The Sultanate of Bornu

This translation of Dr. Schultze’s monograph on Bornu has been undertaken in the hope that it may be of use and interest to those who, like the translator, cannot read German ‘with their feet on the fender’. The translator’s own knowledge of German is, in fact, almost nil, and the translation has been painfully worried out at odd times with the constant aid of a dictionary. In the work of revision, however, he has had the assistance of Alexander Siemens, Esq., and of various members of his family, who have an intimate knowledge of both English and German; to them the translator wishes to express his most cordial gratitude.[1] The translation is published by permission of Herr G. W. Baedeker, of Essen, owner of the German copyright.

It is not generally realized, even in Nigeria, how ancient and powerful the old Bornu Empire was. In the fifteenth century it was the greatest power in Central Africa and its boundaries extended to Fezzan, the Niger, and practically to the Benue. The Hausas, of whom one hears so much nowadays, were then a congérie of obscure semi-pagan tribes,[2] while the Fulani are, of course, politically speaking, mere upstarts of a century ago. Bornu was never conquered by the Fulani—the only state of any size in Nigeria that was not—and, as regards the Hausas, the Kanuri have always despised them as an inferior race.[3] According to the article on the Azhar Mosque, the great Mohammedan University in Cairo, by K. Vollers, in the Encyclopaedia of Islam now in course of publication, the Kanuri are given as one of the twenty-six great ‘Arwika’, into which the Azhar students are divided, and which seem to correspond roughly to the ‘nations’ in the older German Universities: the Hausas are not even mentioned among the ‘also rans’.

These facts are emphasized because there is a tendency among those who have no close knowledge of Bornu towards the attitude that outside the Hausas or Fulani there is no salvation. It is commonly believed—utterly erroneously—and the statement has even appeared in print, that the Hausa language is generally understood in Bornu. As a matter of fact not 1 per cent. of the Kanuri proper either speak or understand it, and it has made little, if any, progress during the ten years of the British occupation of their country.

No one who knows the Kanuri of the present day would pretend that he is a very admirable or a very amiable creature, or that he is the equal of the Hausa either morally or mentally. He has, however, a history and a social system of his own, as will be seen in the following pages.

The maps in this translation have been printed from the same plates as those in the German edition in order to save expense. They, therefore, do not show the exchange of the small piece of territory on the Shari, known as the ‘Duck’s Bill’, between France and Germany by the recent international agreement. A map of the country involved appears in Macleod, Chiefs and Cities of Central Africa, p. 37.

The references in the foot-notes to the English edition of Barth have been verified for me by Mr. John Arthur. He informs me that the English and German editions vary considerably, and whole paragraphs are sometimes omitted.

The notes in square brackets—thus [ ]—and all the Appendices except No. I have been added by the translator. They naturally refer chiefly to British Bornu, whereas the original author was more interested in German Bornu.

For assistance in giving the English names of the Fauna mentioned in Chapter VI, I have to thank the kindness of various officials of the South Kensington Museum: Mammalia by Mr. J. G. Dollman; Birds by Mr. Ogilvie Grant; Reptilia by Mr. Boulenger, F.R.S.; Fish by Mr. Tate Regan; Insects by Mr. Austin and Mr. F. W. Edwards; Arachnids by Mr. S. Hurst; Worms by Mr. Bell; Mollusca by Mr. E. A. Smith and Mr. G. C. Robson.

I have much pleasure in acknowledging the generous kindness which allows me to print the translation of extracts from the Documents scientifiques de la Mission Tilho appearing in the Appendices. The information contained therein was mostly collected by MM. Tilho and Landeroin.

For information about Denham portraits and relics in Appendix XVII I am indebted to the present representatives of the family, H. M. Denham, Esq., and Captains H. A. and L. S. Denham, grandsons of Admiral H. M. Denham, the explorer’s first cousin.

I have to thank W. P. Hewby, Esq., C.M.G., Resident of Bornu, for several corrections and suggestions, and my brother, S. Landor Benton, for assisting me to read the proof sheets.

P. A. BENTON.

ROYAL SOCIETIES CLUB, 63 ST. JAMES ST., October 15, 1913.

[Footnote 1: Also to D. S. K. Crosbie, Esq., 93rd Highlanders and 2nd Batt. Northern Nigeria Regt., for assistance in revising the latter half of the translation.]

[Footnote 2: Bornu was converted to Islam in the eleventh century, the Hausa States not till the sixteenth.]

[Footnote 3: Cf. Benton, Kanuri Readings, p. 25.]