hit the Nile at about the 2nd-3rd cataract and cut across the desert to Suakin or other Red Sea ports then to Mecca.

The Omanis were a sea trading power with interests on the East African coast into the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and with India. Omani, or other Arab trade with East Africa or Cairo used the same Red Sea ports and cross the Eastern Desert to the Nile and down to Cairo. Also, the Omani's Zanzibar trade (slaves and ivory) was into Africa to the Lakes region. They made their money from taxes and fees and likely didn't make the treks themselves. Why would either Manding traders penetrate into Central Africa when their traded commodities (slaves, ivory & gold) were readily available hundreds on miles closer?

Also, neither the Omanis or Manding hilt styles influenced any of their neighbors.

Pallme (1837-39) travelling in Darfur noted that the people used swords with no guards, but the sheiks' swords have massive hilts of silver. A weak reed for any conclusion. I'm not aware that El Tounsy (1851) and other 19th Cent. travelers in West/Central Africa comment on Manding sword grips.

Regards,
Ed

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

ED it is always a possibility that parallel development happened purely accidentally in unrelated tribal regions...however in this case I suspect the opposite reaction...and it is equally possible that the two groups mixed technology from and onto both their weapons. In my view the drift was East West. The Omanis were in big numbers in the Great Lakes and one of the most famous was governor of the Falls entire massive area >>Tippu Tib who not only gathered and transported slaves to Zanzibar but also owned huge spice farms there and owned 10,000 slaves in The Falls region as well>

If I can quote your querries and add to them here;

Mainly, why would the Manding, the inheritors of the high cultures of the Mali Empire, appropriate the culture of the Omanis, or the other way around? Basically, why wouldn't form follow function independently for both groups?

I don't think they did>>>what appears likely is they commandeered sabre trade blades and seeing the Omani Long Hilt placed their own hilt design in similar style making the pointed stiff curved fighting Manding sabre...with a Manding Hilt...and scabbard...with what I believe was a snake head end..The leather artesans were early converts to islam and would have avoided using decorated snake heads since it was forbidden in Islamic art
To this was added the Manding shield...

The Omanis seeing the Manding curved were so impressed they adopted this curved weapon but dressed with a built on Omani Long Hilt and Omani Scabbard....and to this was added the Omani Terrs Shield .

The Omanis were a sea trading power with interests on the East African coast into the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and with India.

Indeed and in moving their capital to Zanzibar the Omanis in about 1830 boosted trade into this HUB a thousand fold! The Falls was a giant magnet propelled by Tippu Tip who dealt in slavery and the Manding did the same thing ~ actually Manding were rounded up and exported en Masse themselves by Manding accounting for the bulk of slaves entering the Americas...I show the curved blades in the drawing to illustrate that curved blades with sharp points were in Zanzibar at the time Churchill was there after Saiid bin Sultan...and as the trade boomed for the Manding. Not only trade in slaves but Rhino skins for shields and horn for hilts...the falls area was full of Rhino at this time...In terms of Indian trade the Zanzibar rulers allowed the Indian merchants a very free hand in their trade options allowing great flexibility for them without much interference...

[Edster]

Ibrahiim,

Tippu Tip was active from c. 1884 onward. Did the material culture exchange occur during that period? Seems pretty late.

Also, the Manding & Omani spheres were thousands of miles apart and in opposite directions with few opportunities for long-term associations or reasons to engage in trade.

Shall we agree to just disagree?

Best,
Ed

[Jim McDougall]

Ed, thank you so much for joining us here! Your observations are always key and wonderfully phrased and clarifying, especially toward the situations and development of the kaskara and its place in Darfur and other regions. Your comprehensive command of the history outside these regions is also impressive and extremely valuable in helping us look into this rather large conundrum.

I think there is a disconnect here in establishing either a direct connection between Manding and Omani in the development of the Manding sabre or whether it was convergently evolved.
In the phenomenon of trade networks as a conduit in the diffusion of influences of all kinds, there does not have to be direct contact between Point A and Point B (so to speak). These items, ideas etc. are often, if not typically, exchanged between factors in trade at various connecting points and entrepots, and do not necessarily follow a direct line of development. These matters can evolve over indefinite time and contacts throughout the established networks.

In my suggestion of possible connection between the similarity between the Manding sabre and the curved Omani curved kattara was meant to observe the possibility of influence along these trade channels in this manner.

It seems clear to me that Manding traders themselves would not leave their Saharan sphere of operation to travel to points to the east, nor would they need to. Whatever they needed or wanted literally came to them in their trade hub(s) and the moneys in fees, taxes, or whatever toward the operation of barter and travel through their caravan network routes and was of course local enterprise was their sustenance.

Meanwhile, in the enterprises of the Omani Sultanate in Zanzibar, which not only traded with many countries via maritime networks, but were supplied with goods such as ivory etc. and slaves, and from the interior. It is known that these things were obtained from as far inland as the Great Lakes regions and these activities were observed by Richard Burton c. 1856.

In this period, as he observed, there seem to have been merchants (whom he referred to as Arab gentlemen) who carried the long hilt kattara he so disdained as it was not at all worthy as a fighting weapon. He also noted that others (presumably slave bosses) had sabres which were fitted with cavalry blades which were typically German.

With this, we know (with Burton's key affinity for edged weapons) that this is a remarkably accurate report on the types of swords in the trade and slave activity in these Great Lakes regions, and the Arab's he referred to (from Zanzibar) were of course Omani.

So here we can establish both the Omani long hilt kattara as well as presumably the long hilt curved kattara in the African interior as far as the Great Lakes. From here, trade interaction with caravans from the north came from and returned to the regions of Sudan and Darfur. The Omani's did not go with them, but surely their influences did.
The traders from the Darfur and Sudan regions equally did not include Manding tribal traders, but again, influences from them surely were present in the same way.

Here we look to the curious element of the flared scabbard tip. This is not present on Omani swords, but it IS on Darfur and Sudan kaskara. Is it possible that traders carried the Oman swords, especially the curved long hilt kattara out of the Great Lakes, then into Darfur regions. As the caravans left to travel westward through Chad and Bornu into the West African Sahara, could they have brought both kaskara (with flared tip scabbard) and sabres with long hilt"?

In the Saharan regions, perhaps the Tuareg traded with the caravans, and possibly curved blades intrigued them. Here then was the initiation of the 'aljuinar', the curved takouba in effect. The flared scabbard kaskara did not interest them, they would not have seen the purpose of such a scabbard feature and they already had a broadsword....the takouba.

Now to Mali and the Manding, the flared scabbard may well have caught the attention of these West African people. In West Africa, the python is keenly revered in the folk religions which include Vodun. Perhaps the shape recalled the head of the python, very much as in Sudan, it may have signified the python OR the crocodile.

While the curved blades of the kattara sabres as noted carried German blades as found in Zanzibar (from British sources as well as German) ..in Saharan regions there was an abundance of French blades. In swords, as long established, it is very much about availability. Here I would note that Manding swords are typically with French curved blades.

In Manding swords, as well as the number of Tuareg aljuinar, there are even cases of British blades, notably as I have seen by MOLE.

So this is primarily my take on these matters, and the dynamics of how I think these three types of swords may be connected. It is my impression these things took place in basically the mid 19th c. as we know Burton observed the Great Lakes situation c. 1856, and as always, we may presume the circumstances noted had been in place for some time prior.

I do not think the Manding sword has its beginnings much before the 1820s or 30s, any more than likely the curved Omani kattara, naturally the aljuinar is likely somewhere between as it is basically an anomaly which probably resulted through exposure to these sabres in trade caravans.