Dunama I Umemi

Dunama I Umemi (Dunama Umemi Muḥammad bin Hummay^[1]) was the mai of the Kanem–Bornu Empire in 1097–1150/1151.^[2][3]

Dunama I Umemi
Mai of the Kanem–Bornu Empire
Reign	1097–1150/1151
Predecessor	Hummay
Successor	Bir I Othman
Spouse	Fasama
Issue	Bir I Othman
Dynasty	Sayfawa dynasty
Father	Hummay
Mother	Kinta

Name

It is common for Kanem–Bornu rulers named Muhammad to also be called Dunama, and vice versa. According to 19th-century British colonial supervisor Richmond Palmer, the name might be a compound of Dun ("power" or "might" in Kanuri) and Aman (i.e, Ammon) the Berber god.^[4]

Life

Dunama I was the son of Hummay and Kinta.^[5] Dunama's consort was named Fasama.^[5] Dunama succeeded his father as mai in 1097, after Hummay died in Egypt while on the Hajj.^[6][7] According to the German explorer Heinrich Barth, who visited Bornu in the mid-19th century, Dunama I was a very powerful ruler, possessing one of the most powerful armies in Kanem–Bornu's history.^[8] He commanded 100,000 horses and 120,000 soldiers, excluding mercenaries. Among the Beni Hume (the sons of Hume), none held greater prestige than him.^[9]

Dunama made the Hajj two times himself, each time bringing a vast retinue with him.^[8] On each trip Dunama left 300 slaves in Egypt as gifts for his hosts.^[10] On his third Hajj, Dunama apparently provoked the suspicions of the people of Egypt, which was in a turbulent political climate at the time, under al-Zafir.^[8] The Egyptians are said to have drowned Dunama when he embarked at Suez for Mecca.^[8] Later orally transmitted histories of Kanem–Bornu claim that the Egyptians said to themselves: "if this king returns from Mecca to his country, he will take from us our land and country without doubt". They secretly opened a sea-cock aboard his ship, causing it to flood and sink. His followers witnessed him floating on the sea in his white pilgrimage garments until he disappeared from their sight.^[9] Dunama was succeeded as mai by his son, Bir I Othman.^[5]