History of the First Twelve Years of the Reign of Mai Idris Alooma of Bornu (1571-1583)

By his Imam

Ahmed Ibn Fartua, H. R. Palmer

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• eBook ISBN: 9780429640223
• Edition: 1
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: African History
• Index: History

Originally published in 1970, this book is a reprint of one of the most important early documents regarding the early history and tradition of African states. The scholarly interest of Henry Richmond Palmer, one of the early administrative officers of Nigeria, has preserved for the African historian with this translation of an Arabic manuscript, a unique picture not only of the activitites of a great sixteenth-century warrior and king, but also of the whole life and movement of the Bornu.

As well as a description of Mai Idris, his pilgrimages and moral influence, his administration, expansionist activities, military strategy and successes, and the spread of Islam, the work gives an important insight into the thought and life of an African Muslim and his community.

HISTORY OF THE FIRST TWELVE YEARS OF THE REIGN OF MAI IDRIS ALOOMA.

By Imam Ahmed ibn Fartua.

IN the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate; may the blessing of God rest on our Lord and Prophet Muhammad, the chosen, Lord of beginnings and endings, who was sent with conquest and victory and with good tidings and warning, to all the worlds.

May the blessing of God rest on him, and peace upon his kindred, the richly endowed, the good and pure, and upon his companions and house, and those who heard his discourses—all of them.

Praise be to God who began existence with His wisdom and ordained upon mankind to follow Him, and His Prophet (may the blessing of God and peace rest on him), as fulfilling therein His reason, and completing His bliss.

Who also of intention and purpose created pairs of all things as is explained in His book that came down to advantage His creatures. Who fashioned out of water every living thing that they should trust Him, and raised them with glimpses of His love to certainty of Him.

Then, after that He had created all things, He exalted the Beni Adam, and established their position by what He fashioned. The guile of a destroyer cannot deceive Him. He distinguished for their guidance between ‘the right path’ and ‘error’ with fixed purpose—between the company of the Garden, and the company of the Fire. Inquiry must not be made as to what He is doing, and there is no comprehending His decrees—nor does a mithkal of atoms in heaven or earth escape the bounds of His knowledge. “He knows the treachery of the eye, and what the breast conceals.” The issue and heart of affairs is in His hands.

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He is the first and the last, the seen and the unseen, the beginner and finisher, meet to be loved and thanked, the cause of ageing and the requiter, the giver and withholder, the director, He who abases or accepts repentance, the merciful, the mighty, the pardoner.

O my brother Muslims, God has set you and me among those who will inherit Paradise, and will dwell therein for ever; He has given you and us a refuge from the wrath of our Lord and the torture of hell. He is the hearer of prayers, Amen. There is no power nor strength save in God the most high, the most mighty. There is no God but Him, the Lord of the firmament, the generous.

Know that the cause of our engaging in this work at this time, is the perusal of the compilation of the learned Sheikh Masfarma Umr ibn Othman concerning the epoch of his Sultan, the just, despiser of the world, god-fearing, brave, and warrior king, Idris ibn ‘Ali ibn Ahmad, ibn’ Othman ibn Idris, pilgrim to the sacred House of God. (May God bless his descendants and preserve his august renown till the day of the blast of the horn. Amen).

When we studied that work concerning the war in Sima describing its battles and phases, we determined to compose a similar work on the age of our Sultan, the learned, just, god-fearing, ascetic, despiser of this world, keeper of his word, the brave Haj Idris ibn ‘Ali ibn Idris ibn ‘Ali ibn Ahmad ibn ‘Othman ibn Idris—the pilgrim to the sacred house of God, who is descended from Urne ibn ‘Abd ul J alii of the seed of Saif ibn Dthi Yazan, from the flower of the Kuraish, and the seed of Himyar. May God richly bless his successors, through the sanctity of the Lord of good tidings, Muhammad, the pure and his kindred (may God bless him and them and give them peace). He is sufficient for us and the best protector.

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The Imam ul Kabir Ahmad ibn Fartua of the tribe of Muhammad ibn Mani began to compile this book on a Sunday in the month of God Rajeb, the unique, in the last third of the month, in the city called Birni.

But we did not write it to display our learning, or for appearance or effect, or in pride of spirit, but rather we employed the materials from the past we were bound to employ, working on and imitating models of the past, and noble exemplars, even though our work is poor and of no account.

God keeps our secrets, and pardons our sins. To mention His loving kindness is to give thanks, wholly to ignore it is ingratitude. Every age has its great men, and extols each of them according to his faith and works. The crown of leadership is purity in justice.

Thus every people relies on imitation of its leaders. The leader goes before and the people follow him. He leads them to the Garden as it were by a bridle, after giving them the Book of direction, glad tidings about the Faith, right direction and sure guidance in the path of the Law. So every man knows his rights and his obligations to others. Most excellent is the fame of just deeds, and justice on the part of a king for one day is equal to service of God for sixty years. Often has this been laid down. For pursuing the goal of justice the opportunities of kingship are countless.

A place where there is an evil Sultan is better than a place which has none.

The Lisan ul Arab bears witness. “I saw you running away from injustice, from this Sultan. I said, even so!”

If this is true, how about the case of a just king in whose heart is the fear of God, and who moulds his life and acts and forbearances even as God has made it easy for him to do.

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Thus we have taken in hand to narrate the mode of life of our Sultan and what he did, in a history of his reign and his wars and camps, and his clearing the roads for merchants, though we cannot pretend to give a thorough and full account of his enterprises.

For even though we were to try our very best, we should not cover more than a little of the ground and that by great effort. How can we cover the extent of his endeavour, when in one year he waged many wars. Even though a concourse of the learned in great numbers were to try to relate all his exploits, they would fail. Could they describe all his wars without omission, yet they would not know that which preceded from that which followed for certain and surely.

Our Sultan Haj Idris ibn ‘Ali ibn Idris sought to follow the example of our Lord and Master Muhammad, the chosen, (may the blessing of God and peace rest on him and on all the prophets) in regard to the holy wars which the Prophet (upon whom be the blessing of God and peace) undertook; for God has guided and directed him towards making all his acts, and bearing, and endeavour follow the set road and redound to His glory.

Look how God (be He magnified and exalted) made easy his path, as we heard from our Sheikhs who have passed away, for the accomplishment of wonders and varied exploits such as no former king had wrought onwards from the days of Sultan al Haj Daud ibn Nigale, who fled to the realm of Bornu. So we w ill recall what we have learnt so far as we can, fail though we must, as we have already explained to you at length.

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How then about the exemplary punishment he meted out to the tribe of So, in accord with God’s command to fight unbelievers, who are close to Muslims and vexatious to them.

Or again his dealings with the town of Amsaka. It is said that this “ stockade” was dug before our “ stockade” which Sultan ‘Ali ibn Ahmad dug.

Or again his war with the people of Kano, what time they built many “ stockades” in their land, seeking to harm the land of Bornu. They kept raiding and carrying off plunder, flying to their stockades and walled towns; and there hiding their gains among their own possessions.

So they did, till our Sultan attacked them with lofty purpose and aim, and destroyed all their defences except the great “stockade” called “Dala.”

So also his exploits when he fought the Barbara, till the earth in its fulness became too narrow for them and the desert too small for them, so that they found no sufficient place in which to pasture their flocks or dwell.

Did he not also go to the land of Agram, and the parts of Kauwar by Amar, and the hill named “Ahanama” on which live the enemy of the race of Tubu. He killed and captured many among them, and returned victorious and happy to the town of Jawani and the town of Bulma, where he camped, and lived for some days.

The people of the land of Jawan brought him a horse as a present, in fear and submission. So they were brought before him and departed assured of his protection.

Look too at his journey to the house of God, that he might win a sure glory. Thus leaving the kingdom he loved and an envied pomp, he went East turning his back on delights and paying his debts to God (be He exalted).

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So he made the pilgrimage and visited Tayiba, the Tayiba of the Prophet, the chosen one (upon whom be peace and the blessing of God), the unique, the victorious over the vicissitudes of day and night.

He was enriched by visiting the tomb of the pious Sahabe the chosen, the perfect ones (may the Lord be favourable and beneficent to them), and he bought in the noble city a house and date grove, and settled there some slaves, yearning after a plenteous reward from the Great Master.

Then he prepared to return to the kingdom of Bornu. When he reached the land called Barak he killed all the inhabitants who were warriors. They were strong but after this became weak; they became conquered, where formerly they had been conquerors. Among the benefits which God (Most High) of His bounty and beneficence, generosity, and constancy conferred upon the Sultan was the acquisition of Turkish musketeers and numerous household slaves who became skilled in firing muskets.

Hence the Sultan was able to kill the people of Amsaka with muskets, and there was no need for other weapons, so that God gave him a great victory by reason of his superiority in arms.

Among the most surprising of his acts was the stand he took against obscenity and adultery, so that no such thing took place openly in his time. Formerly the people had been indifferent to such offences, committed openly or secretly by day or night. In fact he was a power among his people and from him came their strength.

So he wiped away the disgrace, and the face of the age was blank with astonishment. He cleared away and reformed as far as he could the known wrong doing.

To God belong the secret sins, and in His hands is direction, and prevention, and prohibition and sanction.

Owing to the Mai’s noble precepts all the people had recourse to the sacred Sheria, putting aside worldly intrigue in their disputes and affairs, big or little.

From all we have heard, formerly most of the disputes were settled by the chiefs, not by the “Ulema.”

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For example, he stopped wrong doing, hatred and treachery, and fighting between Muslims, in the case of the Kuburi and Kayi. They had been fighting bitterly over their respective prestige, but on the Sultan’s accession, he sternly forbade them to fight till they became as brothers in God.

Then again there was his leniency in his remarkable expedition to Gamargu and Margi and Kopchi and Mishiga and to the hills of Womdiu.

He also came to the people of the hills of Zajadu and the hills of N’garasa, called N’guma, who had allied themselves with the sons of Sultan Daud and his grandsons and relatives and made raids on the land of Bornu, killing men and enslaving women and children right down to the time of our Sultan (may God ennoble him in both worlds). He scattered their host, and divided them, but of the N’guma he spared all and established them in settlements under his direction as his subjects nor did they resist or became recalcitrant.

The tribe of N’gizim, the people of Mugulum, and the people of Gamazan and others of the N’gizim stock who were neighbours were insolent and rebellious, till our Sultan went out to them with a large host, destroyed their crops, and burnt their houses in the wet season. Thus they felt the pinch of a ruined country, yielded to him obedience, and submitted to his rule.

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He introduced units of measure for corn among these people by the power and might of God. The N’gizim who dwelt in the West, known as Binawa, would not desist from enslaving Muslims in their country and doing other evil and base actions. They kept seizing the walled towns of the Yedi as fortresses and places of refuge and hiding, using them as bases treacherously to attack the Muslims by day and night, without ceasing or respite. But when our Sultan ascended the throne, he and his Wazir in chief Kursu took counsel to stem the torrent of their guile and deceit, so that they left off their wickedness, and some followed the Sultan, others the Wazir Kursu, others various leaders who had waged “Holy War” with the Sultan.

To some the Sultan gave orders to settle, and devote their time to agriculture.

Again there is the record of the Sultan’s dealings with the So whose home was in the East on the shores of the great lake of Chad. These people, known as Tatala, formerly perpetrated many iniquities and crimes. It is said that they took stores of water in gourds or other receptacles, and then with their weapons and shields, sallied forth to harry the towns of the Muslims, sometimes going two or three days distance on these forays.

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But when the time of our Sultan came, he rebuked them with a stern rebuke, and chastised them with divers sorts of chastisement till they became downcast and ashamed. Many of their dwellings became desolate, empty, forlorn and deserted.

Know, my brethren, that in what we have told you, we have failed to tell all. We have but told you a part of the story of the deeds of the early years of our Sultan’s reign, with hand and pen. How can that be easy or possible for us, considering his actions covered most of that which is ordained in the Kurá ‘an and Sunna concerning “Holy War” in the path of God, seeking the noble presence of God, and His great reward.

Thus we have cut short the recital of all his wars, in this brief compilation. As for his wars on the tribe of Bulala we will—please God—relate the Sultan’s dealings with them in a separate work plainly and clearly and accurately, according to the accounts obtained, and following all the descriptions which have been given of the wars which our Sultan brought to an end by the might and power of God.

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We have here desired to follow the descriptions of the expeditions of our Sultan, al Haj Idris ibn ‘Ali ibn Idris with the events that attach to them approaching them chapter by chapter from the affair of the So N’gafata to that of the So Tatala; making clear distinctions—if God wills—so that he who attends may learn the truth about the chief events, and the manner in which our Sultan made war upon his foes, by what stratagems he fought them, and by what guile he destroyed them : in what array he advanced to victory over them all, and discomfited them.

Thus we will follow the path we have indicated—if God wills—in this book according to all we have seen and heard. To God, belongs perfect knowledge and bounteous wisdom. Af...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Original Title Page
• Original Copyright Page
• Preface
• Introduction
• History of the First Twelve Years of the Reign of Mai Idris Alooma
• Notes
• Diwan of the Sultans of Bornu
• Kanuri Girgam of the Magumi Mais (Sultans) in Possession of Mai Mufio
• Note on the Eaelt Barbar Cults of the Sahara and Sudan
• Note on Yam