Mandara Kingdom
Encyclopedia
The Mandara Kingdom was a West African kingdom in the Mandara Mountains
of what is today Cameroon
. The Mandarawa people are descended from the kingdom's inhabitants.
(in 1459) and Leo Africanus
(in 1526); the provenance of its name remains uncertain.
For the kingdom's first century of history, its rulers warred with neighbouring groups in an effort to expand their territories. After conquering the Dulo (or Duolo) and establishing the capital at Dulo c. 1580, the dynasty of Sankre, a war leader, began. When the Dulo made an attempt to seize the throne, the Bornu
kingdom supported the claim of Aldawa Nanda, a member of Sankre's house. Emperor Idris Alaoma of Borno personally installed Nanda as king in 1614. Bornu thus attained an influential position over Mandara.
Mai Bukar Aji, the 25th king, made Mandara a sultan
ate c. 1715, which it would remain for nearly two hundred years. Muslim visitors converted Bukar to Islam, and the Islamicisation of the kingdom would continue for most of the next century. The kingdom experienced a golden age of sorts under Bukar and his successor, Bukar Guiana (1773-1828). Around 1781, the Mandara defeated the kingdom of Borno
in a major battle, further expanding their control in the region. At the peak of her power at the turn of the century, Mandara received tribute from some 15 chiefdoms. However, the kingdom faced a setback in 1809, when Modibo Adama
, a Fulani
disciple of Usman dan Fodio
, led a jihad
against Mandara. Adama briefly seized Dulo, though the Mandara counterattack soon drove him from the kingdom's borders. Adama's defeat prompted Borno to ally with Mandara once again against the Fulani invaders.
Upon the death of ruler Bukai Dgjiama, Mandara's non-Muslim tributaries rose up, and the Fulani attacked once more. By 1850, Borno could not pass up the opportunity to attack the weakened kingdom. This renewed conflict began to sap the kingdom's strength, paving the way for the invasion of Muhammad Ahmad
's forces in the 1880s. In 1895 or 1896, Muhammad Ahmad's army destroyed Dulo, marking a further decline in Mandara power. However, the kingdom continued to exist, repelling continual Fulani raids until it finally fell to them in 1893.
English
explorer Dixon Denham
accompanied a slave-raiding expedition from Borno
into the Mandara kingdom in February 1823; though he barely escaped with his life following the raiders' defeat, he brought back one of the first European accounts of the kingdom. In 1902, the kingdom was conquered by Germany
, passing then to France
in 1918. In 1960, the Mandara kingdom became a part of newly-independent Cameroon.
List of Rulers of Mandara
(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)
Mandara Mountains
The Mandara Mountains are a volcanic range extending about 200km along the northern part of the Cameroon-Nigeria border, from the Benue River in the south to the north-west of Maroua in the north . The highest elevation is 1,494 m , the summit of Mount Oupay .The region is densely populated,...
of what is today Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
. The Mandarawa people are descended from the kingdom's inhabitants.
History
Tradition states that Mandara was founded shortly before 1500 by a female ruler named Soukda and a non-Mandarawa hunter named Gaya. The kingdom was first referred to by Fra MauroFra Mauro
Fra Mauro, O.S.B. Cam., was a 15th-century Camaldolese monk who lived in the Republic of Venice. He was a monk of the Monastery of St. Michael, located on the island of Murano in the Venetian Lagoon. It was there that he maintained a cartography workshop.In his youth, Mauro had traveled...
(in 1459) and Leo Africanus
Leo Africanus
Joannes Leo Africanus, was a Moorish diplomat and author who is best known for his book Descrittione dell’Africa describing the geography of North Africa.-Biography:Most of what is known about his life is gathered from autobiographical...
(in 1526); the provenance of its name remains uncertain.
For the kingdom's first century of history, its rulers warred with neighbouring groups in an effort to expand their territories. After conquering the Dulo (or Duolo) and establishing the capital at Dulo c. 1580, the dynasty of Sankre, a war leader, began. When the Dulo made an attempt to seize the throne, the Bornu
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...
kingdom supported the claim of Aldawa Nanda, a member of Sankre's house. Emperor Idris Alaoma of Borno personally installed Nanda as king in 1614. Bornu thus attained an influential position over Mandara.
Mai Bukar Aji, the 25th king, made Mandara a sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
ate c. 1715, which it would remain for nearly two hundred years. Muslim visitors converted Bukar to Islam, and the Islamicisation of the kingdom would continue for most of the next century. The kingdom experienced a golden age of sorts under Bukar and his successor, Bukar Guiana (1773-1828). Around 1781, the Mandara defeated the kingdom of Borno
Borno
-Places:Italy* Borno, Lombardy, a comune in the Province of BresciaNigeria* Borno State* Kanem-Bornu Empire Other:Borno may also refer to a commonly used spam on Xbox live deriving from a game of scrabble...
in a major battle, further expanding their control in the region. At the peak of her power at the turn of the century, Mandara received tribute from some 15 chiefdoms. However, the kingdom faced a setback in 1809, when Modibo Adama
Modibo Adama
Adama bi Ardo Hassana , more commonly known as Modibo Adama, was a Fulani scholar and holy warrior. He led a jihad into the region of Fumbina , opening the region for Fulani colonisation...
, a Fulani
Fula people
Fula people or Fulani or Fulbe are an ethnic group spread over many countries, predominantly in West Africa, but found also in Central Africa and Sudanese North Africa...
disciple of Usman dan Fodio
Usman dan Fodio
Shaihu Usman dan Fodio , born Usuman ɓii Foduye, was the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate in 1809, a religious teacher, writer and Islamic promoter. Dan Fodio was one of a class of urbanized ethnic Fulani living in the Hausa States in what is today northern Nigeria...
, led a jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
against Mandara. Adama briefly seized Dulo, though the Mandara counterattack soon drove him from the kingdom's borders. Adama's defeat prompted Borno to ally with Mandara once again against the Fulani invaders.
Upon the death of ruler Bukai Dgjiama, Mandara's non-Muslim tributaries rose up, and the Fulani attacked once more. By 1850, Borno could not pass up the opportunity to attack the weakened kingdom. This renewed conflict began to sap the kingdom's strength, paving the way for the invasion of Muhammad Ahmad
Muhammad Ahmad
Muhammad Ahmad bin Abd Allah was a religious leader of the Samaniyya order in Sudan who, on June 29, 1881, proclaimed himself as the Mahdi or messianic redeemer of the Islamic faith...
's forces in the 1880s. In 1895 or 1896, Muhammad Ahmad's army destroyed Dulo, marking a further decline in Mandara power. However, the kingdom continued to exist, repelling continual Fulani raids until it finally fell to them in 1893.
English
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
explorer Dixon Denham
Dixon Denham
Dixon Denham was an English explorer in West Central Africa.Denham was born in London. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, and was articled to a solicitor, but joined the army in 1811...
accompanied a slave-raiding expedition from Borno
Borno
-Places:Italy* Borno, Lombardy, a comune in the Province of BresciaNigeria* Borno State* Kanem-Bornu Empire Other:Borno may also refer to a commonly used spam on Xbox live deriving from a game of scrabble...
into the Mandara kingdom in February 1823; though he barely escaped with his life following the raiders' defeat, he brought back one of the first European accounts of the kingdom. In 1902, the kingdom was conquered by Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, passing then to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1918. In 1960, the Mandara kingdom became a part of newly-independent Cameroon.
List of Rulers of MandaraMandara KingdomThe Mandara Kingdom was a West African kingdom in the Mandara Mountains of what is today Cameroon. The Mandarawa people are descended from the kingdom's inhabitants.- History :...
(in modern CameroonCameroonCameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
)
(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| c.1500 | Foundation of Mandara Mandara Kingdom The Mandara Kingdom was a West African kingdom in the Mandara Mountains of what is today Cameroon. The Mandarawa people are descended from the kingdom's inhabitants.- History :... Kingdom |
|
| Sultanate of Mandara | ||
| 1715 to 1757 | ||
| 1757 to 1773 | T'Kse Bldi, Sultan | |
| 1773 to 1828 | Bukar D'Gjiama, Sultan | |
| 1828 to 1842 | Hiassae, Sultan | |
| 1842 to 1894 | Bukar Narbanha, Sultan | |
| 1894 to 1902 | Umar Adjara, Sultan | |
| 1902 | Incorporated into Cameroon Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the... |
|
| 1902to 1911 | Umar Adjara, Sultan | (contd.) |
| 1911 to 1915 | Bukar Afade, Sultan | |
| 1915 to 1922 | Umar Adjara, Sultan | |
| 1922 to May 1924 | Amada Amada The Temple of Amada, the oldest Egyptian temple in Nubia, was first constructed by pharaoh Thutmose III of the 18th dynasty and dedicated to Amun and Re-Horakhty. His son and successor, Amenhotep II continued the decoration program for this structure. Amenhotep II's successor, Thutmose IV decided... , Sultan |
|
| May 1924 to 18 March 1942 | Kola Adama, Sultan | |
| 18 March 1942 to present | Hamidu Umar, Sultan | |
See also
- CameroonCameroonCameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
- Politics of CameroonPolitics of CameroonPolitics of Cameroon takes place in a framework of a unitary presidential republic, whereby the President of Cameroon is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government...
- Heads of government of CameroonHeads of government of Cameroon-Prime Ministers of Cameroon :-Affiliations:-Sources:*http://www.terra.es/personal2/monolith/00index.htm*http://www.rulers.org/rulc1.html#cameroon...
- Colonial heads of Cameroon British Cameroon (Cameroons)Colonial heads of British Cameroon-See also:*Cameroons**Heads of government of British Cameroon **Colonial heads of French Cameroon **Heads of government of French Cameroon...
- Heads of government of British Cameroon (Cameroons)Heads of government of British CameroonThis is a list of Heads of Government of British Cameroons- Affiliations :- See also :*Cameroon**Politics of Cameroon**Heads of state of Cameroon**Heads of government of Cameroon**Colonial heads of British Cameroon...
- Colonial heads of French Cameroon (Cameroun)Colonial heads of French CameroonThe following is a list of French Cameroon chief administrators during the colonial period....
- Heads of government of French Cameroon (Cameroun)Heads of government of French CameroonThis is a list of Heads of Government of French Cameroon .- Affiliations :- See also :*Cameroon**Politics of Cameroon**Colonial heads of French Cameroon **Colonial heads of British Cameroon...
- Colonial heads of German Cameroon (Kamerun)Colonial heads of German Cameroon-List of Colonial Heads of German Cameroon :-See also:*Cameroon**Politics of Cameroon**Colonial heads of French Cameroon **Heads of government of French Cameroon **Colonial heads of British Cameroon...
- Rulers of the BamumRulers of the BamumList of the rulers of the Bamum people, an ethnic group located in Cameroon. Their capital Fumban is also spelled Foumban in some sources.Mfon = Ruler-References:...
- Fon (title)Fon (title)A fon is a chieftain or king of a region of Cameroon, especially among the Tikar and Bamiléké peoples of the Bamenda grassfields . Though once independent rulers, most fons were brought under the German rule or military subjugation during the colonial period...
- The Fon of BatiboThe Fon of BatiboHis Royal Highness Fon R.A.M Tebo II of BatiboHRH R.A.M. TEBO II, a Law graduate of the University of Yaounde by training ascended the throne upon the death of his father HRH G.T.T. Mba II in 2005 amidst great political, cultural and economic anxiety in the Fondon...
- The Fon of Batibo
- Politics of Cameroon
- Lists of office-holders
- Rulers of Mandara