Sayfawa dynasty
Encyclopedia
Sayfawa dynasty or more properly Sefuwa dynasty is the name of the kings (or mai, as they called themselves) of the Kanem
-Bornu Empire
, centered first in Kanem
in western Chad
, and then, after 1380, in Borno
(today north-eastern Nigeria
).
Theories on the origins of this dynasty vary. Many scholars assert that it may have been rooted in a Tubu
expansion or comprised an indigenous dynasty. Other theories have also been made. The German historian Dierk Lange has argued that the advent of the Sayfawa dynasty came in the 11th century, when Hummay consolidated Islam
in Kanem. Lange adds that Hummay's advent represented the ascent of a Berber
dynasty over the previous Duguwa Zaghawa one.
In the Islamic period the Sayfawa themselves claimed as their eponymous ancestor the late pre-Islamic Yemen
ite hero Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan
, hence their amended name Sayf-awa. This tradition was first mentioned by the Andalusia
n scholar Ibn Said
in the 13th century, and Lange believes it to be mainly the fruit of the reinterpretation of an indigenous tradition by Muslim scholars who arrived to Kanem from regions where Himyarite traditions were strong. Formerly most historians thought, that the leaders of this new dynasty belonged to the indigenous Kanembu
.
According to recent research, Kanem was founded by immigrants from the collapsing Assyrian Empire
, claiming descent from Sef (1)/Sargon of Akkad
, hence their name Sef-uwa. The Duguwa traced their ancestry in addition to Duku (2), the third figure of the list, and should therefore be properly designated as Sefuwa-Duguwa. From Hummay (12) onward the Sefuwa should more properly be called Sefuwa-Humewa or Sayfawa-Humewa, according to the ancestral figures Sef/Sipa (Sargon of Akkad
) - in the Islamic period identified with Sayf b. Dhi Yazan - and the dynastic founder Hume
(1068-1080).
The dynasty, one of Africa
's longest living, lost the throne in 1846.
Kanem Empire
The Kanem Empire was located in the present countries of Chad, Nigeria and Libya. At its height it encompassed an area covering not only much of Chad, but also parts of southern Libya , eastern Niger and north-eastern Nigeria...
-Bornu Empire
Bornu Empire
The Bornu Empire was an African state of Nigeria from 1396 to 1893. It was a continuation of the great Kanem Empire founded centuries earlier by the Sayfawa Dynasty...
, centered first in 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:...
in western 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...
, and then, after 1380, in Borno
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...
(today north-eastern Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
).
Theories on the origins of this dynasty vary. Many scholars assert that it may have been rooted in a Tubu
Toubou
The Tubu are an ethnic group that live mainly in northern Chad, but also in Libya, Niger and Sudan....
expansion or comprised an indigenous dynasty. Other theories have also been made. The German historian Dierk Lange has argued that the advent of the Sayfawa dynasty came in the 11th century, when Hummay consolidated Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in Kanem. Lange adds that Hummay's advent represented the ascent of a Berber
Berber mythology
The traditional Berber mythology is the ancient and native set of beliefs and deities developed by the Berber people in their historical land of North Africa...
dynasty over the previous Duguwa Zaghawa one.
In the Islamic period the Sayfawa themselves claimed as their eponymous ancestor the late pre-Islamic Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
ite hero Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan
Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan
Sayf ibn dhī-Yazan was a Yemeni Himyarite king who lived between 516 and 574 CE, known for ending Aksumite rule over Southern Arabia...
, hence their amended name Sayf-awa. This tradition was first mentioned by the Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
n scholar Ibn Said
Ibn Said
Ali ibn Musa ibn Said al-Maghribi , also known as Ibn Said al-Andalusi, was a geographer, historian and the most important collector of poetry from al-Andalus in the 12th and 13th centuries. Ibn Said was born at Alcalá la Real near Granada, and grew up in Marrakesh. He subsequently studied in...
in the 13th century, and Lange believes it to be mainly the fruit of the reinterpretation of an indigenous tradition by Muslim scholars who arrived to Kanem from regions where Himyarite traditions were strong. Formerly most historians thought, that the leaders of this new dynasty belonged to the indigenous Kanembu
Kanembu people
The Kanembu are an ethnic group of Chad, generally considered the modern descendants of the Kanem-Borno Empire. The Kanembu number an estimated 655,000 people, located primarily in Chad's Lac Prefecture but also in Chari-Baguirmi and Kanem prefectures. They speak the Kanembu language, a variant...
.
According to recent research, Kanem was founded by immigrants from the collapsing Assyrian Empire
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
, claiming descent from Sef (1)/Sargon of Akkad
Sargon of Akkad
Sargon of Akkad, also known as Sargon the Great "the Great King" , was an Akkadian emperor famous for his conquest of the Sumerian city-states in the 23rd and 22nd centuries BC. The founder of the Dynasty of Akkad, Sargon reigned in the last quarter of the third millennium BC...
, hence their name Sef-uwa. The Duguwa traced their ancestry in addition to Duku (2), the third figure of the list, and should therefore be properly designated as Sefuwa-Duguwa. From Hummay (12) onward the Sefuwa should more properly be called Sefuwa-Humewa or Sayfawa-Humewa, according to the ancestral figures Sef/Sipa (Sargon of Akkad
Sargon of Akkad
Sargon of Akkad, also known as Sargon the Great "the Great King" , was an Akkadian emperor famous for his conquest of the Sumerian city-states in the 23rd and 22nd centuries BC. The founder of the Dynasty of Akkad, Sargon reigned in the last quarter of the third millennium BC...
) - in the Islamic period identified with Sayf b. Dhi Yazan - and the dynastic founder Hume
Hummay
Hummay was the founder and mai of the Sefuwa dynasty of the Kanem-Empire in the region of Lake Chad. He discarded the Sefuwa-Duguwa from power and ruled from 1068 to 1080. The dynasty founded by him was to survive until 1846. His rule had important consequences because of the spead of Islam...
(1068-1080).
The dynasty, one of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
's longest living, lost the throne in 1846.
Table of Sefuwa-Duguwa kings in Kanem
| Name of the king | Earlier dating | Historical name and dating | Historical identity |
|---|---|---|---|
| (1) Sef SEF SEF may refer to:* Supplementary eye fields, areas in the primate brain that are involved in planning and control of saccadic eye movements* Spectral edge frequency, a measure used in signal processing... |
c. 700 | Sargon of Akkad Sargon of Akkad Sargon of Akkad, also known as Sargon the Great "the Great King" , was an Akkadian emperor famous for his conquest of the Sumerian city-states in the 23rd and 22nd centuries BC. The founder of the Dynasty of Akkad, Sargon reigned in the last quarter of the third millennium BC... (2334-2279) |
Founder of the Akkadian Empire |
| (2) Ibrahim Abraham Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam... |
c. 740 | Abraham Abraham Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam... |
Legendary Israelite patriarch |
| (3) Dugu Dugu The Dugu is an ancient extended funerary ceremony practiced by the Garifuna people. The Garifuna is a small-to-medium sized Central American ethnic group that has inhabited many Central American countries such as Belize and Honduras since the 17th century. Their roots come from both the Caribbean... |
c. 785 | Hammurabi Hammurabi Hammurabi Hammurabi Hammurabi (Akkadian from Amorite ʻAmmurāpi, "the kinsman is a healer", from ʻAmmu, "paternal kinsman", and Rāpi, "healer"; (died c... (1792-1750) |
Founder of the Amorite Empire Amorite Amorite refers to an ancient Semitic people who occupied large parts of Mesopotamia from the 21st Century BC... |
| (4) Fune Fune Fune is a Local Government Area in Yobe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Damagun in the southwest of the area on the A3 highway at.It has an area of 4,948 km² and a population of 300,760 at the 2006 census.... |
c. 835 | Pûl/Tiglath-pileser III Tiglath-Pileser III Tiglath-Pileser III was a prominent king of Assyria in the eighth century BC and is widely regarded as the founder of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Tiglath-Pileser III seized the Assyrian throne during a civil war and killed the royal family... (744-727) |
Founder of Neo-Assyrian Empire |
| (5) Arsu Arsu The Palmyran god of the evening star. He is usually portrayed as riding a camel with his twin brother Azizos. In pre-Islamic Arabia, he is known as Ruda.... |
c. 893 | Rusâ/Ursâ I (730-713) | 6th Urartian Urartu Urartu , corresponding to Ararat or Kingdom of Van was an Iron Age kingdom centered around Lake Van in the Armenian Highland.... king |
| (6) Katur | c. 942 | Kutir-Nahhunte (1185-1155) | 85th Elamite Elam Elam was an ancient civilization located in what is now southwest Iran. Elam was centered in the far west and the southwest of modern-day Iran, stretching from the lowlands of Khuzestan and Ilam Province, as well as a small part of southern Iraq... king |
| (7) Buyuma | c. 961 | Bunuma-Addu (c. 1770) | 1st king of Nihrija/Nairi Nairi Nairi is an Armenian given name, it may also refer to:*Nairi, Armenian tribe.*Nairi , an informal synonym for Armenia, which in turn gave rise to a number of modern usages:*The town of Hatsik, Armavir was called Nairi from 1963 till 1991... |
| (8) Bulu Bulu Bulu may refer to:* Bulu , the underworld in the mythology of Fiji* The Bulu people of Cameroon* Bulu language, spoken by that peopleThere are 3 subdistricts of Central Java, Indonesia namely Bulu :... |
c. 1019 | Nabopolassar Nabopolassar Nabopolassar was the king of the Babylonia and played a key role in the demise of the Assyrian Empire following the death of the last powerful Assyrian king, Ashurbanipal... (626-605) |
1st Neo-Babylonian king Neo-Babylonian Empire The Neo-Babylonian Empire or Second Babylonian Empire was a period of Mesopotamian history which began in 626 BC and ended in 539 BC. During the preceding three centuries, Babylonia had been ruled by their fellow Akkadian speakers and northern neighbours, Assyria. Throughout that time Babylonia... |
| (9) Arku | c. 1035 | Assur-uballit II (612-609) | Last king of Assyria |
| (10) Shu Shu Shu may refer to:*Shū ** , Japanese Kanji.*Shu * 蜀 , an abbreviation of Sichuan province of the People's Republic of China, as well as the following historical regimes that have existed in this region:... |
c. 1077 | Sammuramat (810-807) | Regent during the infancy of Adad-nirari III Adad-nirari III Adad-nirari III was King of Assyria from 811 to 783 BC. He was the son and successor of Shamshi-Adad V, and was apparently quite young at the time of his accession, because for the first five years of his reign his mother Shammuramat acted as regent, which may have given rise to the legend of... (810-783) |
| Unknown | ? | ? | |
| Kak.r.ah | . | . | Local king c. 870 CE |
| Unknown | ? | ? | |
| (11) Abd al-Jalil/Selma | c. 1081 | First Duguwa king (1064-1068) | First Muslim ruler of Kanem |
| Hume or Hummay | 1068–1080 |
| Dunama I ibn Hummay | 1080–1133 |
| Bir I Bir I of Kanem Sultan Biri Ibn Dunama was the son of Mai Dunama I, and Fasam from the Kayi ethnic group. Sultan Biri reigned as the king of Kanem, in the early stages of the Kanem EmpireHe was once constricted by his mother for executing a thief.... or Biri I |
1133–1160 |
| Abdallah I or Bikorom or Dala I | 1160–1176 |
| Salmama I or Abd al-Jalil | 1176–1203 |
| Dunama II 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 |
| Kaday I | 1242–1270 |
| Biri I or Kashim Biri | 1270–1290 |
| Ibrahim I | 1290–1310 |
| Abdallah II | 1310–1328 |
| Salmama II Salmama II of Kanem Selma Ibn Abdullahi was a king of Kanem. His reign was turbulent as the kingdom was under attack from the Sao groups of Southern lake Chad.... |
1328–1332 |
| Kuri Ghana Kuri I of Kanem Kure Gana Ibn Abdullahi was a king of Kanem. He was one of the four sons of Abdullahi who lost their lives during the battle with the southern ethnic groups of Lake Chad, sometimes called the Sao.... |
1332–1333 |
| Kuri Kura Kuri II of Kanem Kure Kura Ibn Abdullahi was a Mai of Kanem. He was killed in a battle with the Sao. He was one of the four sons of Abdullahi I killed in the Sao wars.... |
1334–1335 |
| Muhammad I | 1334–1335 |
| Idris I Nigalemi | 1335–1359 |
| Dawud Nigalemi Dawud of Kanem Daoud was the half brother of the 14th century Kanem emperor Idris I of Kanem. After the death of Idris, a struggle for the throne began. Daoud was chosen as Mai against his competitors, the sons of Idris. This left the sons dejected and bitter, due to which they waged war against Daoud and his... |
1359–1369 |
| Uthman I | 1369–1373 |
| Uthman II | 1373–1375 |
| Abu Bakr Liyatu | 1375–1376 |
| Umar I or Umar ibn Idris | 1376–1381 |
Sayfawa kings in Bornu
| Said | 1381–1382 |
| Kaday II | 1382–1383 |
| Bir III | 1383-1415 |
| Uthman III Kaliwama | 1415-1415 |
| Dunama III | 1415-1417 |
| Abdallah III Dakumuni | 1417-1425 |
| Ibrahim II | 1425-1433 |
| Kaday III | 1433-1434 |
| Ahmad Dunama IV | 1434-1438 |
| Muhammad II | 1438 |
| Amr | 1438-1439 |
| Muhammad III | 1439 |
| Ghazi or Ghaji | 1439-1444 |
| Uthman IV | 1444-1449 |
| Umar II | 1449-1450 |
| Muhammad IV | 1450-1455 |
| Ali Gazi Ali Gazi Ali Gazi was a ruler of the Bornu Empire. Prior to his reign, the Sefuwa ruling house had split into two ruling branches. The result was palace intrigues and internal strife... or Ali Ghajideni |
1455-1487 |
| Idris Katarkamabi | 1487-1509 |
| Muhammad V Aminami | 1509-1538 |
| Ali II of Bornu | 1538-1539 |
| Dunama V Ngumarsmma | 1539-1557 |
| Dala or Abd Allah | 1557-1564 |
| Aissa Kili | (legendary) |
| Idris III Alauma or Idris Alooma Idris Alooma Idris Alooma was mai of the Kanem-Bornu Empire, located mainly in Chad and Nigeria. His name is more properly written Idris Alawma or Idris Alauma. An outstanding statesman, under his rule Kanem-Bornu touched the zenith of its power.Idris is remembered for his military skills, administrative... |
1564-1596 |
| Muhammed VI Bukalmarami | 1596-1612 |
| Ibrahim III of Bornu | 1612-1619 |
| (Hadj) | 1619-1639 |
| Ali II | 1639-1677 |
| Idris IV of Bornu | 1677-1696 |
| Dunama VII | 1696-1715 |
| Hamdan (Hadj) | 1715-1729 |
| Muhammad VII of Bornu | 1729-1744 |
| Dunama VIII Gana | 1744-1447 |
| Ali III | 1747-1792 |
| Ahmad Ahmad (Kanem-Bornu king) Ahmad Alimi was the head of the kingdom of Bornu during the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century. During the later part of his reign, the Fula people within his kingdom followed the call of rebellion and Jihad being led in the west by Uthman Dan Fodio. Alimi was perplexed by the... |
1792-1808 |
| Dunama IX Lefiami Dunama IX Lefiami Dunama IX Lefiami was the leader of the Kanuri empire of Borno, located in what is now Niger, during the early nineteenth century. He was twice made ruler, first by his father and then by supporters loyal to him after he was deposed in 1809.-Life:... |
1808-1816 |
| Muhammad VIII | 1816-1820 |
| Ibrahim IV of Bornu Ibrahim IV of Bornu Ibrahim IV was a titled Mai of the Kanuri state of Bornu from 1820-1846. He was one of the last rulers from the Sefawa ruling dynasty.-Emerging opposition:... |
1820-1846 |
| Ali V Dalatumi | 1846 |
See also
- Chronology of the Sayfawa (Kanem-Bornu)Chronology of the Sefuwa (Kanem-Bornu)The Chronology of the Sefuwa concerns the rule of the Sefuwa dynasty first over Kanem, then over Kanem-Bornu and finally, since c. 1380, over Bornu alone. African historians presently use several conflicting chronologies for the history of Kanem-Bornu...
- Kanem EmpireKanem EmpireThe Kanem Empire was located in the present countries of Chad, Nigeria and Libya. At its height it encompassed an area covering not only much of Chad, but also parts of southern Libya , eastern Niger and north-eastern Nigeria...
- List of Sunni Muslim dynasties