Taʽisha tribe

Ta’isha is one of the Baqqara tribes, these nomads originated from the Guhayna group, a clan of Bedouin Arabs who came across the Sinai Peninsula from Arabia. They eventually moved into the Nile region of Upper Egypt and then into Sudan around 1504. They settled in the area of Southern Darfur and they called the land Dar El Ta’isha. Their main city is Rehaid Al Berdi, the Ta’isha participated with the rest of western Sudan tribes in the Mahadia revolt (1882-1885) against Turko-Egyptian occupation of Sudan 1821-1885.

The most notable leader from the Ta'isha is Khalifa Abdulla Al Ta'ishi who ruled Sudan after the death of Mohamed Ahmed Al Mahdi in 1885 till it was recaptured by the Anglo-Egyption forces in 1899. Ta’aisha land (hakura) located on the south west of Darfur region, between latitudes 10 - 11° N. Headquarters of Ta’aisha located at Reheid El Berdi, a beautiful city and among the most mesmerized cities of Western Sudan, all over Sudan. The picturesque landscape of Reheid El Berdi city inspired many singers and artists to include the name of the city in their artistic works. One of the best songs sung by the famous singer Saleh ibn Al Badia has part of it says: “and a glimpse of beauty from the beautiful Reheid El Berdi”. Singer Saleh ibn Al Badia song, which includes ‘Reheid Al Berdi city, is sensational for Sudanese people just like the famous ‘America, The Beautiful’ lyrics by Ray Charles. The high fascination of Sudanese artists by the landscape of Reheid Al Berdi city is a testament to the beauty of the natural habitat and landscape of Ta’aisha land. Ta’aisha hakura bordered from the north by Beni Halba hakura, where ‘Shaib’ valley represents their natural border. It extends toward the south until the Republic of Central Africa, where Ta’aisha cross its border during their summer seasonal journey. On the east side, there, they bordered by Habbaniya tribe, while on the west side, bordered by Chad. During their summer seasonal migration, Ta’aisha cross Chad border, just like what they do in the case of the Republic of Central Africa, to graze their animals. In Addition to Ta’aisha hakura in south west of Darfur, they migrated in large numbers during Mahadism and settled in Omdurman city – where residential areas such as Hay Al Umara, Al Shouhada, and Al Malazimiin were all established by Ta’aisha people, who migrated from south west of Dafur – dar Al Ta’aisha. Text adapted from: Baggara of Sudan: Culture and Environment.