ABSTRACT
The Hadendowa Beja form a distinct ethnic group in eastern Sudan. Traditionally the Hadendowa are nomadic pastoralists, but repeated drought throughout the latter part of the twentieth century deprived numerous families of large parts of their herds and many families settled in villages and towns. As a group, the Hadendowa have become marginalized economically, politically and perhaps also culturally in the context of the nation of Sudan. The Beja tribes are known from medieval historical sources to be a distinct group of fierce and independent nomads (Vantini 1975, Holt and Daly 1979). Their territories stretch across the eastern parts of Sudan from the sloping hills running towards the Nile to the Red Sea coastline (Figure 7.1). The Beja can be described as a tribal confederation and the Hadendowa are the largest group among them. The Beja are Muslims.
