- Banu Kanz
The Banu Kanz (
Arabic "Sons ofKanz ") were a group ofRabi'ah Arab s who emigrated to Egypt, eventually dislocating theBeja and penetrating into the desert east of theNile aroundAswan . During the period, thegold mine s of the region briefly made a resurgence.In
1004 theCaliph al-Hakim bestowed the title ofKanz ad-Dawla upon the leader of the tribe for their capturing of the fugitiveAbu Rakwa . In1066 , the Kanz ad-Dawla Nasir invadedNobadia but was repulsed and had his lands raided instead. Still, the family became an important power in the region, gaining control of the Aswan region and achieving nominal independence before being defeated by theAyyubids underShams ad-Dawla Turanshah ,Saladin 's brother, in AD1173 .Contrary to simplified accounts, the Banu Kanz never conquered
Makuria , the largest medieval Christian state inNubia , but were gradually married into the royal family. Because Makurian inheritance, like itsKush ite model, passed matrilineally to the son of the king's sister, members of the Banu Kanz eventually inherited the throne of the kingdom in AD1320 .
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