[LoGH] History of the Phezzan (Fezzan)
Lee Thompson (shadow@nwlink.com)
Thu, 28 Sep 2000 16:38:46 -0700
Thanks to Richard Higgins who did the bulk of the research on this one.
Additional thanks to Rob Ketcherside and Hank Wong.
Fezzan also spelled FAZZAN, Latin PHAZANIA, historic region of northern Africa
and until 1963 one of the three provinces of the United Kingdom of Libya. It is
part of the Sahara (desert) and now constitutes the southwestern sector of
Libya.
Fezzan's climate is extreme, with very hot summers and cool winters. Rainfall is
scarce and irregular and is somewhat more plentiful in the north than in the
south. Most of Fezzan's nearly 200,000 inhabitants dwell in desert oases in the
centre and south, notably in Marzuq and in Sabha. The inhabitants are of
basically Arab origin, mixed with Berber and black African elements. Fezzan is
noted for its extensive production of date palms, which number in the millions
of trees and cover several hundred thousand acres scattered in numerous oases.
Date production is supplemented by cereal, vegetable, and fruit crops. There is
a large oil field at Marzuq, and sodium carbonate is produced at both Marzuq and
Sabha.
The Greek historian Herodotus mentioned Fezzan as part of the territory of the
Garamantes. The Romans conquered the Garamantes in 19 BC and annexed their
country, which the Romans called Phazania, to the Roman Empire. In 666 the Arabs
conquered Phazania and subjected it to Islam. Thereafter it was ruled by a
succession of Arab and native dynasties until subdued by the Turks and made a
part of the Ottoman Empire in 1842.
Emissaries of the Sanusiyah religious brotherhood began founding lodges in
Fezzan in the mid-19th century and were for a time the dominant influence in the
region. Fezzan was amalgamated with Cyrenaica and Tripolitania under Italian
rule in 1912. In 1951 a United Kingdom of Libya was proclaimed, and the three
regions remained provinces until 1963, when Libya became a unitary state.
How does this relate to Legend of the Galactic Heroes?
The Fezzan, a region of desert oases just to the north of Kanem and Lake Chad,
was an irresistible target for the Sefuwa kings. Whoever dominated the Fezzan
would control one of the major links in the trans-Saharan trade, since both
north-south and east-west trading routes ran through it. And so, the Sefuwa
steadily expanded their influence northward from Kanem into the Fezzan,
guaranteeing security for merchants in return for considerable economic
benefits. It is unlikely that Kanem achieved complete hegemony in the Fezzan;
both north African kingdoms and local Berber lineages were too solidly
entrenched, and it was far easier and more effective to seek compromise with
them than to fight them. One is tempted to imagine Kanem enjoying a general
primacy in the Fezzan, with other local powers working together to ensure
stability and active trade across the desert.
Historical Findings:
Fezzan was occupied by France after WWII.
1942/06/11 First Free French victory at Bir Hakeim in the Fezzan, Libya.
Initially, the three provinces of Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, and Fezzan operated
as separate but equal entities.
However, by 1942 Britain controlled the northern provinces and France held sway
over Fezzan.
In the aftermath of World War II, Libya's main source of income was scrap metal
salvaged from the ferocious tank battles that had raged across its deserts
French Name: TERRITOIRE MILITAIRE FEZZAN
Links:
http://www.globalroadwarrior.com/country/libya/07busculture.html
http://xavier.xula.edu/~jrotondo/Kingdoms/Kanem_Bornu/Sefuwa01.html
http://www.baxleystamps.com/topicalf-p.htm
http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/3/0,5716,34773+1+34162,00.html
http://www.rdg.ac.uk/~sgs99npb/fezover.htm
In Closing:
It is my hope that we can expand and intensify the LoGH Research Project. The
more it is investigated, the more historical significances we find. Virtually
everything in LoGH appears to be based on historical references (be it true
history or myth) and, if nothing else, it's an abstract history lesson. (As Rob
puts it).
--
Lee Thompson
shadow@nwlink.com
