Hachem, successor of Omar, was attacked in 1893 by the
adventurer Rabah; in spite of the help sent him by the Wadai, he
was defeated and killed. Rabah destroyed Kuka and transferred
the capital of Dikoa, to the south of Chad. Shortly afterwards he
was vanquished and killed at Kusseri by the French detachments
of Major Lamy on 22 April 1900, and Abubekr Guerbei, nephew
of Hachem, was recognised by the English as Sultan of Bornu,
which became a British protectorate.
TThhee BBaaggiirrmmii
To the south of the Kanem extends the kingdom of the Bagirmi, whose
foundation is attributed to a hunter, sometimes called Bernim-Besse
and sometimes Dokkengue, who is supposed to have built Massenya,
the capital, around 1513. He was a pagan, as were his successors
up to Malo (1548-1561), who took the title of mbang and created
the great offices of the kingdom. It is Abdallah (1561-1602), son of
Malo, who is thought to have brought Islam to the Bagirmi. His ninth
successor, Borkumanda-Tadele (1734-1739), was a great warrior:
after having directed an expedition towards the Borku and the Kawar,
he twice vanquished the king of the Wadai, Mohammed Ez-Zaouni.
But Alawine (1739-1741) was in turn vanquished by the emperor of
Bornu, to whom the Bagirmi became vassals. Mohammed Alamine
(1741-1784) seized the Fitri from the Kuka and shook off the tutelage
of Bornu. Abderrahman-Gaurang I (1784-1806) recommenced the
struggle against the Wadai; he was defeated and killed by Saboun,
king of the latter country, who imposed the suzerainty of the Wadai
on the Bagirmi and placed a son of Abderrahman Gaurang there as
Grave figure (Bongo), late 19thor early 20thcentury.
Sudan.
Wood, metal, height: 200 cm each.
Musée Barbier-Mueller, Geneva.
In southwestern Sudan, the Bongo are an agricultural, central Sudanic-speaking
people who suffered immensely from the plunder of slavery and the expansion
of the Zande kingdom during the 19thcentury.
Tall, slim figures such as this are credited to the Bongo and often classified with
the memorial figures of east African people, such as the Konso and Gato of
Ethiopia. The general pole-like form of a human figure stands on a post with
flexed knees and arms held close to the body. Aside from the facial features, there
is little sculptural detail. Some Bongo relatives built these wooden effigies on the
graves of deceased hunter-warriors in their honour and reflected title and rank.
Often, a notched post accompanied which exhibited the number of the
deceased’s successful kills. A feast was held at his grave a year or so after his death
which was meant to ensure he held a good position in the village of the dead.