Sanhaji

Sanjaji or Mulasamins ( Arabic : صنهاجة) (from the word foxes , which means “wrapped up” in Arabic ) is a large union of Berber tribes living in the Sahara and in the Tell Atlas ridges , in the space between the Atlas Mountains in the north, Senegal in the south , and the Atlantic Ocean in the west.

It is likely that this tribe gave the name Senegal (alteration from the words Asnagen or Senagen , the Berber plural from the word Sanag , the same as Sanjaj).

Gradually, this tribe penetrated far south to Senegal , where already in the middle of the VIII century they formed a significant state under the rule of the kings from the most powerful branch of this tribe - Lemtuna . In the IX century, preachers of Islam penetrated them and converted them to the religion of Muhammad . This gave the Berbers a reason to declare the blacks of the neighboring districts of Sudan harmful pagans against whom they were obliged to wage a holy war. At the same time, they captured rich booty and many prisoners, who were profitably sold in the Maghreb markets (in Fez , Sigilmass , etc.). In the middle of the 11th century, the Sanhaji tribes were included in the Almoravid Union. As part of which they took part in the conquest of the Maghreb and Andalusia .

After the invasion of the Arab tribes of Benu Hilal and Suleim Berber, the Sanjaji were largely Arabized in the middle of the 12th century .