Tuareg (III/69)

Author: Charles Rivers

Proposals:

1. Change the list start date from AD 1000 to AD 1050.

2. Allow all generals previously restricted to Irr Cm(s) to be either Irr Cm(S), or Irr Lh(O) or Irr Cv(O).

3. Change the number of Camel scouts from 0-4 to 1-8.

4. Allow any camel warriors to be re-graded as either Irr Lh(O) or Irr Cv(O).

5. Add Baggage camels Irr Bge (F) and porters or oxen-carried baggage Irr Bge (I).

Replace list notes with the following - changes in italics:

This list covers the veiled and indigo clad nomads of the Sahara desert and the Sahel from the North African arrival of the Beni Hilal until the introduction of rifles. Among the Tuareg weaponry depended on social class. The Ihaggaren aristocrats armed with short all-iron "allarh" lance, long straight double edged sword and long white shield raided. Imrad vassals with allarh and/or javelins herded goats or camels and traded, and Iklan negro serfs with javelins and dagger cultivated and smithed. Apart from endemic raiding (with the Tuareg, the idea that man is free and a brigand is so inseparable that the same verb – Iohagh – means both "he is free" and "he pillages") mostly to the south for slaves, Tuareg mainly fought each other. However, armies of up to 12,000 sometimes interfered in the Western Sudan where Tuareg expansion extended as far south as Timbuktu before being decisively checked by the Songhay. 19th century Tuareg defending the last fastnesses of the Hoggar mountains against the French often had a majority of foot provided by poorer Tuareg. Missiles other than javelins were thought unmanly. The bulk of our information is from 19th century descriptions, as the late end date implies. However, none of the sparse earlier evidence contradicts it. If any camel warriors of a command are re-graded as horsemen, generals must be, likewise, if any camel warriors of a command are re-graded as Cv (O) generals must also be so re-graded. No foot may be taken if more than half of the camel warriors have been replaced with horsemen. When otherwise allowed to dismount, Cv(O) dismount as Wb(S).

Justification:

1) The Abbasid caliphate never exerted any real control over the Sahara. As an alternative the arrival of the Beni Hilal, whose coming changed the face of North Africa and who displaced many of the Berbers southwards – has been selected.

2) and 4) There appears to be more than reasonable evidence for the Tuareg use of horses (at least when occupying territory that could support them).

Thornton in his Warfare in Atlantic Africa makes numerous mentions of "Tuareg Cavalry" – Now while it is possible that he is referring to camelry or mixed cavalry / camelry he does note that the West African Savannah "the demand for horses was filled by desert nomads" (I concede that it is possible that these may be non-

Tuareg nomads such as the Sanhaja – but given the Tuareg control of

the trans-Sahara trade routes I think this is unlikely).

The Unesco History of Africa does however specifically refer to units of "Tuareg horsemen" accordingly I have suggest the option of upgrading Camel warriors to either LH(O) or Cv(O).

Given that Horses were very much "prestige items" in the Sahel (and recalling Ibn Batuta mentioning that the Sultan of Takadda rode out to meet him on a horse) I have made it compulsory to upgrade generals to horsemen for any camel warriors are so upgraded.

In allowing the option of either Lh or Cv I have followed the precedent of the West Sudanese list and accepted Thornton's position that the mounted troops of the savannah were all essentially similar in behaviour and function.

3) I have increased the number of Camel scouts from 0 – 4 to 1 – 8 in order to better reflect the Tuareg's long tradition of desert raiding and banditry and to force their inclusion in allied contingents.

5) I have added the option of Oxen carried baggage as noted by Leo Africanus in his account of the Tuareg kingdom of Agades.

6) The requirement to regrade generals if their command ocntains horse reflects the prestige nature of horses mentioned above.

7) The restriction on foot is introduced to ensure that larger non-raiding forces retain at least 50 percent camel mounted troops.

8) The dismount as warband is introduced to remove any distinction between dismounted camel warriors and dismounted horsemen.

Other possible changes:

A) Tuareg behaviour at the battle of Aghendel does perhaps suggest that there should be an "all or none" optional upgrade of Cv to Irr Kn (F). The battle description (from Thornton) is as follows:

"At the battle of Aghendel in 1726, Tuareg cavalry greeted an Arma force with a storm of javelins. But it was perhaps the saber and cavalry charge that counted more tactically than musketeer infantry which may explain the relative slowness of the Tauregs to take to firearms. In a pitched battle waged on 23 May, 1737, the assembled Arma army of Timbuktu confronted a large Taureg force. The Tauregs rose at dawn and assembled themselves in formation, then launched a change against the Moroccans, who were deployed in two wings with an advance guard of cavalry. The musketeers managed two volleys into the Taureg ranks, but were unable to stop them and in the melee that followed the Arma were broken and fled in disorder, suffering heavy casualties."

Later accounts (from the Fulani Jihad) also note the effectiveness of the Tuareg cavalry.

B) To the best of my knowledge this list could be expanded to include the Tebu, the Chaamba Arabs, the ancestors of the modern "Moors" of Mali and Mauritania, and possibily the more wild of the Sanhaja - Is anyone aware of any reason to exclude any of these ?