The Manasir people constitute one of many Sunni Arabriverine tribes of Northern Sudan. They are not to be confused with the Manasir of the Persian Gulf region in the Arabian Peninsula-based mainly in the United Arab Emirates. They inhabit the region of the Fourth Cataract of the Nile and call their homeland Dar al-Manasir. Similar to their neighbouring tribes, the upstream Rubatab and the downstream Shaiqiyah, the Manasir are an indigenous Nile culture who adopted Islam and became Arabic speakers. Unlike other riverine tribes of the Sudan, a considerable part of their population lives as Bedouins in the adjacent Bayudah Desert. The nomadic life of herding their stock of goats, sheep and camels in desert valleys is however limited for many to the rainy season, coinciding with the annual inundation of the Nile.
Origin
Similar to other Arab tribes, the people trace their origins back to one historical ancestor. According to the current oral tradition of many Manasir, this person is called Mansur and belongs to the line of descendants of al-'Abbas, the uncle of Muhammad. According to their self-presentation in a publication by a committee of Manasir responsible for relocation issues resulting from the Merowe Dam, which is going to affect all villages of Dar al-Manasir, multiple explanations of their origin are offered :
The Manasir living in Gezira claim that their apical forefather is called Mansur bin Qahtan, belonging to the Southern Arabs called Qahtaniin.
Some historians trace the origin of the Manasir back to the Kawahla, saying that they are sons of Mansur bin 'Aim.
Other historians insist that they are the descendants of a group of cousins from a Shaiqi clan called al-Hankab, who had to migrate after internal fights. According to the last opinion Mansur is a direct descendant of King Sabir.
Earlier travellers witnessed Beja and Bisharin influences from the Red Sea Hills among the Manasir. Strong similarities of their burial customs with that of the Nubians can still be observed. Critical research suggests that the current Manasir community should be viewed as a voluntary amalgamation throughout the centuries between indigenous mostly Nubian groups, descendants of emigrating Arabs and recruited tribal minorities living among them or in the adjoining areas. By recognizing a common genealogical pedigree, all members of the tribe establish a system of mutual respect, rights and obligations, thereby uniting themselves in their claims for land and other resources against neighbouring tribes. Varying detailed charts of their genealogy can be studied in SALIH and TAIYEB. The current Manasir clans are divided into Riverain Manasir and Bedouin Manasir,.
Manasir al-Badiyah: sharing the grazing grounds of Abisba' and Sani are al-Khabra, al-Hamamir, al-Muleikab and al-Kagbab.
During the dry season some clans migrate to the desert area of the Kababish tribe to the west others to the grazing grounds of Wad Hamid in the Ga'ali Country or to the Rubatab Country.
Population
The de facto population of the Manasir in 1993 had been 30,000, according to data of The FederalDepartment of Statistics of Sudan cited and empirically verified by SALIH. The publication of the Manasir committee is talking about 33,000 residents and 17,000 non-resident Manasir,. Both figures remain vague and don't specify to what extent they include the Bedouin Manasir in the Bayudah Desert.
Tribal marks
Like other tribes in Sudan, most Manasir of the grown-up generations have tribal marks which possibly originate from a Sheikh's animal burning mark. The tribal marks are cut with a razor on the cheeks of a child to mark it belonging to a specific tribe. Among the Donqolawi and the Shaiqiya these marks usually consist of three horizontal scars, among the Rubatab and the Ga'aliinthe lines are vertical, the scars in the case of the Rubatab being rather larger and closer together. The Manasir do not have a unique design of tribal marks, but copy either the upstream or downstream neighbouring tribes.
Economy and culture
The riverain Manasir pursue small scale agriculture on alluvial soils in the immediate vicinity of the Nile. Their most important cash crop sold on the national market is a wide variety of dates. They are also renowned for their skill in building mud houses and they used to float wood from the region of Atbarah. Their material culture is simple and consists mainly of a variety of storage containers and tools. An insight into their culture and perception can be obtained by studying the of their recent poet Ibrahim 'Ali Salman.
