Dunama I

Muhammed Dunama bin Hummay I (1092-1150) was the king of the Kanem–Bornu Empire and a member of the Sayfawa dynasty. He was born to Hummay and a Toubou wife and succeeded his father as king in 1097 when Hummay died in Egypt on the hajj.[1][2] Dunama made the pilgramage twice in his own right, each time leaving 300 slaves in Egypt as gifts for his hosts.[3] He was succeeded by his son, Bir I of Kanem.[2]

All Sayfawa dynasty kings named Muhammad are also called Dunama (and vice versa). The name likely came from a compound of Dun ("power" or "might" in Kanuri) and Aman (i.e, Ammon) the Berber god, according to historian H.R. Palmer.[4]: 126 

References[edit]

  1. ^ Page, Willie F. (2005). Davis, R. Hunt (ed.). Encyclopedia of African History and Culture (Illustrated, revised ed.). Facts On File. p. 231.
  2. ^ a b Niane, Djibril Tamsir, ed. (1984). General history of Africa, IV: Africa from the twelfth to the sixteenth century. University of California. p. 244. ISBN 978-92-3-101710-0. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
  3. ^ Green, Toby (2020). A Fistful of Shells. UK: Penguin Books. p. 43.
  4. ^ Palmer, H.R. (1926). History Of The First Twelve Years Of The Reign Of Mai Idris Alooma Of Bornu ( 1571 1583) ( Fartua, Ahmed Ibn).

Further reading[edit]

  • Gerald S. Graham, Thomas Hodgkin; Nigerian Perspectives: An Historical Anthology
Preceded by King of Kanem
1092-1150
Succeeded by