article
Tribal boundaries and border wars: Nuer-Dinka relations in the Sobat and Zaraf Valleys, c. 1860-1976
Journal of African history • 23 • Published In 1982 • Pages: 183-203
By: Johnson, Douglas H. (Douglas Hamilton).
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
The author has consulted colonial archives to refute Evans-Pritchard's depiction of Nuer-Dinka relations as hostile. The author argues that raiding was selective and intermarriage between Dinka and Nuer created extensive affinal relations that produced accord between groups. During the Nuer expansion across the White Nile in the 19th century, prophets rose to forge new moral communities, which included members from both tribes. Evans-Pritichard carried out his fieldwork around the time of the Nuer Settlements, which was a misguided government effort to separate Nuer and Dinka and create culturally homogenous 'traditional' homelands. Also, the government unsuccessfully tried to move Dinka and Nuer populations into different provinces. The governments of each province exclusively supported the interests of either the Nuer or Dinka thereby exacerbating the contentious elements of Nuer-Dinka relations.
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- External migration
- Inter-ethnic relations
- External relations
- Warfare
- cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- Nuer
- HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
- 2002
- RegionThe area the document pertains to
- Africa
- Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
- Eastern Africa
- Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
- article
- Evaluation
- Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
- Ian Skoggard ; 2000
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- 1975-1991
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- 1860-1976
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- South Sudan
- NotesAdditional notes
- Douglas H. Johnson
- Includes bibliographical references
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 63005723
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- Nuer (African people)