These Tuareg people controll the trans-Sahara caravan routes in the ancient times,and apart from that they also involve in the taxation of the goods and they also helped to convey and raiding neighboring tribes.

But during the modern times, their raiding was subdued by the French who ruled Algeria.But during the 1960's it became increasingly difficult for the Tuareg to maintain their pastoral traditions after the political division of Saharan Africa

Their society distinguishes among nobles, vassals, and serfs. One important thing that they have done in the recent times is that the abolished Slave-stealing expeditions yet the black descendants of former slaves still perform the menial tasks. Mainly the social status of the Tuareg people is determined mainly through matrilineal descent.

When it comes to their religion they are mainly converted by the Arabs to Islam but inspite of their conversion ,the Tuareg people  have retained some of their older rites. Some of the older rites that they maintain to retain includes man,not women,wear a headdress with a veil.

During the 1970's,many Tuareg starved in droughts and this made others to  migrate to otheer cities. About 3 to 10 lakhs of Tuareg people  live in Algeria, Tunisia, Mali, Libya, Burkina Faso, and Niger.The Nnumber of Tuareg people live in different countries are given below

1)Niger - 17.2 Lakhs(according to 1998 census)

2)Mali - 14.4 lakhs(according to 1991 census)

3)Algeria -Approximately 10 lakhs(according to 1987 census)

4)Burkin Faso - 6 lakhs(according to 1991 census)

5)Libya - 5.57 Lakha(according to 1993 census)

• Written by Raaghavan Krishnamurthy.
• In category Social Life.
• 15 years ago.

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