Borno Emirate

The Borno Emirate,^[1] also known as the Borno Sultanate^[1] or Bornu Emirate,^[2] is a traditional state located in Borno State, Nigeria. The emirate is a remnant of the regime of the old Kanem–Bornu Empire, ruled by dynasts of the final Bornoan ruling dynasty (the al-Kanemi dynasty). The rulers of the Borno Emirate serve as ceremonial leaders, preserving political and cultural continuity with the old empire.^[3] They have continued to be styled as the shehus of Borno, continuing an imperial line established by Muhammad al-Amin al-Kanemi in the early 19th century.

Borno Emirate Borno, Bornu
Traditional state
Borno Emirate
Coordinates: 11°50′N 13°09′E
Country	Nigeria
State	Borno State
Founded	1902
Seat	Monguno (1902–1903) Kukawa (1903–1907) Maiduguri (1907–present)
Government
• Shehu	Abubakar ibn Umar Garba el-Kanemi

The Borno Emirate encompasses fifteen Local Government Areas (Abadam, Chibok, Gubio, Guzamala, Jere, Kaga, Konduga, Kukawa, Mafa, Magumeri, Maiduguri, Marte, Mobbar, Monguno, and Nganzai).^[4]

Background

Palace of the shehu of Borno

The al-Kanemi dynasty traces its rule to the early 19th century, when Muhammad al-Amin al-Kanemi (r. 1814–1837) and his son Umar Kura (r. 1837–1881) supplanted the previous ruling lineage of the Kanem–Bornu Empire, the mais of the Sayfawa dynasty.^[5][6]

In 1893–1894, the empire was conquered by the Sudanese warlord Rabih az-Zubayr, who destroyed the al-Kanemi capital of Kukawa^[7] and instead selected Dikwa as his seat.^[6] Rabih was defeated by joint Bornoan and French forces in 1900, whereafter the French installed the al-Kanemi dynasty Sanda Kura as shehu at Dikwa.^[8] Sanda Kura proved dissatisfactory to the French colonial authorities and was soon replaced with his brother Abubakar Garbai.^[8]

In 1902, Abubakar Garbai accepted becoming the figurehead ruler of British Borno and left Dikwa, whereafter the entire former empire fell under colonial control.^[8] Garbai and his successors came to govern the traditional state that is today known as the Borno Emirate,^[9] ruling from Maiduguri since 1907.^[7][10] Garbai left Dikwa in the hands of his relative Sanda Mandarama,^[8] whose successors governed the Dikwa Emirate.^[9]

Rulers

Main article: List of shehus of Bornu

Abubakar ibn Umar Garba el-Kanemi, the 20th and incumbent shehu of Borno

No.	Name	Tenure	Succession, notes
15[a]	Abu Bakr ibn Ibrahim Kura al-Kanemi (Abubakar Garbai)	1902–1922	Last sovereign of the Kanem–Bornu Empire before 1902
16	Umar Sanda ibn Ibrahim Kura al-Kanemi (Sanda Kura)	1922–1937	Brother of Abubakar Garbai, previously sovereign shehu in 1900
17	Umar ibn Muhammad al-Kanemi (Sanda Kyarimi)	1937–1968	Son of Kyari (shehu of Borno 1893–1894)
18	Umar ibn Abubakar Garbai al-Kanemi	1968–1974	Son of Abubakar Garbai
19	Mustafa ibn Umar el-Kanemi	1975–2009	Son of Sanda Kyarimi
20	Abubakar ibn Umar Garba el-Kanemi	2009–present	Son of Umar ibn Abubakar Garbai al-Kanemi

Notes

1. The numbering of the shehus of Borno continues the enumeration of the shehus who ruled the Kanem–Bornu Empire. See the List of shehus of Bornu for details.