From 16th century
Sennar and Wadai
A foundation tradition for Wadai associates ‘Abd al-Karim, also called Salih, with Muslims from Sennar encountered during pilgrimage. He reportedly returned with them, travelled onward after finding the society there morally corrupt, and eventually reached Wadai, where he took power in the early seventeenth century. The account is historically uncertain but illustrates the political significance attributed to pilgrimage networks.
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The Story
One tradition connects the rise of ‘Abd al-Karim, sometimes called Salih, with a pilgrimage encounter. Early in the seventeenth century he is said to have met Muslims from Sennar while they were travelling to the holy places. He returned with them to their country, placing the future ruler within a transregional network of Muslim travellers rather than presenting his rise as an exclusively local development.
The story continues with a journey eastward. Distressed by the wickedness he encountered in Sennar, ‘Abd al-Karim travelled farther and eventually reached Wadai. There, according to the tradition, he took power. Pilgrimage thus appears not only as a religious obligation but also as a route through which leaders, alliances, and political ideas could move across the Sudan.
The historical status of the narrative remains uncertain. The passage states that it is difficult to determine how accurate such details are in the Sudanese countries at this early date, while judging the broader significance attributed to pilgrimage as intrinsically plausible. The tradition is therefore valuable as evidence for the political imagination surrounding Islamic mobility, even where its chronology and personal details require caution.
From 16th century
Sennar and Wadai
A foundation tradition for Wadai associates ‘Abd al-Karim, also called Salih, with Muslims from Sennar encountered during pilgrimage. He reportedly returned with them, travelled onward after finding the society there morally corrupt, and eventually reached Wadai, where he took power in the early seventeenth century. The account is historically uncertain but illustrates the political significance attributed to pilgrimage networks.
Continue exploring
The Story
One tradition connects the rise of ‘Abd al-Karim, sometimes called Salih, with a pilgrimage encounter. Early in the seventeenth century he is said to have met Muslims from Sennar while they were travelling to the holy places. He returned with them to their country, placing the future ruler within a transregional network of Muslim travellers rather than presenting his rise as an exclusively local development.
The story continues with a journey eastward. Distressed by the wickedness he encountered in Sennar, ‘Abd al-Karim travelled farther and eventually reached Wadai. There, according to the tradition, he took power. Pilgrimage thus appears not only as a religious obligation but also as a route through which leaders, alliances, and political ideas could move across the Sudan.
The historical status of the narrative remains uncertain. The passage states that it is difficult to determine how accurate such details are in the Sudanese countries at this early date, while judging the broader significance attributed to pilgrimage as intrinsically plausible. The tradition is therefore valuable as evidence for the political imagination surrounding Islamic mobility, even where its chronology and personal details require caution.
Continue the journey
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