Omar I of Kanem
| Omar I | |
|---|---|
| Mai of the Kanem–Bornu Empire | |
| Reign | 1376–1387 |
| Predecessor | Dunama III |
| Successor | Sa'id |
| Issue | Dunama IV Abdullah III Dakumuni |
| Dynasty | Sayfawa dynasty |
| Father | Idris I |
Omar I (ʿUmar bin Idrīs[1]), sometimes called Omar Idrismi,[2] was the mai of the Kanem–Bornu Empire in 1376–1387.[1] Omar transferred the seat of the empire away from Kanem (east of Lake Chad) due to conflict with the Bilala people, and settled in the region of Bornu (west of Lake Chad), a move some scholars consider to mark the transition from the earlier Kanem Empire to the later Bornu Empire.
Life
[edit]Omar was a son of Idris I (r. 1329–1353).[3] Omar succeeded Dunama III, his first cousin once removed,[3] as mai in 1376.[1] By the end of the 14th century, internal struggles and external attacks had torn Kanem apart.[4] Since the death of Abdullah II in 1322, ten mais had reigned in a period of 54 years.[1] Most of them had been killed in conflict with the empire's enemies, first in wars against the Sao people south of Lake Chad and then in wars against the Bilala people, who were invading the empire from the east.[5] This proliferation of mais resulted in numerous claimants to the throne and led to a series of internecine wars.[4]
In about 1380, the Bilala captured Njimi, the Kanem–Bornu capital, and forced Omar to leave Kanem.[6] Omar relocated to the region of Bornu, west of Lake Chad, a former tributary territory.[7] The initial new site of the court was the town of Kagha, a notorious refuge for claimants in Kanem–Bornu civil wars, where one went to regain their strength.[5] The empire would lack a formal capital for some time, with the court of the mai constantly moving from one site to another.[8]
Omar was succeeded as mai by Sa'id,[1] who was either his brother[1][3] or a usurper.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Bosworth, Clifford Edmund (2012) [1996]. The New Islamic Dynasties: A Chronological and Genealogical Manual. Edinburgh University Press. p. 126. ISBN 0-7486-2137-7.
- ^ Brenner, Louis (1973). The Shehus of Kukawa: a history of the Al-Kanemi dynasty of Bornu. Clarendon Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-19-821681-0.
- ^ a b c Cohen, Ronald (1966). "The Bornu King Lists". Boston University Papers on Africa: Volume II: African History. Boston University Press. pp. 80–81.
- ^ a b Kessler, P L. "Kingdoms of Central Africa - Chad". www.historyfiles.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-11-10.
- ^ a b c Barth, Heinrich (1857). Travels and Discoveries in North and Central Africa: Being a Journal of an Expedition Undertaken... 1849-1855. Longmans. pp. 638–640.
- ^ Lange, Dierk (2012). "Dunama Dibbalemi". Dictionary of African Biography. Oxford University Press. p. 262. ISBN 978-0-19-538207-5.
- ^ Ofori-Amoah, Benjamin (2020). Africa's Geography: Dynamics of Place, Cultures, and Economies. Oxford University Press. p. 29. ISBN 978-0-470-58358-6.
- ^ Magnavita, Carlos; Adebayo, Olusegun; Höhn, Alexa; Ishaya, Daniel; Kahlheber, Stefanie; Linseele, Veerle; Ogunseyin, Sunday (2009). "Garu Kime: A Late Borno Fired-Brick Site at Monguno, NE Nigeria". The African Archaeological Review. 26 (3): 223. ISSN 0263-0338.