Review by Choice Review
Ruffini (Fairfield Univ.) embarks on the unenviable task of constructing Nubian history on the basis of a few medieval land sales and legal instruments found at Qasr Ibrim in northern Sudan. On the basis of these documents and a whiff of Eurocentrism, he declares medieval Nubia to be "a Mediterranean society in Africa." The author seems to be as dismissive of African initiative and local capabilities as the stereotypical Arabs that he boldly criticizes in chapter three. There seems to be limited willingness to truly situate Nubian society in its African context beyond the ceremonial; the society is seen largely through a Greco-Roman lens. The extent to which Napata and Meroitic indigenous legal traditions influenced the medieval manifestations of Nubian civilization is often obscured by authors deploying the old colonialist model of external agency and foreign tutelage. The text is repetitive. The strength of Ruffini's work, however, lies in its clarification of legal abstractions and in-depth study and analysis of terminology and concepts embedded in the land sales and legal documents discussed, thus making this an indispensable reference for scholars of Nubian legal history and jurisprudence. Also beneficial are the initial historiographical commentary and incisive concluding discussion of a future research agenda for Nubia. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty. G. Emeagwali Central Connecticut State University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
