- Ibn Furtu
Ahmad b. Furtu or Ibn Furtu (sometimes also called Ibn Fartuwa) lived in the
sixteenth century . He was the grandImam of the Bornu Empire and the chronicler of "Mai"Idris Aluma (1564-1596).He wrote two chronicles in Arabic, "K. ghazawat Barnu" ("The Book of the Bornu Wars") in 1576 and "K. ghazawat Kanei" ("The Book of the Kanem Wars") in 1578. The first book describes in geographical order the military expeditions of "Mai" Idris Aluma: 1. against the Sao-Gafata in the region of the
Komadugu Yobe ; 2. against the town of Amsaka south ofLake Chad ; 3. against the town ofKano west of Bornu; 4. against theTuareg of Aïr; 5. against theMargi and againstMandara south of Lake Chad; 6. against theNgizim west of Bornu and 7. against the Sao-Tatala at the edge of Lake Chad and against some towns of theKotoko . Except a few details on the military achievements of the five predecessors of Idris Aluma he focusses his attention on the expeditions of his Sultan during the first twelve years of his reign. The book on the Kanem wars deals with seven consecutive expeditions against the Bulala from ca. 1573 to 1578. Information on earlier events at the beginning and the end of the book concern the destruction of the national relic calledMune byDunama Dabbalemi (1203-1242), the expulsion of the Sayfawa from Kanem by theBulala and the temporary reoccupation of the ancient capital of KanemNjimi byIdris Katakarmabe (1487-1509). Some classical poems and quotations from lexicographical books bear witness of the solid education of the author. His somewhat contrived style is characterized by its archaism.Bibliography
*Lange, Dierk: "A Sudanic Chronicle: The Borno Expeditions of Idris Alauma (1564-1576)", Stuttgart 1987.
* Palmer, Herbert, R.: "The Kanem wars", in: "Sudanese Memoirs"', vol. I, p. 15-81.External links
*Norris, Harry: [http://dierklange.com/pdf/reviews/sudancronicle/Chronicle-1-Norris-review.pdf "Review of 'The Borno Expeditions of Idris Alauma (1564-1576)"'] , in: "Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies", 52 (1989), 554-5.
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