Country history · Africa

History of Sudan

25 recorded states lay in what is now Sudan, from the A-Group chiefdom of Qustul (3300 BCE). 2 of them have a full profile, and 7 outside powers ruled here.

ProfileState (capital or seat)4 without a known seat not shownOpen in the atlas →

Profiles

Empires that ruled here

Timeline

34th century BCE

  1. A-Group chiefdom of Qustul3300 BCE – 2900 BCE · chiefdom

26th century BCE

  1. Kerma2500 BCE – 1500 BCE · kingdom
  2. Land of Punt2500 BCE – 1100 BCE · chiefdom

16th century BCE

  1. Viceroyalty of Kush1500 BCE – 1070 BCE · other

3rd century

  1. Blemmyes250 CE – 550 CE · tribal confederation

4th century

  1. Nobadia350 CE – 700 CE · kingdom

5th century

  1. Makuria450 CE – 1365 CE · profile

6th century

  1. Alodia500 CE – 1504 CE · kingdom

12th century

  1. Daju kingdom1100 CE – 1400 CE · kingdom

13th century

  1. Kingdom of al-Abwab1276 CE – 1400 CE · kingdom

14th century

  1. Kingdom of Dotawo1365 CE – 1484 CE · kingdom

15th century

  1. Tunjur kingdom1400 CE – 1650 CE · kingdom

16th century

  1. Abdallab Sheikhdom1504 CE – 1821 CE · chiefdom
  2. Funj Sultanate1504 CE – 1821 CE · profile
  3. Taqali1530 CE – 1969 CE · kingdom
  4. Habesh Eyalet1555 CE – 1865 CE · other

17th century

  1. Zaghawa sultanates1600 CE – 1916 CE · sultanate
  2. Musabba'at sultanate1650 CE – 1785 CE · sultanate
  3. Shaigiya confederation1690 CE – 1820 CE · tribal confederation

19th century

  1. Egypt under Muhammad Ali1805 CE – 1867 CE · other
  2. Turco-Egyptian Sudan1821 CE – 1885 CE · colony
  3. Khedivate of Egypt1867 CE – 1914 CE · other
  4. Dar Masalit1874 CE – 1922 CE · sultanate
  5. Mahdist State1885 CE – 1899 CE · theocracy
  6. Anglo-Egyptian Sudan1899 CE – 1956 CE · colony

In the encyclopedia

Shared histories

States that also lay in other present-day countries:

States of Egypt, North Africa and Sudan → States of Horn and East Africa → All country histories →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). History of Sudan. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/sudan
MLA
“History of Sudan.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/sudan. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “History of Sudan.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/sudan.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘History of Sudan’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/sudan (Accessed: ).