Umar of Borno
Encyclopedia
Umar I ibn Muhammad al-Amin or Umar of Borno (died 1881) was Shehu (Sheik) of the Kanem-Bornu Empire
and son of Muhammad al-Amin al-Kanemi
.
). Umar ruled from 1837 until November 1853 when he was deposed by his brother `Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muhammad al-Amin
who became Shehu. The latter only reigned until 1854 when Umar reconquered his throne.
Umar ruled as Shehu for a second time from September 1854 to 1880. Borno began to decline, as a result of administrative disorganization, regional particularism, and attacks by the militant Ouaddai Empire to the east. The decline continued under Umar's sons, and in 1893 Rabih az-Zubayr
, leading an invading army from eastern Sudan
, conquered Borno.
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...
and son 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...
.
Reign of Umar
Umar came to power at the death of his father in 1837. Umar did not match his father's vitality and gradually allowed the kingdom to be ruled by advisers (wazirsVizier
A vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....
). Umar ruled from 1837 until November 1853 when he was deposed by his brother `Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muhammad al-Amin
`Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muhammad al-Amin
`Abd ar-Rahman, Abdurrahman or Darman was Shehu of Borno from 1853 to 1854.-Reign of `Abd ar-Rahman:With the help of some courtiers of Kukawa, `Abd ar-Rahman deposed his brother Umar in November 1853 and became Shehu of Borno...
who became Shehu. The latter only reigned until 1854 when Umar reconquered his throne.
Umar ruled as Shehu for a second time from September 1854 to 1880. Borno began to decline, as a result of administrative disorganization, regional particularism, and attacks by the militant Ouaddai Empire to the east. The decline continued under Umar's sons, and in 1893 Rabih az-Zubayr
Rabih az-Zubayr
Rabih az-Zubayr ibn Fadl Allah or Rabih Fadlallah , usually known as Rabah in French, was a Sudanese warlord and slave trader who established a powerful empire west of Lake Chad, in today's Chad....
, leading an invading army from eastern Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, conquered Borno.