The Sultanate or Kingdom of Bagirmi or Baghermi (french: Royaume du Baguirmi) was a
kingdom
Kingdom commonly refers to:
* A monarchy ruled by a king or queen
* Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy
Kingdom may also refer to:
Arts and media Television
* ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...
and
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
ic
sultan
Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...
ate southeast of
Lake Chad
Lake Chad (french: Lac Tchad) is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Central Africa, which has varied in size over the centuries. According to the ''Global Resource Information Database'' of the United Nations Environment Programme, ...
in
central Africa
Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, ...
. It was founded in either 1480 or 1522 and lasted until 1897, when it became a
French protectorate. Its capital was
Massenya
Massenya ( ar, ماسينيا) is a small town in Chad. It is the capital of the region of Chari-Baguirmi and of the department of Baguirmi.
Massenya was also the historical capital of the Kingdom of Baguirmi
The Sultanate or Kingdom of Bagi ...
, north of the
Chari River
The Chari River, or Shari River, is a long river, flowing in Central Africa. It is Lake Chad's main source of water.
Geography
The Chari River flows from the Central African Republic through Chad into Lake Chad, following the Cameroon border f ...
and close to the border to modern
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
. The kings wore the title ''Mbang''.
History
![Le Mbang Gaourang (à gauche) et le Kolak Doudmourrah](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Le_Mbang_Gaourang_%28%C3%A0_gauche%29_et_le_Kolak_Doudmourrah.jpg)
The
Bagirmi carried a tradition that they migrated from far to the east, which is supported by the resemblance of their language to various tribes on the
White Nile
The White Nile ( ar, النيل الأبيض ') is a river in Africa, one of the two main tributaries of the Nile, the other being the Blue Nile. The name comes from the clay sediment carried in the water that changes the water to a pale color. ...
. It is not entirely clear when or by whom the Bagirimi kingdom was founded: some king lists trace this event to 1480, when it was supposedly founded by Mbang Abd al-Mahmud Begli, while others deem Mbang Birni Besse responsible, who is said to have founded the kingdom in 1522. He seems to have displaced the earlier
Bulala
The Bilala or Bulala are a Muslim people that live around Lake Fitri, in the Batha Prefecture, in central Chad. The last Chadian census in 1993 stated that they numbered 136,629 people. Their language, Naba, is divided in four dialects and is a ...
, while he also began to build a palace in
Massenya
Massenya ( ar, ماسينيا) is a small town in Chad. It is the capital of the region of Chari-Baguirmi and of the department of Baguirmi.
Massenya was also the historical capital of the Kingdom of Baguirmi
The Sultanate or Kingdom of Bagi ...
, the capital of the state. The fourth king, Abdullah (1568–1608), adopted
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
and converted the state into a sultanate, permitting the state to extend their authority over many
pagan
Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
tribes in the area, including the area's Saras, Gaberi, Somrai, Gulla, Nduka, Nuba, and Sokoro. He and his successors continued to use the title "mbang" alongside that of "sultan".
The
Shari River
The Chari River, or Shari River, is a long river, flowing in Central Africa. It is Lake Chad's main source of water.
Geography
The Chari River flows from the Central African Republic through Chad into Lake Chad, following the Cameroon border f ...
formed the kingdom's western boundary, with most of its interior watered by its affluents. The area was home to a kind of
footworm
Hookworm infection is an infection by a type of intestinal parasite known as a hookworm. Initially, itching and a rash may occur at the site of infection. Those only affected by a few worms may show no symptoms. Those infected by many worms may ...
that mutilated many of the inhabitants. Bagirmi was also continually plagued by
drought
A drought is defined as drier than normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, an ...
,
pestilence, and
slave raiding
Slave raiding is a military raid for the purpose of capturing people and bringing them from the raid area to serve as slaves. Once seen as a normal part of warfare, it is nowadays widely considered a crime. Slave raiding has occurred since ant ...
both internally and externally organized. During the reign of
Idris Alooma
Idris Alooma, Idris ibn 'Ali (Alooma), or Idriss Alaoma, (r. 1570–1602/03 or 1580–1617) was Mai (king) of the Kanem-Bornu Empire, located mainly in Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria. His name is more properly written Idris Alawma or Idris Alau ...
, Bornu conquered Bagirmi. The Muslim Bagirmi would raid the pagan tribes of their own kingdom in order to pay the necessary tribute to Bornu. Except of slaves, including
eunuchs
A eunuch ( ) is a male who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function.
The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millennium ...
, Bagirmi also exported animal skins, ivory and cotton, while importing copper and cowrie shells. Trade with Bornu was carried out by
caravan
Caravan or caravans may refer to:
Transport and travel
*Caravan (travellers), a group of travellers journeying together
**Caravanserai, a place where a caravan could stop
*Camel train, a convoy using camels as pack animals
*Convoy, a group of veh ...
s along a route which extended north across the
Sahara
, photo = Sahara real color.jpg
, photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972
, map =
, map_image =
, location =
, country =
, country1 =
, ...
to
Tripoli
Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to:
Cities and other geographic units Greece
*Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
on the
Libyan coast. During the reign of Mbang Muhammad al-Amin (r. 1751–1785) Bagirmi became independent again, although the tributary status remained.
Early in the 19th century, Bagirmi fell into decay and was threatened by the
Sultanate of Wadai. It was finally annexed in 1871. It came to
European
European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
attention following the visits of
Dixon Denham
Dixon Denham (1 January 17869 June 1828) was an English soldier, explorer of West Central Africa, and ultimately Governor of Sierra Leone.
Early life
Dixon Denham was born at Salisbury Square, Fleet Street, London on New Year's Day, 1786, the s ...
(1823),
Heinrich Barth
Johann Heinrich Barth (; ; 16 February 1821 – 25 November 1865) was a German explorer of Africa and scholar.
Barth is thought to be one of the greatest of the European explorers of Africa, as his scholarly preparation, ability to speak and wri ...
(1852),
Gustav Nachtigal
Gustav Nachtigal (; born 23 February 1834 – 20 April 1885) was a German military surgeon and explorer of Central and West Africa. He is further known as the German Empire's consul-general for Tunisia and Commissioner for West Africa. His missio ...
(1872), and
Matteucci and
Massari
Sari Abboud ( ar, ساري عبّود; born December 10, 1980), better known by his stage name Massari ( ), is a Lebanese Canadian R&B pop recording artist. His music combines Middle Eastern culture with western culture. He started his musical c ...
(1881). When
Rabih az-Zubayr
Rabih az-Zubayr ibn Fadl Allah or Rabih Fadlallah ( ar, رابح فضل الله ,رابح الزبير ابن فضل الله), usually known as Rabah in French (c. 1842 – April 22, 1900), was a Sudanese warlord and slave trader who establish ...
's forces burned Massenya in 1893, the 25th sultan,
Abd ar Rahman Gaourang, moved his government to Chekna. During the
Scramble for Africa
The Scramble for Africa, also called the Partition of Africa, or Conquest of Africa, was the invasion, annexation, division, and colonisation of Africa, colonization of most of Africa by seven Western Europe, Western European powers during a ...
, the
Third French Republic
The French Third Republic (french: Troisième République, sometimes written as ) was the system of government adopted in France from 4 September 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 1940 ...
became interested in connecting its possessions across the breadth of Africa, permitting a
Dakar
Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 3.94 million in 2 ...
–
Djibouti
Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...
railway. Rabih killed
Paul Crampel
Paul Crampel (17 November 1864 – 9 April 1891) was a French explorer who explored Africa in the areas of present-day Gabon and Chad. He was killed while on an expedition to Lake Chad.
Biography
Crampel was born in Nancy.
After finishing ...
, the leader of the first French expedition through the area but
Emile Gentil
Emil or Emile may refer to:
Literature
*''Emile, or On Education'' (1762), a treatise on education by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
*Émile (novel), ''Émile'' (novel) (1827), an autobiographical novel based on Émile de Girardin's early life
*''Emil an ...
secured a
protectorate
A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over m ...
over Bagirmi from its sultan in 1897. French ambitions in the Sudan were blocked following the
Fashoda Crisis
The Fashoda Incident, also known as the Fashoda Crisis ( French: ''Crise de Fachoda''), was an international incident and the climax of imperialist territorial disputes between Britain and France in East Africa, occurring in 1898. A French exp ...
the next year, and their authority over the Bagirmi itself was not secured until after the death of Rabih and his sons in 1901. Towns grew up around the French
Fort Lamy
N'Djamena ( ) is the capital and largest city of Chad. It is also a special statute region, divided into 10 districts or ''arrondissements''.
The city serves as the centre of economic activity in Chad. Meat, fish and cotton processing are th ...
at the confluence of the
Logone and Shari and
Fort de Cointet on the middle Shari. The population of the district was reckoned as 100,000 in 1903 and, by the time of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, most of its trade was being conducted with
Khartoum
Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...
in
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
through the
Wadai Empire
The Wadai Sultanate ( ar, سلطنة وداي ''Saltanat Waday'', french: royaume du Ouaddaï, Fur: ''Burgu'' or ''Birgu''; 1501–1912) was an African sultanate located to the east of Lake Chad in present-day Chad and the Central African Repub ...
and with
Yola in
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
along the
Benue.
Legacy
The
Baguirmi language is still spoken today, with 44,761 speakers , primarily in the
Chari-Baguirmi Region
Chari-Baguirmi ( ar, شاري باقرمي) is one of the 23 regions of Chad. Its capital is Massenya. It is composed of part of the former Chari-Baguirmi Prefecture ( sub-prefectures of Massenya and Bousso) and parts of the sub-prefecture of N' ...
. The empire now exists as an informal entity in the
Baguirmi Department Baguirmi ( ar, باقرمي) is a department of Chad, one of three in the Chari-Baguirmi Region. It takes its name from the kingdom of Baguirmi. Its capital is Massenya.
Geography
The surface of the department, which lies about above sea-level, ...
, with its capital at Massenya. Its rulers continue to bear the title "
Mbang".
See also
*
Rulers of Bagirmi
*
History of Chad
Chad ( ar, تشاد ; french: Tchad), officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, a ...
Notes
References
*
*
*
Further reading
*
*
* .
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bagirmi, Sultanate
History of Chad
Muslim empires
Countries in precolonial Africa
History of Central Africa
Sultanates
Bornu Empire
French Equatorial Africa
16th century in Africa
17th century in Africa
Former countries
Former sultanates