Abstract
D.Litt. et Phil. (Greek)
The study of the Greek Diaspora constitutes a particular research field of
the Greek historiography, as it is not just a multifaceted phenomenon, but also it
sets a series of questions regarding the formation process of the Greek
communities and their presence in the host countries. The Modern Greek presence
in Africa coincides with the era of the Ottoman Empire when Greeks settled in
Egypt, Tunis and Tripoli. The second phase commences in the second half of the
19th century, when Greeks immigrated to Sudan, Ethiopia and other countries,
primarily in British East Africa and marginally in Francophone Africa.
The Greek presence in Sudan dates back to the first quarter of the 19th
century and is connected to the wider politic and economic framework of the
North-eastern Africa. The existing literature, regarding the history of the Greeks in
Sudan, has a tendency to focus on their entrepreneurial activity without placing it
in a broader comparative context and neglecting important aspects of their
presence. Furthermore, it is not based on any research or historical critical
methodology. Our research covers this gap through a complete scholarly
researched study. It is a systematic study of the history of the Greek community in
Sudan that investigates its presence and integrates its activities into the
sociopolitical and economic changes that occurred in the northeastern Africa since
the late 19th century. The first and foremost contributions to the scientific
knowledge are the research and study of the wide Greek presence in Sudan from
its beginnings up to date based on an entirely unpublished archival material. These
archives are located in public and private collections in Sudan, Greece and
England. Furthermore, our study queries the Greek presence in connection with
the wider political and economic framework of Sudan from the mid-19th until
nowadays.
One of the main objective difficulties of this thesis was to trace and study
the volume of the various archives and records. Indeed, it managed to gather a
number of different files which is an important asset to any academic research that
demands accuracy and leads to the right conclusions. Through this procedure this
thesis fulfilled one of its main scopes, to cast a light to the unknown aspects of the
Greek presence in Sudan...