"Watoto wa Hamp" : o mito camítico na cronística afromuçulmana suaíli (c. 1890-1928)

Abstract

Esta dissertação pretende realizar uma asserção crítica de uma etiologia afromuçulmana do mito veterotestamentário que narra a “maldição” de Noé sobre seu filho Cam (Ham) e sua descendência, especialmente Canaã (Kan'an); narrativa esta que, através de exegeses ao longo dos séculos entre os três grandes monoteísmos abraâmicos — Judaísmo, Cristianismo e Islã —, adquiriu conotação relativa a uma suposta inferioridade das sociedades negras de África, justificando sua escravização. Neste trabalho, analisaremos duas crônicas produzidas em cidades-estado de África Oriental, no espaço que compreende a chamada Costa Suaíli, entre o final do século XIX e início do XX: o anônimo Kitãb al-Zuniúj e a obra Kawkab al-Durriyah al-Ahbãr Ifrigiyah, de autoria do xeique Fadil Ibn “Umar al-Bawri (m. 1331 H./1913 d.C.) de Malindi, Quênia. Os respectivos proêmios de ambas reproduzem uma versão islâmica da narrativa camítica em referência genealógica às sociedades da hinterlândia leste-africana, como os Mijikenda, Segeju, Taita e outros, qualificados pejorativamente como zanj, dos quais os citadinos suaílis, reivindicando origens persas (Sirãzi) e/ou árabes, buscam se dos teve seu auge circulação, mito sob os crônicas diferenciar discursivamente. Estes últimos, pertencentes à classe aristocrática tradicional waungwana, instrumentalizam na cronística o discurso de distinção a fim de defender, perante a crescente presença do colonialismo britânico, a manutenção do sistema escravista que auspícios do Sultanato de Zanzibar. Este aspecto é analisado na presente dissertação através do completo escrutínio do Kitãb al-Zunij e Kawkab al-Durriyah al-Ahbãr Ifrigivah (sua autoria, o contexto da produção erudita na Costa Suaíli de fins do XIX, traduções e recepção) e de suas respectivas narrativas (seus temas e objetivos, seu elemento oral), especialmente no que diz respeito à sua própria versão, suaíli, do camítico — para cuja crítica recorreremos ao estudo etiológico, num primeiro momento, de suas variantes narrativas ao longo do tempo no mundo islâmico em relação à África Oriental, apoiando-nos, para todos os fins, na bibliografia especializada.

This dissertation intends to provide a critical assertion of an African-Islamic etiology of the Old Testament myth which narrates Noah”s “curse” upon his son Ham and his offspring, especially Kan'an; a narrative which, through centuries-across exegeses between the three grand Abrahamic monotheistic religions — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam —, acquired a connotation relating to the supposed inferiority of black societies of Africa, justifying their enslavement. In 20th this centuries: work, we shall analyze two chronicles produced in Fast African city-states, within the so-called Swahili Coast, between the end of the 19th and beginning of the the The anonymous Kitãb al-Zuniij and the Kawkab al-Durriyah al-Ahbãr Ifrigiyah, authored by shaykh Fadil Ibn “Umar al-Bawri (d. 1331 H./AD 1913) of Malindi, Kenya. respective openings of both chronicles reproduce an Islamic version of the Hamitic narrative, as a genealogical reference to societies of the East African hinterland, such as as to the the Mijikenda, the Segeju, and the Taita, among others, qualified in a derogatory manner zanj, and from which the city-dwelling Swahili, claiming Persian (Shirazi) and/or Arab origins, urge to discursively differentiate themselves. The latter, belonging to the traditional aristocracy of the waungwana, employ a discourse of differentiation in the chronicles in order defend, before the growing presence of British colonialism, the maintenance of a plantation slavery model which saw its peak under the guise of the Sultanate of Zanzibar. Such aspect is analyzed in the present dissertation through a complete scrutiny of the Kitãb al-Zunitj and the Kawkab al-Durrivah al-Ahbar Ifrigivah (their authorship, the context of scholarly writing in the Swahili littoral, their circulation, translations and reception) and their respective narratives (their themes and objective, and the oral aspect), mainly concerning their own Swahili version of the Hamitic myth — to whose critic we shall dedicate im an etiological study ofits varying narratives over the course of time in the Islamic world in relation to East Africa, supported by specialized bibliography.

Huu utafiti unalenga kutoa dai la ukosoaji kuhusu asili ya Afro-Islamu ya hadithi ya Agano la Kale inayoelezea “laana” ya Nuhu kwa mwanae Ham (Ham) na uzao wake, hususan Kanaani (Kan“an); hadithi hii imepata maana ya aina fulani kupitia tafsiri za kina za dini tatu kubwa za Kiafrika za Abrahamu — Uyahudi, Ukristo, na Uislamu — na imehalalisha utumwa wa jamii za Afrika. Katika utafiti huu, tutaangalia kwa undani, maandishi mawili yaliyoandikwa katika miji ya pwani ya Afrika Mashariki, kati ya mwisho wa karne ya 19 na mwanzo wa karne ya 20: Kitab al-Zunij ambalo mwandishi wake hajulikani na Kawkab al-Durriyah al-Ahbãr Irigiyah, iliyoandikwa na Shehe Fazili bin Omari Alburi (amekufa mwaka wa 1331 H./1913 B.K.) ya kutoka Malindi, Kenya. Maelezo ya awali ya nyaraka hizo mbili zinazohusiana na maelezo ya kijenetiki ya jamii za Afrika Mashariki zinafuata mtazamo wa Kiislamu wa hadithi ya Ham, ambayo inahusisha jamii za nyuma ya pwani ya Afrika Mashariki kama Mijikenda, Segeju, Taita na zingine, ambazo zinaitwa kwa dharau kama “zanj”. Wananchi wa pwani ya Kiswahili, ambao wanadai asili yao ni ya Kiajemi (Shirazi) na/au Kiarabu, wanatafuta kutofautiana kwa kauli katika mazungumzo na jamii hizi za nyuma ya pwani. Wanachama wa tabaka la kiungwana wa waungwana, wanaotumia kwa urahisi dhana ya kutofautiana katika nyaraka za kihistoria ili kulinda utumwa, ambao ulifikia kilele chake wakati wa utawala wa Sultan wa Zanzibar, kutoka kwa uwepo wa ukoloni wa Waingereza unaokua. Jambo hili linaelezewa kwa undani katika utafiti huu kwa kuchunguza Kitab al-Zunij na Kawkab al-Durriyah al-Akbar Ifrigiyah (mwandishi wake, muktadha wa utengenezaji wa elimu ya Kiswahili katika pwani ya Afrika Mashariki mwishoni mwa karne ya 19, usambazaji, tafsiri, na mapokezi) na hadithi zao (mada na malengo yao, vyanzo vyao vya hadithi), hasa linapokuja suala la toleo lao wenyewe la hadithi ya Ham — ambayo itazingatiwa kwa kufanya utafiti wa kihistoria na kuangalia toleo lake katika ulimwengu wa Kiislamu kuhusiana na Afrika Mashariki, tukirejelea kwenye vyanzo vya kita.