Bilala
Encyclopedia
The Bilala, or Bulala, are a Muslim people that live around Lake Fitri
, in the Batha Prefecture
, in central Chad
. The last Chadian census
in 1993 stated that they numbered 136.629 persons. Their language, Naba
, is divided in four dialects and is in the Nilo-Saharan group; it is shared by two of their neighbours, the Kuka and the Medogo. These three peoples are collectively known as Lisi
and are believed to be descendants of main ethnic groups of the Sultan
ate of Yao
.
They first appeared in the 14th century near lake Fitri
as a nomad
ic clan led by scions of the Sayfawa dynasty
. They were originally a political entity that came about as a result of fusion of the Kayi (Zaghawa) and Ngizim
inhabitants of the Fittri region. Settled east of the Kanem Empire
, in today's Chad
, they shattered the empire's power, killing five of six of Kanem's mais (kings) between 1376 and 1400. At the end the Bulala conquered Kanem and forced the Kanem mais to migrate to Bornu
. As a result the Bulala put their hands on Kanem, founding in the 15th century the Muslim sultanate of Yao. But the Kanem-Bornu Empire counter-attacked a century later under Ali Gaji, and at the end Kanem was retaken by Ali's son after a great battle at Garni Kiyala, forcing the Bulala to move east, where they were to remain a menace for centuries to Kanem-Bornu. It continued also to be a flourishing kingdom: the traveller Leo Africanus
even thought that the Bulala's reign was richer than Kanem-Bornu for its prosperous trade with Egypt
.
Their power survived in diminished forms until the onset of colonialism, when they submitted to the French
.
Lake Fitri
Lake Fitri is located in the center of Chad about 300 km east of N’Djamena. The normal size of the lake is about 50,000 hectacre. The size of this lake can triple in wetter years. This freshwater lake is shallow and is fed by seasonal rainfall and run-off from a catchment area estimated at 70,000 km²...
, in the Batha Prefecture
Batha Prefecture
This article refers to one of the former prefectures of Chad. From 2002 the country was divided into 18 regions.Batha was one of the 14 prefectures of Chad. Located in the center of the country, Batha covered an area of 88,800 square kilometers and had a population of 288,458 in 1993. Its capital...
, in central Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
. The last Chadian census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
in 1993 stated that they numbered 136.629 persons. Their language, Naba
Naba language
Naba is a Nilo-Saharan language spoken by 232,000 people in Chad. Those who speak this language are called Lisi, a collective name for three closely associated ethnic groups, the Bilala, the Kuka and the Medogo, that represent the three dialects in which Naba is subdivided. They live mainly in the...
, is divided in four dialects and is in the Nilo-Saharan group; it is shared by two of their neighbours, the Kuka and the Medogo. These three peoples are collectively known as Lisi
Lisi
Lisi is a collective term used to describe three closely associated Chadian ethnic groups living in the same geographical area, represented by the Batha and Chari-Baguirmi prefectures: the Bilala , the Kuka and the Medogo ....
and are believed to be descendants of main ethnic groups of the 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 of Yao
Yao, Chad
Yao is a town in Chad and the capital of the Fitri department.Yao is also the name of a precolonial Sultanate in the same area. See the Bulala people....
.
They first appeared in the 14th century near lake Fitri
Lake Fitri
Lake Fitri is located in the center of Chad about 300 km east of N’Djamena. The normal size of the lake is about 50,000 hectacre. The size of this lake can triple in wetter years. This freshwater lake is shallow and is fed by seasonal rainfall and run-off from a catchment area estimated at 70,000 km²...
as a nomad
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
ic clan led by scions of the Sayfawa dynasty
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 ....
. They were originally a political entity that came about as a result of fusion of the Kayi (Zaghawa) and 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...
inhabitants of the Fittri region. Settled east of the Kanem 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...
, in today's Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
, they shattered the empire's power, killing five of six of Kanem's mais (kings) between 1376 and 1400. At the end the Bulala conquered Kanem and forced the Kanem mais to migrate to Bornu
Borno State
Borno State is a state in north-eastern Nigeria. Its capital is Maiduguri. The state was formed in 1976 from the split of the North-Eastern State...
. As a result the Bulala put their hands on Kanem, founding in the 15th century the Muslim sultanate of Yao. But the Kanem-Bornu Empire counter-attacked a century later under Ali Gaji, and at the end Kanem was retaken by Ali's son after a great battle at Garni Kiyala, forcing the Bulala to move east, where they were to remain a menace for centuries to Kanem-Bornu. It continued also to be a flourishing kingdom: the traveller 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...
even thought that the Bulala's reign was richer than Kanem-Bornu for its prosperous trade with Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
.
Their power survived in diminished forms until the onset of colonialism, when they submitted to the French
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...
.
External links
- Notes sur les Bilala du Fitri (PDF, in French)