8th century
Southern Morocco and the Sudan
Habib ibn ‘Ubayda ibn ‘Uqba led an Umayyad expedition in 734 from southern Morocco toward the Sudan. The expedition seized and returned with large quantities of gold and many slaves. The episode illustrates an early Arab military attempt to obtain Sudanese wealth before governors turned toward encouraging regular commercial exchange.
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The Story
Habib ibn ‘Ubayda ibn ‘Uqba led an expedition in 734 after the Arab conquest of southern Morocco had opened a route toward the Sudan. The operation was motivated by the attraction of Sudanese gold and sought to obtain wealth through military action. It formed part of the early Umayyad engagement with the trans-Saharan zone.
The expedition seized and brought back large quantities of gold and many slaves. Its immediate success nevertheless exposed the limitations of raiding as an economic strategy. Arab governors soon recognized that raids could not secure a continuous flow of gold and began to encourage the trade conducted by the Sanhaja of the desert.
Habib’s expedition therefore marks a transition between predatory intervention and the promotion of organized commerce. The pages do not describe the full itinerary or identify the precise locations reached by the army, but they place the expedition within the expanding political interest in the gold of the Sudan.
8th century
Southern Morocco and the Sudan
Habib ibn ‘Ubayda ibn ‘Uqba led an Umayyad expedition in 734 from southern Morocco toward the Sudan. The expedition seized and returned with large quantities of gold and many slaves. The episode illustrates an early Arab military attempt to obtain Sudanese wealth before governors turned toward encouraging regular commercial exchange.
Continue exploring
The Story
Habib ibn ‘Ubayda ibn ‘Uqba led an expedition in 734 after the Arab conquest of southern Morocco had opened a route toward the Sudan. The operation was motivated by the attraction of Sudanese gold and sought to obtain wealth through military action. It formed part of the early Umayyad engagement with the trans-Saharan zone.
The expedition seized and brought back large quantities of gold and many slaves. Its immediate success nevertheless exposed the limitations of raiding as an economic strategy. Arab governors soon recognized that raids could not secure a continuous flow of gold and began to encourage the trade conducted by the Sanhaja of the desert.
Habib’s expedition therefore marks a transition between predatory intervention and the promotion of organized commerce. The pages do not describe the full itinerary or identify the precise locations reached by the army, but they place the expedition within the expanding political interest in the gold of the Sudan.