Colonial observers pathologized Sudanese society to justify Egyptian rule

Evidence

In his many descriptions of the Sudanese tribes, he articulated his ideas about what elements constitute a nation and what he perceived as a lax sense of honor among the Sudanese, who in his eyes did little to protect their own, to sanctify the ties that bind members of a tribe or of one family. Over and over, he reprimanded the Sudanese for their unbridled sexuality. He relates, for instance, that the Baqqara tribe were renowned for their bravery, but says they were equally famous for drinking alcohol, and that incest was rampant among them. Moreover, they paid no attention to morality.Among their women,“it is a terrible shame to marry before they have borne three male children.” — Eve M. Troutt Powell, A Different Shade of Colonialism_…, 602

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the broader literature on how colonizers constructed images of native disorder to justify intervention, echoing Said’s Orientalism framework.