Initial Muslim efforts to conquer Nubia failed. Thus three Christian kingdoms of Nubia maintained independent for centuries. At times, Christian Nubia became so powerful as to be able to intervene on behalf of the Coptic Christians in Egypt and even to hold territory. Beginning in twelfth century under Saladin and continuing under the the Mamelukes, the power of Christian Nubia was broken by a series of campaigns and invasions of Arab and Fulani tribes. By 1400, Christian Nubia was conquered and its population steadily Islamicized. Today the region is almost completely Muslim. Below is an Arab account of Muslim efforts at conquest and the eventual treaty between the Nubians and the Muslims, ca. 700 A.D.

Al-Baladhuri describes the attempted Muslim Invasion of Nubia

'Ukbah leads the attack. Muhammad ibn-Sa'd from abu--Elhair:-When the Moslems subdued Egypt, 'Amr ibn-al-'Asi sent to the surrounding villages, in order to overrun and pillage them, a detachment of cavalry under 'Ukbah ibn-Nafi' al-Fihri ( Nafi' being a brother of al-Asi on his mother's side). The cavalry entered the land of Nubia as the summer expeditions of the Greeks do. The Moslems met in Nubia determined resistance. They were subjected to such severe showers of arrows until most of them were wounded and had to return with many wounds and blinded eyes. Therefore were the Nubians called the " archers of the eyes ".

The terms made. This state of affairs continued until 'Abdallah ibn-Sa'd ibn-abi-Sarh ruled over Egypt. The Nubians asked for peace and conciliation from 'Abdallah, who granted their request, the terms being that they pay no tax but offer as a present three hundred slaves per annum; and that the Moslems offer them as a present food equivalent to the value of the slaves.

The Nubians as archers. Muhammad ibn-Sa'd from a sheikh of the tribe of Himyar:-The latter said, " I have been to Nubia twice during the caliphate of 'Umar ibn-al-Khattab, and I never saw a people who are sharper in war-fare than they. I heard one of them say to the Moslem, ' Where do you want me to hit you with my arrow?' and in case the Moslem would disdainfully say, ' In such a spot ', the Nubian would never miss it. They were fond of fighting with arrows; but their arrows would scarcely ever hit on the ground. One day, they arrayed themselves against us and we were desirous to carry the conflict with the sword; but they were too quick for us and shot their arrows, putting out our eyes. The eves that were put out numbered 100. We at last thought that the best thing to do with such a people was to make peace. We could carry very little booty away from them; and their ability to inflict injury was great. 'Amr, however, refused to make peace with them and went on contending against them until he was dismissed and was succeeded by 'Abdallah ibn-Sa'd ibn-abi-Sari, who concluded peace with them."

According to al-Wakidi, Mu'awiyah ibn-Hudaij al-Kindi lost his eye in Nubia and thus became one-eyed.

The legality of selling their children as slaves. Abu'Ubaid al-Kasim ibn-Sallam from Yazid ibn-abi-Habib:- The latter said, "Between us and the black tribes [Ar. asazezd], no treaty or covenant exists. Only a truce was arranged between us. according to which we agreed to give them some wheat and lentils, and they to give us slaves. It is all right to buy their slaves from them or from others."

Abu-'Ubaid from al-Laith ibn-Sa'd:-The latter said,

"The terms we made with the Nubians stipulated only that we neither fight against them nor they against us, that they Drive slaves and we give them their value in terms of food. If they desire, therefore, to sell their wives or children, there is no reason why they should not be bought."

In a report of abu-l-Bukhturi and others, it is stated that 'Abdallah ibn-Sa'd ibn-abi-Sarh made terms with the Nubians to the effect that they give four hundred slaves per year, whom they shall bring forth and for whom they shall receive food in exchange.

The caliph al-Alahdi ordered that Nubia be held responsible every year for 360 slaves and one giraffe, and that they be given wheat, vinegar, wine, clothes and mattresses or the value thereof.

The Nubians recently claimed that the tribute is not due on them every year, and that it was demanded from them in the caliphate of al-Mahdi, at which time they told the caliph that the tribute was a part of what they took as slaves from their enemies and therefore they had, if they could not get enough slaves, to use their own children and offer them. A1-Mahdi ordered that they be tolerated, and that the tribute of one year be considered as if for three. No confirmation, however, could be found in the registers of al-------ah; but it was found in the register in Egypt.