Everyone has heard of them, of the Tuaregs, those mysterious blue men from the desert. But what exactly is a people, what is their history? This article focuses on this interesting people.
Origin
The habitat of the Tuareg is the Sahara. The Tuareg have been roaming the desert since time immemorial. The Greek historian Herodotus already mentioned them in his work in the fifth century BC. They live in the countries of Niger, Mali, Libya, Algeria, Chad and Burkina Faso, with the largest percentage living in Mali. The name Tuareg comes from Arabic and means forsaken by God. They call themselves Imohaq, which means the free people. They speak Tamacheq, which is derived from Berber, and have their own script, Tifinagh. But the origin of the Tuareg is shrouded in mystery. Their number is also not entirely clear, because they still move a lot and live in various countries, it is estimated between 300,000 and a million.
Islam
Almost all Tuareg are Muslims, but the faith is not always strong and often nominal. Prayers are often said and the normal Islamic holidays are also celebrated. However, many pre-Islamic customs have survived. The special thing is that it is the men who veil themselves among the Tuareg, something they do from the age of 25. The veil is not removed afterwards, even in the company of only family. The veil is Indigo blue and that is where the name Blue Men comes from. Tuareg women do not wear a veil and have relatively much freedom. The Tuareg are part of the so-called Maliki sect, which emerged with the arrival of the prophet El Maghil in the sixteenth century.
Caravans
The Tuareg have made their living through trading caravans for centuries. They brought products from Africa from the rich trading cities of the Sahel, through the Sahara to North Africa. Many Tuareg settled as traders in the areas where they traded. Because it was a very difficult way to travel and one could not take very much with them, preference was given to small products of great value, luxury items. Slaves were also brought from West Africa to the north. Until the mid-twentieth century this trade was very successful, but from then on a more modern infrastructure was introduced and the caravan trade lost its significance.
Traders and Farmers
Tuareg society was traditionally made up of those who traded, their vassals and slaves, who were usually farmers. It was the traders who had great status. However, as the importance of the caravan trade declined, it was the farmers who became richer than the traders. The farmers also received more political status from the colonial and post-colonial rulers.
Rebels
The Tuareg have resisted several times against the rulers who invaded their area. In 1916-17 they resisted the French colonials. Between 1961 and 1964 they resisted the Malian authorities who reduced their habitat. In Niger they rose in resistance in 1990-5, demanding autonomy. They did not obtain that autonomy, but they concluded a peace agreement in which they received a larger share of the proceeds from the local minerals. In 2007, riots broke out again in Niger. In Libya, the Tuareg fought on the side of Gaddafi, who saw them as a militant people and had included many of them in the army. After the fall of Gaddafi, many disappeared into the desert, towards Mali and other countries. In Mali, the north also remains restless and the government was deposed in 2012 due to unrest caused by the Tuareg. Nationality is not strongly developed among the Tuareg, their first loyalty is to their own tribe, then to the Tuareg as a whole, being Malian or Algerian is hardly part of the identity.