The Slavs (Saqaliba)
الصقالبة
al-Mas'udi's Slavs — Japhetic peoples of the northern clime reaching toward the Maghrib: the Walinana whose ancient king Majak once held sway over all, then the Istabrana, Dulawa, Namujin (bravest horsemen), Manabin, the dreaded Sartin who burn themselves and their mounts on a king's pyre like the Indians, Sasin, Jurwaniq, Khashanin and Branjabin; kings of his day include the king of al-Dayr whose towns Muslim merchants visit, the king of the Awanj who wars on Romans, Franks and Nukaburd, and the 'king of the Turk', fairest and fiercest of them 1.
At a glance
- Era
- Abbasid Fragmentation
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Overview
The Saqaliba are peoples whom al-Mas'udi says those who know the lore make descendants of Mar ibn Yafith ibn Nuh. Their dwellings lie in the north until they reach the Maghrib. 2
Their kinds and kings
They are different kinds with wars between them, and they have kings. Some of them follow Christianity according to the Jacobite view, and some are pagans who know nothing of the laws. Among their kinds he names Walinana, Istabrana, Dalawna, Namjin, Manabin, Sartin and others. 2
Among their kings he names the king of al-Dayr, whose cities are visited by Muslim merchants, and the king of the Awanij, who fights the Romans, the Franks and the Nukaburd. 2
He describes houses they revered in their lands and what was in them of idols. 3
Sources
- Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi, p. 355-356
- Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi, p.355-356
- Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi, p.543
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The Slavs (Saqaliba)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/group/saqaliba/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.