Shehu of Bornu
Encyclopedia
The Borno Emirate or Borno Sultanate is a traditional Nigerian state formed at the start of the 20th century. It is headed by descendants of the rulers of the Bornu Empire
, founded before 1000 CE.
The rulers have the title Shehu of Borno (var. Shehu of Bornu, Sultan of Borno/u). The traditional Emirate of Borno maintains a ceremonial rule of the Kanuri people, based in Maiduguri
, Borno State
, Nigeria, but acknowledged by the 4 million Kanuri in neighboring countries.
The current ruling line, the al-Kanemi dynasty, dates to the accession of Muhammad al-Amin al-Kanemi
in the early 19th century, displacing the Sayfawa dynasty
which had ruled from around 1300 CE.
.
After the French, then expanding in West Africa, defeated and killed Rabih they installed Shehu Sanda Kura, a member of the old Bornu dynasty, as the first Shehu of Borno in Dikwa in 1900. In 1901 they replaced him by his brother Umar Abubakar Garbai, ancestor of the current Emirs of Borno. Based on a treaty between the French, Germans and British, the old Bornu was split up and Dikwa became part of the German colony of Cameroon. The British invited Umar Abubakar Garbai to become ruler of the British portion, and he moved in 1902 first to Monguno
and later to Maiduguri
.
Later Dikwa was transferred to the British, resulting in two Shehus, the Shehu of Borno based at Maidgurui and the Shehu of Dikwa
based at Dikwa
.
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...
, founded before 1000 CE.
The rulers have the title Shehu of Borno (var. Shehu of Bornu, Sultan of Borno/u). The traditional Emirate of Borno maintains a ceremonial rule of the Kanuri people, based in Maiduguri
Maiduguri
Maiduguri, also fondly called Yerwa by its locals, is the capital and the largest city of Borno State in north-eastern Nigeria. The city sits along the seasonal Ngadda River which disappears into the Firki swamps in the areas around Lake Chad...
, Borno State
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...
, Nigeria, but acknowledged by the 4 million Kanuri in neighboring countries.
The current ruling line, the al-Kanemi dynasty, dates to the accession of Muhammad al-Amin al-Kanemi
Muhammad al-Amin al-Kanemi
Shehu al-Hajj Muhammad al-Amîn ibn Muhammad al-Kânemî was an Islamic scholar, teacher, religious and political leader who advised and eventually supplanted the Sayfawa dynasty of the Kanem-Bornu Empire. In 1846, Al-Kanemi's son Umar I ibn Muhammad al-Amin became the sole ruler of Borno, an event...
in the early 19th century, displacing 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 ....
which had ruled from around 1300 CE.
History
The old Bornu Empire, weakened by the Fulani jihad, collapsed in 1893 when the Shuwa Arab Rabeh Zubayr ibn Fadl Allah seized power and transferred the capital to DikwaDikwa
-History of Dikwa:Dikwa used to be part of the kingdom of Borno before being captured by Rabih in 1893. The latter had the place fortified and Dikwa became the capital of his kingdom from 1893 to 1900.In 1900, the French defeated Rabih and captured Dikwa...
.
After the French, then expanding in West Africa, defeated and killed Rabih they installed Shehu Sanda Kura, a member of the old Bornu dynasty, as the first Shehu of Borno in Dikwa in 1900. In 1901 they replaced him by his brother Umar Abubakar Garbai, ancestor of the current Emirs of Borno. Based on a treaty between the French, Germans and British, the old Bornu was split up and Dikwa became part of the German colony of Cameroon. The British invited Umar Abubakar Garbai to become ruler of the British portion, and he moved in 1902 first to Monguno
Monguno
Monguno is a Local Government Area of Borno State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Monguno.It has an area of 1,913 km² and a population of 109,851 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 612....
and later to Maiduguri
Maiduguri
Maiduguri, also fondly called Yerwa by its locals, is the capital and the largest city of Borno State in north-eastern Nigeria. The city sits along the seasonal Ngadda River which disappears into the Firki swamps in the areas around Lake Chad...
.
Later Dikwa was transferred to the British, resulting in two Shehus, the Shehu of Borno based at Maidgurui and the Shehu of Dikwa
Dikwa Emirate
The Dikwa Emirate is one of the successor states to the old Bornu Empire, a traditional state within Borno State, Nigeria. It was established in 1901 at the start of the colonial period after the Bornu empire had been partitioned between the British, French and Germans.-History:The old Bornu...
based at Dikwa
Dikwa
-History of Dikwa:Dikwa used to be part of the kingdom of Borno before being captured by Rabih in 1893. The latter had the place fortified and Dikwa became the capital of his kingdom from 1893 to 1900.In 1900, the French defeated Rabih and captured Dikwa...
.
Rulers
Rulers of the Borno Emirate, with the title of "Shehu":| Start | End | Ruler |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 1901 | Sanda Kura |
| 1901 | 1922 | Umar Abubakar Garbai ibn Ibrahim |
| 1922 | 1937 | Umar II ibn Ibrahim Bukarmi (b. c.1842 – d. 1937) |
| 1937 | January 1968 | Umar III ibn Muhammad al-Amin Kiyari |
| March 1968 | September 1974 | Umar Ibn Abubakar Garbai (d. 1974) |
| September 1974 | February 2009 | Alhaji Mustapha Ibn Umar Kyari Amin El-Kanemi (b. 1924 d. 21 February 2009) |
| February 2009 | Alhaji Umar Garbai Abba Kyari (b. 13 May 1957) |