Ibn Furtu

Ahmad b. Furtu shortly Ibn Furtu (sometimes also Ibn Fartuwa ) lived in the 16th century and was Grand Imam and chronicler of the state of Bornu west of Lake Chad. As such, he resided in the capital Birni Gazargamo.

He wrote two chronicles in Arabic, 1576 K. ghazawat Bornu (Book of the military campaigns of Bornu ) and 1578 K. ghazawat Kanem (Book of the military campaigns of Kanem ). The first describes by geographical arrangement of the campaigns of Sultan Idris Alauma (1564-1596): 1 against the Sao Gafata in the area of ​​Komadugu Yobe; 2 against the city Amsaka south of Lake Chad; 3 against the city of Kano west of Bornu; 4 against the Tuareg of the Air; 5 against the Margi and against Mandara south of Lake Chad; 6 against the Ngizim west of Bornu and 7 against the Sao Tatala on the edge of Lake Chad and against some Kotoko cities. With the exception of a few references to the war exploits of five predecessors, Ibn Idris Alaumas Furtu limited to the representation of the Army trains for the first twelve years of his own sultan. The Kanem - book, which represents seven consecutive lines of his army against the Sultan by Kanem Bulala is limited in time to four or five years. Information on older events at the beginning and end of the book concern the destruction of pre-Islamic National Shrine Mune by Dunama Dibalemi (1203-1242), the expulsion of the Sefuwa of Kanem by the Bulala and temporary reoccupation Njimis, the ancient capital Kanems by Idris Katakarmabe ( 1487-1509 ). Some classic poems and quotes from lexicographical books testify to solid training of the author. His style is often geschnörkelt and falls through its archaism on.

Bibliography

• Dierk Lange: A Sudanic Chronicle: The Borno Expeditions of Idris Alauma (1564-1576), Stuttgart 1987.
• Herbert R. Palmer: The Kanem wars. In: Sudanese Memoirs. Volume I, pp. 15-81.