Historical names of Nubia explained

Nubia is the term commonly used by scholars to refer to the land located south of Ancient Egypt, from the city of Elephantine down to modern-day Khartoum. Nubia has been one of the earliest humanly inhabited lands in the world. Its history is tied to that of Egypt, from which it became independent in the 10th century BC. The rich gold deposits in Nubia made the latter the target of Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and later Arabs. Research on Nubia has allowed scholars to find several of its references.

Historical References to Nubia

Egyptians

Ancient Egyptians referred to Nubia as several different names. The aforementioned Nubia is derived from the Egyptian word from nub, the Egyptian word for "gold." It is believed that the Nubians were the first people along the Nile to mine for gold, later introducing the mineral to Egyptians and earning their name.^{[1] [2]}

Because Nubians were very skilled archers, Egyptians also called Nubia and the southernmost region of Egypt (near Elephantine) by the moniker Ta-Seti, meaning "Law of the Bow." Accordingly, the Nubian inhabitants were named Iuntiu-setiu, which translates to "Bowmen."^[3] Ta-Nehesy and Ta-Nehasyu were also used by both Nubians and Egyptians as another word for Nubia, with Nubians being named Nehesy at times.^[4]

It has also been argued by historians that Ta-Netjer (meaning "God's Land") and Punt refer to a region in Upper Nubia near Medja.^[5]

Greeks and Romans

Greeks occupied Egypt from the Ptolemaic Period (332-30BC), they called the land south of Egypt, Aethiopia.^{[6] [7]} Romans adopted that name for Nubia when they came and defeated the Ptolemaic Dynasty.

Arabs and English

Arabs conquered Egypt in 641AD, and were planning to attack Bilad al-Sudan, or The Land of the Blacks. That was the name Arabs used to refer to Nubia.^[8] That name was still used in 1820, when Mohammed Ali Pasha or Mehmet Ali became the viceroy of Egypt. When The English came and conquered the area, they adopted the name Sudan from the Arab term to refer to that area.

References

• El Mahdi, Mandour. 1965. A Short History of the Sudan. Pg 1–3. Oxford University Press.
• Shaw, Ian. 2000. The Oxford History of Ancient History. Oxford University Press.
• National Geographic. 2003. African adventure Atlas. National Geographic Maps
• Lobban Jr, Richard and Fluehr-Lobban, Carolyn and Kramer, Robert 2002 Historical Dictionary of the Sudan. African Historical Dictionaries. UK: The Scarecrow Press

Notes and References

1. Book: Fisher . Marjorie M. . Ancient Nubia: African Kingdoms on the Nile . Lacovara . Peter . American University in Cairo Press . 2012 . 978-977-416-478-1 . Cairo · New York . 6, 16 . en.
2. Book: Michaux-Colombot, Danièle . The Fourth Cataract and Beyond: Proceedings of the 12th International Conference for Nubian Studies . Peeters . 2014 . Anderson . Julie R. . Leuven Paris Walpole, MA . 507–522 . en . Pitfall Concepts in the Round of 'Nubia': Ta-Sety, Nehesy, Medja, Maga and Punt Revisited . Welsby . Derek A. . https://www.academia.edu/7929647.
3. Web site: Coates . Ta-Nehisi . 2009-12-11 . The Gathering Of My Name . 2023-09-30 . The Atlantic . en.
4. Kirwan . L. P. . 1974 . Nubia and Nubian Origins . The Geographical Journal . 140 . 1 . 46 . 10.2307/1797006 . 1797006 . 0016-7398. subscription .
5. Bekerie . Ayele . 2004 . Ethiopica: Some Historical Reflections on the Origin of the Word Ethiopia . International Journal of Ethiopian Studies . 1 . 2 . 114 . 27828841 . 1543-4133.
6. Web site: Named Entity Browser, Ethiopia (Ethiopia) . 2023-09-30 . www.perseus.tufts.edu.
7. Book: Turner, Sharon . The Sacred History of the World: As Displayed in the Creation and Subsequent Events to the Deluge : Attempted to be Philosophically Considered, in a Series of Letters to a Son . 1834 . Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green and Longman . 480–482 . en.
8. Web site: 2023-09-26 . Sudan History, Map, Area, Population, Religion, & Facts Britannica . 2023-09-30 . www.britannica.com . en.