Studies in the History of Pre-Colonial Borno

Studies in the History of Pre-Colonial Borno is one of those must-read texts on the history of Borno worthy of a new edition and a subsequent collection of essays that reflect the new scholarship on the history of Kanem-Borno. For instance, newer insights from archaeological excavations in Kanem and Borno, as well as the use of more local textual sources from the precolonial era for the study of Kanembu and Kanuri Ajami texts and linguistic analysis should be incorporated. Newer scholarship on Islam, Sufism, Ulama-State relations, the Kanuri Diaspora or Borno's connections with the lands further west and east are all topics of interest that recent scholarship has covered to varying extents. Or the topic of, perhaps, Kanem-Borno's social history, gender relations, oral literature, slavery as a local institution, or land tenure are also deserving of deeper scrutiny. 

Nevertheless, this collection of essays from the 1980s, despite the uneven nature of the contributions, is a must-read for everyone interested in Kanem-Borno. Connah's survey of the data from archaeological work in Borno and the Chad Basin provide a useful prehistoric background to human settlement and the development of metallurgy, towns, and trade. Abdullahi Smith's essay, for instance, offers a plausible theory for why claiming descent from Sayf may have appealed to the ulama of Kanem by the 12th or 13th centuries. Smith draws on the larger history and discourse of early Islamic history and genealogy, which would have been known to Kanem's ulama through their study of Arabic texts and travels to Egypt, Mecca, and the Maghreb. Of course, the actual chances of the Sayfawa dynasty being descendants of Sayf are very slim, but the more interesting question of the intellectual history behind it is fascinating. 

Muhammad Nur Alkali's contributions, on the other hand, appear to be based on his dissertation, which gives the reader a greater sense of the administrative organization of the Sayfawa state during their Borno period. Again, much of our knowledge of the details of administration and political office in pre-19th century Borno is scanty, but Alkali's contributions elucidate why the Sayfawa state was able to prosper for centuries as the dominant power in the Central Sudan through agriculture, trade, fishing, learning, cattle, textiles, leatherworks, salt, and the administrative apparatus that directed or promoted the aforementioned aspects of Borno's hegemony or cultural influence. Since our sources are still somewhat limited on the intricacies of the political system of the Sayfawa state, one should approach Alkali's interpretations with caution.

Additional contributors appear to have recycled past work or dissertations, but shed light on fiscal policy under the Shehus of the 19th century, Borno's relationship with Fombina before the colonial period, constitutional changes introduced by al-Kanemi, the decline of the office of galadima in the 1800s, Borno's relations with other powers (Morocco, Ottoman Empire, Mamluk Egypt) and Borno-Hausaland relations. Yusufu Bala Usman's essay on Borno relations with Hausaland before 1804 is worth reading for pointing to the lack of sources used by past historians (like Yves Urvoy) to depict Hausaland as a conquered region of Borno. Instead, Usman's chapter demonstrates that Borno's political and cultural influence in Hausaland was likely mediated through other means besides military conquest, and that the continuous plain running through the Hausa states and Borno favored trade, migration, contact, and relations which were not, based on our current sources, of a military nature. 

Thus, one cannot deny the central importance of Studies in the History of Pre-Colonial Borno for all students of Kanem-Borno. It suffers from several typos and more than a few chapters are speculative or rely on limited evidence, yet it reflects the importance of mostly local, Nigerian scholars for advancing scholarship. Unlike some of the external and colonial-era historians of Borno, the Kanuri, Nigerian, and African contributors to this volume evince a care for incorporating oral traditions and written sources in a balanced manner that avoids the diffusionism of Urvoy or Palmer while reflecting far greater immersion into the cultural and language milieus of Borno and its neighbors. This is not to say only Kanuri or Nigerian scholars should be allowed to study Borno, but their familiarity with the scene and desire to challenge or balance colonial-era narratives is refreshing.