Proper noun
Funj
An ethnic group in present-day Sudan from which the historical Funj Sultanate arose; the sultanate.
It is known that the Funj rose from southern Nubia (present-day southern Sudan) to overthrow the kingdom of Alodia, but their origins before that remain obscure and disputed. The Funj themselves claimed descent from the Umayyad dynasty through those who escaped slaughter at the hands of the Abbasids and fled to Abyssinia. A currently more accepted theory is that they are Nubians who mixed with Arabs.
The Funj sultans quickly converted to Islam and that religion steadily became more entrenched. Source: Internet
They imported iron from the Nuba Mountains and Funj Kingdom for making spears (tong), axes (doro), knives (paalo) and hoes (kwer). Source: Internet
The economy of Sudan was feudally based, with a large number of slaves supporting the ruling Funj class. Source: Internet