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Mai Idris Alooma, originally named Idris ibn Ali, served as the Mai (ruler) of the Kanem-Bornu Empire from 1571 to around 1602-1603. The Kanem-Bornu Empire was situated primarily in the regions of Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and Nigeria.
Idris’s mother, Amsa Aliram, is believed to have been the daughter of a previous Mai from the Bulala people. Idris faced significant challenges to ensure his survival during the reigns of Dunama (1539-1557), who succeeded his father, Mai Ali (Idris’s father), due to the lack of adult male heirs, and Abdullahi (1557-1564), Dunama’s son who followed him as Mai.
Idris lost his father, Mai Ali ibn Idris Katagarmabe (1538-1539), when he was just an infant. He was raised by Magira Aisa Kili N’girmaramma, who served as the Queen Mother. To protect his existence from the ruling Mais, Aisa constructed a brick palace for him near the River Yo in Gambaru (modern-day Yunusari). This palace was situated away from Bornu’s capital, N’gazargamu.
Mai Idris Alooma is remembered for his exceptional military skills, administrative reforms, and deep commitment to Islam. Most of his accomplishments are known through the chronicles of his chronicler, Ahmad bin Fartuwa.
During his rule, Idris led the Bornu Empire to its zenith in the 16th century. By the end of his reign, he had significantly expanded Bornu’s influence over vast territories, including most of Hausaland, the Tuareg of Aïr, the Tebu of Bilma, Tibesti, and even the Bulala of Kanem. Notably, he acquired Aïr and Bilma, giving Bornu strategic control over central Saharan trade routes, which greatly contributed to the empire’s prosperity. This expansion allowed for improved diplomatic relations with North African powers, particularly Tripoli.
Under Idris’s rule, Bornu achieved its greatest territorial expansion, gaining control over Hausaland, the people of Aïr and Tuareg. He also made peace with the Bulala by establishing boundaries and a non-aggression pact.
Mai Idris introduced military innovations, including the use of mounted Turkish musketeers, slave musketeers, mailed cavalrymen, footmen, and advanced military engineering techniques, as demonstrated during the siege of the fortified town of Amsaka. The Bornu army was well-organized, utilizing advance guards and rear reserves, often employing shield wall tactics.
Idris’s army was transported via camel or large boats and was supplied by both free and slave women cooks. When necessary, they employed a scorched earth policy for the conquest of fortified towns. Ribāts were constructed on frontiers, and trade routes to the north were secured, facilitating diplomatic relations with the Pasha of Tripoli and the Turkish Empire. Idris even formed alliances with the Moroccan sultan against Ottoman imperialism in the Sahara.
Due to his implementation of Sharia law and reliance on large fiefholders for justice, Idris Alooma earned the title “Amir al-Mu’minin” from his chief Imam, Ahmad ibn Fartuwa.
During his reign, the route from Lake Chad to Tripoli became a major thoroughfare in the 17th century, with horses traded for slaves. Intensive diplomatic activities were reported between Bornu and the Pachalik of Tripoli at that time. This route saw the movement of approximately two million slaves to be traded in Tripoli, which was the largest slave market in the Mediterranean. Tragically, many slaves perished along the way, often succumbing to exhaustion while trying to reach water.
The reign of Idris Alooma is well-documented, thanks to his chief Imam, Ahmad ibn Fartuwa, who recorded the first twelve years of his rule. However, details about the remaining twenty-one years are scarce. Before Idris’s ascension, Bornu was in a fragile and unstable state, marked by famine, external raids, and ongoing conflicts with the Bulala people to the east. Bornu was also dealing with the presence of un-Islamized groups within its borders.
