The basis of the contemporary Sudanese state can be traced back to its ancient, precolonial and colonial history and related legacies. The ancient and precolonial eras were characterized by independent feudal systems of governance, each occupying its own territory. From its establishment in 1899, the colonial administration subjected the peoples of Sudan to new spatial and socio-political arrangements which persisted under successive postcolonial regimes. The legacy of this history, particularly that of the colonial period, continues to shape the social, economic and political spaces of contemporary Sudan. The country's current problems of retarded statehood, the failure of its nation-building, its underdevelopment and the sharp disparities in development,together with recurring internal conflicts and protracted civil wars, are the most conspicuous issues that continue to challenge Sudan.

The historical dimension of these persistent problems is well documented (Abd al-Rahim 1970; Lees and Brooks 1977; Beshir 1979a, 1979b, 1984; Beshir et al., 1984, Mohamed Salih and Harir 1994; Johnson 2006). Whatever the scale of these challenges, they have mostly involved economic, social and political struggles for all disadvantaged communities and regions of Sudan, including the subject of this book: the Nuba people and their homeland.