Biri I Uthman

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Biri I Uthman
Mai of the Kanem–Bornu Empire
Reign12th century (26–27 years)
c. 1151–1177[a]
PredecessorDunama I Umemi
SuccessorAbdullah I Bikur
RegentFasama
Diedc. 1177
"Ghamtilú"
SpouseZainab
IssueAbdullah I Bikur
Bitku
DynastySayfawa dynasty
FatherDunama I Umemi
MotherFasama

Biri I (Biri bin Dunama), also recorded as Uthman Biri (ʿUthmān Biri bin Dunama),[1][b] was mai (ruler) of the Kanem–Bornu Empire in the mid-to-late 12th century, ruling approximately 1151–1177.[a]

Life

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Biri was a son of mai Dunama I Umemi.[2] His mother was named Fasama[2] and hailed from the Kay (Koyam) tribe of Dirkou.[6][7] Biri succeeded his father as mai after Dunama was killed on a pilgrimage while in Egypt.[8] Biri was, at least in his early reign, completely under the influence of his mother Fasama, who governed the empire as regent.[8] As regent, Fasama's power apparently eclipsed Biri's own; the girgam (the royal chronicle of the empire) records an incident when Biri had a thief executed, violating Islamic law. As punishment for this, Fasama had Biri imprisoned for an entire year.[6]

Biri eventually came into his own as a ruler and was remembered in later tradition as a very learned ruler,[8] though "weak in his conduct of the government".[9] Biri ruled for 26–27 years.[a] The site of his death is recorded as Ghamtilú,[8] or variations thereof (Ghamtilú Bela Ghanna,[8] Gamtilo Jilarge,[9] "Jilargen in the land of Gamtilo"[3]). Biri was succeeded as mai by his son Abdullah I Bikur.[2]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c King lists (girgams) and chronicles translated in the 19th–20th centuries assign Biri a reign of either 26 years (Palmer, Urvoy) or 27 years (Barth, Nachtigal, Landeroin).[2] Due to this and to differing dates and calculations for other mais, various dates have been given for his reign, including 1151–1176 (Barth), 1151–1177 (Palmer), 1150–1176 (Urvoy), 1148–1175 (Landeroin), and 1205–1232 (Nachtigal).[2] Cohen (1966) considered a reign of 27 years most likely.[2] Lange (1984) dated Biri's reign to 1140–1166[4] and Stewart (1989) dated it to 1150–1176.[5] Bosworth (2012) assigned a shorter reign to Biri than other authors, dating his reign to 1151–1174 (23 years).[1]
  2. ^ Bosworth (2012) uses Uthman Biri;[1] most sources record him as just Biri.[2] He is also incorrectly recorded as Dala (a name used in some sources for several mais named Abdullah).[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Bosworth, Clifford Edmund (2012) [1996]. The New Islamic Dynasties: A Chronological and Genealogical Manual. Edinburgh University Press. p. 126. ISBN 0-7486-2137-7.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Cohen, Ronald (1966). "The Bornu King Lists". Boston University Papers on Africa: Volume II: African History. Boston University Press. pp. 51, 56, 61, 80.
  3. ^ a b Palmer, H. R. (1912). "The Bornu Girgam". Journal of the Royal African Society. 12 (45): 74–75. ISSN 0368-4016. JSTOR 716085.
  4. ^ Lange, Dierk (1984). "The kingdoms and peoples of Chad". In Niane, Djibril Tamsir (ed.). General history of Africa, IV: Africa from the twelfth to the sixteenth century. University of California. p. 261. ISBN 978-92-3-101710-0.
  5. ^ Stewart, John (1989). African States and Rulers: An Encyclopedia of Native, Colonial and Independent States and Rulers Past and Present. McFarland & Company. p. 146.
  6. ^ a b Lange, Dierk (1977). Le dīwān des sultans du (Kānem-)Bornū: chronologie et histoire d'un royaume africain (de la fin du Xe siècle jusqu'à 1808) (in French). F. Steiner. pp. 68–70. ISBN 978-3-515-02392-4.
  7. ^ Lange, Dierk (1984). "The kingdoms and peoples of Chad". In Niane, Djibril Tamsir (ed.). General history of Africa, IV: Africa from the twelfth to the sixteenth century. University of California. p. 244. ISBN 978-92-3-101710-0.
  8. ^ a b c d e Barth, Heinrich (1857). Travels and Discoveries in North and Central Africa: Being a Journal of an Expedition Undertaken under the Auspices of H.B.M.'s Government, in the Years 1849–1855. Longmans. p. 635.
  9. ^ a b Palmer, H. R. (1926). History Of The First Twelve Years Of The Reign Of Mai Idris Alooma Of Bornu (1571–1583) (Fartua, Ahmed Ibn). pp. 110–111.