Ibn Furtu
Encyclopedia
Ahmad b. Furtu or Ibn Furtu (sometimes also called Ibn Fartuwa) lived in the sixteenth century. He was the grand Imam
of the Bornu Empire
and the chronicler of Mai Idris Aluma (1564–1596).
He wrote two chronicles in Arabic
, K. ghazawat Barnu ("The Book of the Bornu Wars") in 1576 and K. ghazawat Kanei ("The Book of the Kanem Wars") in 1578. The first book describes in geographical order the military expeditions of Mai Idris Aluma: 1. against the Sao-Gafata in the region of the Komadugu Yobe; 2. against the town of Amsaka south of Lake Chad
; 3. against the town of Kano
west of Bornu; 4. against the Tuareg of Aïr
; 5. against the Margi
and against Mandara
south of Lake Chad; 6. against the Ngizim
west of Bornu and 7. against the Sao-Tatala at the edge of Lake Chad and against some towns of the Kotoko
. Except a few details on the military achievements of the five predecessors of Idris Aluma he focusses his attention on the expeditions of his Sultan during the first twelve years of his reign. The book on the Kanem wars deals with seven consecutive expeditions against the Bulala from ca. 1573 to 1578. Information on earlier events at the beginning and the end of the book concern the destruction of the national relic called Mune by Dunama Dabbalemi
(1203–1242), the expulsion of the Sayfawa
from Kanem
by the Bulala and the temporary reoccupation of the ancient capital of Kanem Njimi
by Idris Katakarmabe (1487–1509). Some classical poems and quotations from lexicographical books bear witness of the solid education of the author. His somewhat contrived style is characterized by its archaism.
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
of the Bornu Empire
Kanem-Bornu Empire
The Kanem-Bornu Empire existed in modern Chad and Nigeria. It was known to the Arabian geographers as the Kanem Empire from the 9th century AD onward and lasted as the independent kingdom of Bornu until 1900. At its height it encompassed an area covering not only much of Chad, but also parts of...
and the chronicler of Mai Idris Aluma (1564–1596).
He wrote two chronicles in Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, K. ghazawat Barnu ("The Book of the Bornu Wars") in 1576 and K. ghazawat Kanei ("The Book of the Kanem Wars") in 1578. The first book describes in geographical order the military expeditions of Mai Idris Aluma: 1. against the Sao-Gafata in the region of the Komadugu Yobe; 2. against the town of Amsaka south of Lake Chad
Lake Chad
Lake Chad is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Africa, whose size has varied over the centuries. According to the Global Resource Information Database of the United Nations Environment Programme, it shrank as much as 95% from about 1963 to 1998; yet it also states that "the 2007 ...
; 3. against the town of Kano
Kano
Kano is a city in Nigeria and the capital of Kano State in Northern Nigeria. Its metropolitan population is the second largest in Nigeria after Lagos. The Kano Urban area covers 137 sq.km and comprises six Local Government Area - Kano Municipal, Fagge, Dala, Gwale, Tarauni and Nassarawa - with a...
west of Bornu; 4. against the Tuareg of Aïr
Aïr Mountains
The Aïr Mountains is a triangular massif, located in northern Niger, within the Sahara desert...
; 5. against the Margi
Margi
Margi is village located in the Nicosia District of Cyprus. Before 1960, the village population was made up almost exclusively of Turkish Cypriots....
and against Mandara
Mandara
- Africa :* Mandara languages is on of the group of Chadic languages* Mandara kingdom of Cameroon* Mandara Mountains of Cameroon* Madarawa, also called the Mandara people, of Cameroon- Other :* Mandara or Mandala, Hindu and Buddhist religious objects....
south of Lake Chad; 6. against the Ngizim
Ngizim
The Ngizim people live in Yobe State, northeastern Nigeria. As of 1993, there were an estimated 80,000 Ngizim. The Ngizim live in the area to the east and south of Potiskum, the largest city in Yobe State, as well as in Potiskum, which was originally an Ngizim town...
west of Bornu and 7. against the Sao-Tatala at the edge of Lake Chad and against some towns of the Kotoko
Kotoko
Kotoko may refer to:* Kotoko , a Japanese singer* The Kotoko kingdom of West Africa* The Kotoko languages of West Africa* The Kotoko people of West Africa* Kotoko, a character from Chobits...
. Except a few details on the military achievements of the five predecessors of Idris Aluma he focusses his attention on the expeditions of his Sultan during the first twelve years of his reign. The book on the Kanem wars deals with seven consecutive expeditions against the Bulala from ca. 1573 to 1578. Information on earlier events at the beginning and the end of the book concern the destruction of the national relic called Mune by Dunama Dabbalemi
Dunama Dabbalemi
Dunama Dabbalemi, of the Sayfawa dynasty, was the mai of the Kanem Empire, in present-day Chad, from 1203 to 1243.A fervent Muslim, Dabbalemi initiated diplomatic exchanges with sultans in North Africa and apparently arranged for the establishment of a special hostel in Cairo to facilitate...
(1203–1242), the expulsion of the Sayfawa
Sayfawa dynasty
Sayfawa dynasty or more properly Sefuwa dynasty is the name of the kings of the Kanem-Bornu Empire, centered first in Kanem in western Chad, and then, after 1380, in Borno ....
from Kanem
Kanem Region
Kanem is one of the 22 regions of Chad, corresponding to the former prefecture of Kanem. Its capital is Mao. It is named after the famous Kanem Empire, which was centered in this vicinity.The region of Kanem is divided into 3 departments:-Demography:...
by the Bulala and the temporary reoccupation of the ancient capital of Kanem Njimi
Njimi
Njimi was the capital of the Kanuri state of Kanem , north of Lake Chad, from the eleventh through the fourteenth centuries. Founded by the Sefawa dynasty in the eleventh century, the town dominated trans-Saharan trade in ivory and slaves between the central Sahara and Libya. The precise location...
by Idris Katakarmabe (1487–1509). Some classical poems and quotations from lexicographical books bear witness of the solid education of the author. His somewhat contrived style is characterized by its archaism.
External links
- Norris, Harry: "Review of 'The Borno Expeditions of Idris Alauma (1564-1576), in: Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 52 (1989), 554-5.