Talk:Kanem–Bornu Empire

Summary of Kanem Bornu

Kanem Bornu was an ancient civilization centered on lake Chad. Its genesis is a classical nomad-sedentary event. In the seventh century nomadic warriors subjugated stable farming communities and set themselves up as rulers. This initial consolidation of towns and villages grew increasingly cohesive with time. Taxes were levied, international relations were established and urban centers grew in importance. Eventually, the ruling dynasty relinquished it's nomadic traditions and established a permanent capital, Njimi. By the thirteenth century, the kingdom of Kanem was effectively an empire. It stretched from the Fezzan in modern day Libya all the way to Bornu in the south of lake Chad (Nigeria). The economy was diverse and although many people mistakenly assert that it was based on slave trading, it was actually based on agriculture. Rice, millet, salt, fish-products and much more was constantly circulating in large volumes into, out of and within this vast empire. In addition, the state exported perfume, wax, garments, cotton, kola nuts, ivory and ostrich feathers. The trading partners were the Hausa city states, North Africans, and adjacent kingdoms. Natron was mined in the Air region and tariffs on imports and exports was an extremely important source of income for the state. Administratively, the empire was divided into twelve provinces, each with its provincial capital. Kanem Bornu's foreign policy was significantly shaped by a need to control the important trading routes and thus tax the movement of goods. The state religion was Islam but the monarchy still practiced a very typically African divine kingship.

In the fourteenth century, the Bilala province rebelled. This rebellion gained in momentum when it was joined by nomadic Arab warriors. In the meantime, the Kanem monarchy was experiencing a crisis of legitimacy. Countless princes were constantly competing for the throne, plotting and dethroning one another. This seriously weakened the empire and the Bilala troupes overwhelmed a capital already in chaos. This precipitated the great exodus of Kanem history. Huge masses of people from the metropolitan province of Kanem fled to the outlying province of Bornu. Bornu was more fertile then Kanem, further from the belligerent Bilala and closer to important markets of Western Africa. Thus began the second kingdom, Kanem became Kanem-Bornu.

In Kanem Bornu an impressive capital was built, Ngazargamu. A time of reconsolidation occurred as the monarchy was put back in order. More wars ensued, this time against the indigenous Sao who lived in walled city states. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Kanem Bornu experienced its second apex. The empire became the most powerful in Africa. It stretched from the Hausa city states in the West to the Nile valley in the East. A part of the Nile valley, however was only held for a short amount of time, but Darfur (in Sudan) was solidly secured as a vassal state. In the person of Idris Alaoma, the empire found a gem of a leader. Emperor Alaoma reformed the economy of the empire, established a common currency and regularized the commercial weighing scales. He modernized the national fleets to make rivers common and efficient modes of transportation of commodities. He criticized ancient Sudanic traditions that contradicted Islam such as divine kingship and imposed Islamic sharia in the court systems. He was also a tireless warrior who expanded the reigns of the empire to the extreme. Kanem Bornu rivaled Timbuktu's famed universities as it became a center of scholarship which attracted students from all directions.

The seventeenth century was the second, and last, era of apogee in the history of Kanem Bornu. It was followed, in the eighteenth century, by a drought that lasted for over thirty years. This practically broke the backbone of the economy and the military. This was coupled by constant Touareg raids on the important Northern fringes of the empire. This mining territory was eventually lost to these desert nomads. Rebellions ensued in the Eastern provinces who had opened up new routes to North Africa and thus gravitated Kanem's trade caravans into their realm. Moreover, the Ottoman empire had imposed a policy upon its Arab provinces in which trade with the Sudan was discouraged in an effort to promote Turkish products. Kanem Bornu thus found itself economically suffocated from the North, drained from the East, maimed by the Tuaregs in the mining North, exhausted by a 37 year drought and militarily challenged from within and without. The most shattering blow however, came from the West. In 1804, Usman Dan Fodio, a Sufi mystic, intellectual and religious leader, had started a revolution. He had launched a social revolt which culminated in the invasion of Hausa land to eventually form the most powerful empire of 19th century Africa. Altogether, the Sokoto empire (as it was known) contained well over fifteen city states and approximately ten million inhabitants. Kanem Bornu wasn't spared from Sokoto's expansionism. Unlike all of the Hausa city states that swiftly succumbed to Dan Fodio, Kanem Bornu led a strong resistance, but despite its best efforts, half of the empire was conquered, and the capital sacked. The emperor regained most of his land with the help of a cleric-warrior, but the glory that was Kanem Bornu was no more.

Eventually, this cleric-warrior gained more power and dethroned the rightful king thus ending approximately one thousand years of rule from the Saifuwa dynasty. His descendents ruled what remained of Kanem and suffered many military setbacks from Wadai and Baguirmi. A Sudanese military leader by the name of Rabih invaded Kanem Bornu which was by then, just a weak remnant of a far more glorious and ancient self. The last flame was extinguished by the French when they conquered Kanem-Bornu in the beginning of the twentieth century.

The end.

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The nomadic hypothesis is now outdated. It has been been suggested by authors like Palmer, Urvoy, and A. Smith. In the German version you can find a summary of my views. Here I only corrected the first paragraph (origin). At present I have unfortunatelly no time to do any more. Dierk Lange, 18/11/06.

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The preceding text was placed here by an anonymous editor on 13 November 2005. I checked a few phrases from it in Google, and if it's copyvio, it's not from the internet. Does anyone recognize it? It's unsourced, so I'm reluctant to merge into the real article. Any other opinions? --Amcaja 15:03, 13 November 2005 (UTC)

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Hello Mr. Smithson, I'm the one who put the text up. I'm swamped with work now and I'll have exams pretty soon. I will however do my best to have the sources up within a month. They're a mixture of books and internet. Good day

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The current article is certainly better than the one pasted above, but is inaccurate with regard to the 19th c. Bornu was not in fact conquered by the Sokoto Caliphate nor was it incorportated into Wadai. While severely weakened by wars with Sokoto Bornu remained independent until conquered by Rabih in 1891. - John

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it is true the article is unsourced but more accurate and in line with the information available, specially in Arabic.i honestly urge you to revisit the original article specially about the origin of the Empire.

Why the split

I'm sure this is digging up old dirt, but why was this article split? I can guess the reasoning, but is there a link to the debate which established consensus? It's just strange as most sources, and other language Wikipedias, use this as the name of the Sayfawa state, with Kanem and Bornu (amongst others) as constituent elements added and lost over time. The division seems artificial (is it based on modern nationalisms?) at first blush, but I don't want to alter an established consensus. T L Miles (talk) 16:29, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Take off the Northern Nigeria flag?

I think it's silly to put a colonial flag up on this page. What do you think?

Content split proposed

See WP:CONSPLIT. Articles for both Kanem Empire and Bornu Empire already exist. Content should be moved to these articles. Kanem-Bornu Empire is an artificial term used by historians.

This is mostly analogous case with artificial terms like Angevin Empire and Byzantine Empire, which have been created by historians. It would be reasonable to have a disambiguation page to link to the Kanem Empire and the Bornu Empire. Ceosad (talk) 22:36, 5 March 2015 (UTC)

This article actually seems to be a case of WP:REDUNDANTFORK. Ceosad (talk) 15:07, 6 March 2015 (UTC)

I have changed my mind about the split. This one should be the only article in existance. I shall bring this issue of three separate articles for an articles for deletion proposition in the near future. Ceosad (talk) 18:21, 25 July 2015 (UTC)

Ceosad I have suggested a MERGE in this direction, the article history of Kanem–Bornu Empire being the oldest, and its breadth of discussion of the topic includes continuity in both directions, i can do copy-editing and merge these articles over the next few days..

I think we should have no QUALMS using artificial terminology invented by historians, for although the term was invented, the concept of continuity they convey are not fiction, consider the Graeco-Roman civilization: one might argue that Greek culture and Roman culture are distinct and separate, though that may be the case, yes it is true, but the "Mediterranean world" has passed from a predominantly Greek influence towards Roman hegemony almost imperceptibly, owing to the fact that Greek ideas and way of life started from that secluded peninsula near Asia but Magna Graecia grew to expand in all directions and began to shape the ideals of the nascent Etruscan Empire and their vassals, what would become the Citizens and City of Rome, which in later centuries would succeed in the continuity of this tradition and further spread it, with more rigor, over a wider area along the Mediterranean basin; this goes to show that Roman republicanism grew out of Greek ideals of democracy and Roman sphere of influence grew in no small part because the weak and fragmented Magna Graecia was receptive to its organizing power, and i can say that something similar happened to what we now call the Kanem–Bornu Empire continuity.. this i will establish as i conduct the merge carefully —-— .:nimbosa:. (talk • contribs) 10:25, 19 April 2016 (UTC)

@Nimbosa: I also agree with the merge proposal. Given the consensus, and your expertise, might you be in a position to complete the merge? Klbrain (talk) 22:18, 23 February 2018 (UTC)

 Done Klbrain (talk) 12:43, 10 March 2018 (UTC)

@Klbrain: Thanks! i forgot about this merge, actually, real life got me busy.. ;) ..I will try to review these changes —-— .:nimbosa:. (talk • contribs) 02:00, 12 May 2018 (UTC)

Copyright problem removed

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The origins of Kanem

There is a huge issue on the origins of Kanem in this article. In fact, one scholar, Dierk Lange, proposed a diffusionnist theory since the mid-1990s. He states that Kanem was founded by assyrians. This theory, that reminds the theories dating from colonial period, is supported only by him and, if it surely deserves a mention in the page, it shouldn't be presented as positively as it is in the present version of the article. I anonymously proposed a revised version in this sense, and updated the bibliography, but these changes have been erased. RDewiere (talk) 17:40, 20 March 2019 (UTC)

Discuss the activities of the great ruler's of the bornu empire

The activities of the great ruler of borno empire because I don't know the book The like the information about it I want to know what is like I want to know why it seems like the great ruler of the Bornu empire and all that since I want to know is that hide likes to like go to the barn empires for like no history and do you know that history is my best subject I want to know more about it I want to know more about the bornu empire thank you that is all I have to say about borno empire thank you very much their appreciation 102.89.46.180 (talk) 19:51, 2 June 2022 (UTC)