All of the historians and scholars have documented that the Berbers were a black skinned race of people. Here is some of what has been documented.
Yaqoot Al Hamawy said in his book Mujum al Buldaan page 126
“Al Musamidah it is like the Muhalibah and they go back to Masmudah and it is a tribe in Maghrib …..”
معجم البلدان – الحموي – ج ٥ – الصفحة ١٢٦
المصامدة هو مثل المهالبة نسبة إلى مصمودة وهي قبيلة بالمغرب
Al Farsi Naasir Khasru Qibaadiyani wrote about his travels and what he saw around 1000 years ago!
In the book As Safr naamahu lilrihlah was muarikh AlFarsi Naasir Khasru Qibaadiyani (1004 – 1088 CE)
“And a group called Al Musaamidah and they are jet black in complexion from the land of Al Musaamidah. It is said that the male population amounts to 20’000 in number.
كتاب السفر نامه للرحالة والمؤرخ الفارسي ناصر خسرو قبادیانی
“وفرقة تسمى المصامدة وهم سود من بلاد المصامدة قيل إن عددهم عشرون ألف رجل”.
Abdul Kareem Ibn Muhammed Ibn Mansoor Al Tamimi Al Samaani Abu Sa’d said in his book Al Ansab AlSamaani
…this goes back to the Masmuda and they are men from the furthest point of the Maghrib (High Atlas mountains in Morocco and surrounding areas), they have a vast amount of land, (it is said about it that it is a land of stability) and they are a jet black people throughout and they are people who are memorisers of the book of Allah the most high.
قال عبد الكريم بن محمد بن منصور التميمي السمعاني أبو سعد في كتابه الأنساب السمعاني
دال مهملة (1)، هذه النسبة إلى المصامدة، وهم رجال بأقصى المغرب، لهم بلاد كثيرة (يقال لها بلاد المصامدة)، وهم قوم سود طوال حافظون لكتاب الله تعالى،
Al Musamada starting with meem then saad then after that alif meem and daal muhmalah maksuurataan, this goes back to the Musaamidah and they are in the furthest point in the Maghrib ( the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and surrounding areas ) they have an exceptional amount of land and it is said about it that it is the land of stability MANY SCHOLARS COME FROM THEM
م المصامدي بفتح الميم الصاد وبعد الألف ميم ودال مهملة مكسورتان هذه النسبة إلى المصامدة وهم في أقصى المغرب لهم بلاد كثيرة يقال لها بلاد المصامدة ينسب إليهم كثير من العلماء.
Some signs of how the gene pool got shaken up:
Ibn Athir wrote in another book of his called Al Kaamil Al Taarikh pages 193-194
In the mountain of Tin, there are plenty of running rivers, trees, and sowing, and the road to it is difficult; is no mountain that is more entrenched than it. and it is said while fearing the people of Tin’s uniform look, he saw many rosey cheeked white children with blue eyes and that which were more in number than the fathers whom were hues of brown in complexion. And the leader of the the believers had many FRANC and ROMAN SLAVES and they were predominantly rosey cheeked white in complexion . And they used to ascend to the mountains once every year and they used to take everything monetary as a tax on the direction of the Sultan. And they would stay in the homes and kick the owners out. So when the Mahdi saw their children he asked them. What is this that I see, you are hues of brown and children and I see your children are rosey cheeked, white with blue eyes. Then they told him their story about the SLAVES of the leader of the believers
كتاب الكامل في التاريخ لابن الأثير ١٩٣ –١٩٤
وفي جبل تين ملل أنهار جارية، وأشجار، وزروع، والطريق إليه صعب، فلا جبل أحصن منه .
وقيل: إنه لما خاف أهل تين ملل نظر، فرأى كثيرا من أولادهم شقرا زرقا، والذي يغلب على الآباء السمرة، وكان لأمير المسلمين عدة كثيرة من المماليك الفرنج والروم، ويغلب على ألوانهم الشقرة، وكانوا يصعدون الجبل في كل عام مرة، ويأخذون ما لهم فيه من الأموال المقررة لهم من جهة السلطان، فكانوا يسكنون بيوت أهله، ويخرجون أصحابها منها، فلما رأى المهدي أولادهم سألهم: ما لي أراكم سمر الألوان، وأرى أولادكم شقرا، زرقا؟ فأخبروه خبرهم مع مماليك أمير المسلمين، فقبح الصبر على هذا، وأزرى عليهم، وعظم الأمر عندهم.
Ibn Khalkaan wrote similar in his book Wafayāt Al Aʿyān Wa Anbāʾ Abnāʾ Az-zamān Chapter 4 page 302
…Then he saw some of the children of the people and they were rosey cheeked white with blue eyes and their fathers were hues of brown and black eyes . So he asked them about the reason for that and they did not answer him. So he demanded an answer. Then they said we are from the parish of the king and and we have tax obligations upon us, and every year his slaves ascend upon us and they enter our houses and they kick us out and they leave the women inside. Then the children come out with this oddity, and we don’t have any power to prevent this happening. Then Muhammed said: By Allah death is better than this life and how can you be pleased with this?….
عن ابن كلخان مثله في كتابه كتاب وفيات الأعيان وأنباء أبناء الزمان
المصامدة، فخرجوا إليه ونزلوا عليه،… ، فرأى بعض أولاد القوم شقراً زرقاً، وألوان آبائهم السمرة والكحل، فسألهم عن سبب ذلك فلم يجيبوه، فألزمهم بالإجابة فقالوا: نحن من رعية الملك وله علينا خراج، وفي كل سنة تصعد مماليكه إلينا ينزلون في بيوتنا ويخرجونا عنها ويخلون بمن فيها من النساء، فتأتي الأولاد على هذه الصفة، وما لنا قدرة في دفع ذلك عنا، فقال محمد: والله إن الموت خير من هذه الحياة، وكيف رضيتم بهذا وأنتم أضرب خلق الله بالسيف وأطعنهم
To be continued …………
Ibn Tarmut the Berber
Ali Ibn Idris the Berber