In 2003, Khartoum deployed the Janjaweed militia to violently suppress a separatist rebellion, thus launching Darfur into the international spotlight. Since then, over 200,000 people have been murdered and scores more have become refugees. In order to understand the extent of this humanitarian crisis, which has developed into one of the most important international causes of our day, the complicated history of this region must be understood.Having conducted forty years of research in Sudan, R.S. O'Fahey has written the definitive account of the Darfur Sultanate, which stretches from 1650 to 1916. O'Fahey is uniquely qualified to write this book. In addition to being a scholarly expert on the region, O'Fahey has worked with the United Nations Mission to Sudan (UNMIS) and the African Union during the peace talks in Abuja, which were initiated to resolve Darfur's current crisis. While O'Fahey discusses the impact of outside forces on the sultanate, he focuses primarily on Darfur's ruling elites, including its sultans, royal women, holy men, traders, and other individuals in positions of power. His intention is to write a record of the history and cultures of the Sultanate in all their variety, complexity, and richness.