FUNJ (FUNNIYEH, FUNG, FUNGHA)

This article appears in Volume V11, Page 346 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: FRA-GAE

FUNJ (FUNNIYEH, FUNG, FUNGHA) , a very mixed negroid race, occupying parts of Sennar and the hilly country to the south between the White and Blue Niles. They traditionally come from west of the White Nile and are affiliated by some to the Kordofan Nubas, by others, more justifiably, to the negro Shilluks. These Funj, who became the dominant race in Sennar in the 15th century, almost everywhere assimilated the speech, religion and habits of the Arabs settled in that region. Until the 19th century they were one of the most powerful of African peoples in the eastern Sudan. About the end of the 15th century they overthrew the kingdom of Aloa, between the two Niles, and conquered the neighbouring peoples of the Sudan,

Nubia

NUBIA

and even Kordofan. The Funj had mixed much with the Arabs before their conquests, and had been converted to Islam. But they were still in many ways savages, for James Bruce (who traversed the

district

DISTRICT

in 1772) says that their most famous king, Malek-el-Gahman, preferred human

liver

LIVER (O. Eng. lifer; cf. cognate forms, Dutch lever, Ger. Leber, Swed. lefver, &c.; the O. H. Ger. forms are libara, lipora, &c.; the Teut. word has been connected with Gr. i'prap and Lat. jecur)

to any other food, and the Belgian traveller E. Pruyssenaere (18261864) found them still performing

pagan

PAGAN
PAGAN (Lat. paganus, of or belonging to a pagus, a canton, county
district
- DISTRICT
,
village
- VILLAGE
, commune)

rites on their sacred

Mount

MOUNT, WILLIAM SIDNEY (1807-1868)

Gula. Ernst Marno declared that as

late

LATE

as 187o the most southern branch of the race, the Boruns, a non-Arabic speaking tribe, were cannibals. The Funj kings were content with levying tribute on their neighbours, and in this loose way Shendi, Berber and Dongola were once tributary. The Arab viziers gradually absorbed all power, the Funj sovereignty becoming nominal; and in 1821 the Egyptians easily destroyed the Funj domination. To-day the Funj are few, and represent no real type. They are a

bright

BRIGHT, JOHN (1811-188g)
BRIGHT, SIR CHARLES TILSTON

, hospitable folk. Many of them are skilful surgeons and go far afield in their

work

WORK

. The fellahin, indeed,

call

CALL (from Anglo-Saxon ceallian, a common Teutonic word, cf. Dutch kallen, to talk or chatter)

surgeons " Senaari " (men of Sennar). See further SENNAR and SUDAN (Anglo-Egyptian).

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