Seku Amadu facts for kids

Seku Amadu (Fula: Seeku Aamadu; Arabic: شيخ أحمدو بن محمّدو لبّو, romanized: Shaykh Aḥmadu bin Muḥammadu Lobbo; French: Cheikhou Amadou or Sékou Amadou) was a leader of the Fulbe who founded the Massina Empire in what is now the Mopti Region of Mali. He was born around 1776 and passed away on April 20, 1845. He ruled as the Almami (a religious and political leader) from 1818 until his death. He also used the title Sise al-Masini.

Seku Amadu's Early Life

Aḥmad bin Muḥammad Būbū bin Abī Bakr bin Sa'id al-Fullānī, also known as Aamadu Hammadi Buubu, was born around 1776. His uncle, Hamman Lobbo, raised him. Amadu studied with a Sufi teacher named Sidi Mukhtar al-Kunti.

In the Inner Niger Delta region, Fulbe traders controlled towns like Djenné. However, the non-Muslim Bambara people controlled the river. The Fulbe leaders, called ardo'en, had to pay tribute to the Bambara Empire of Ségou. Their practice of Islam was not very strict.

Seku Amadu might have fought in the Sokoto jihad (a holy struggle for Islam) before returning to the Massina area. He settled in a village under Djenné's control. When many people started following his teachings, he was forced to leave. He then moved to Sebera, which was part of Massina. Again, he gained many followers and was expelled.

Shaykh Usman dan Fodio, who started the Sokoto Caliphate in 1809, gave Seku Amadu permission to lead a jihad in the region. Seku Amadu also received a flag from Usman dan Fodio. This flag was a clear sign of his authority.

The Jihad and Empire Building

Seku Amadu's strong beliefs caused problems with his local Fulani chief. The chief asked for help from the Bambara king of Segu. This led to a big uprising led by Amadu. This uprising created the Massina Empire. It was a Muslim state ruled by religious law, covering the Inner Niger Delta. It also reached important Muslim cities like Djenné and Timbuktu.

Seku Amadu's jihad likely lasted from 1810 to 1818. Some records suggest it happened in two parts, in 1810 and 1818. This conflict caused about 10,000 deaths.

Seku Amadu said that the local Fulbe rulers were practicing idolatry. At first, the jihad was aimed at them. Soon, it included the Bambara and other non-Muslim groups. Seku Amadu had support from the Tukolors and other Fulbe people in Massina. He also had support from escaped slaves and others seeking freedom from their Bambara masters. Many educated Muslims among the Fulbe, who were once nomads, supported him. They were excited about making Islam stronger and purer.

In his jihad, he first defeated the Segu army. Then, he captured Djenné, where scholars welcomed him. He was asked to take control of Massina after a Fulbe revolt there. By 1818, he controlled both Djenné and Massina. In Djenné and Timbuktu, the old rulers were replaced by scholars. The Fulba Dikko clan became powerful in the region.

Seku Amadu founded a new capital for his Massina Empire. He named it Hamdullahi, which means "Praise God!". It was built northeast of Djenné, near the modern city of Mopti. The capital was established in 1819. He then became an independent ruler.

Massina Empire's Rule

Seku Amadu's state was based on religious law. It controlled the Inner Niger Delta. It also had some power over nearby Timbuktu, Ségou, and Kaarta. A key religious leader of the jihad was Muḥammad al-Tāhir. He said that Seku Amadu was the spiritual heir of Askia Mohammad I. Askia Mohammad I was a ruler of the Songhai Empire in the 1500s. People in the Timbuktu region generally accepted this idea. Timbuktu became part of the new Massina empire without much resistance. It soon became a center for Islamic learning.

However, Seku Amadu slowly upset the leaders of Timbuktu and Sokoto. This was because his religious rules were very strict. He also did not show enough respect to the senior Qadiriyya leaders. He also took the title of Commander of the Faithful in the Sudan. The Sokoto caliph believed this title belonged to him. Seku Amadu's rule also hurt trade in both Djenné and Timbuktu.

The religious leader of Timbuktu, Sidi Muḥammad bin al-Mukhtār al-Kunti, died in 1825 or 1826. Seku Amadu asked for official recognition of his power over the city. He sent a messenger with many soldiers to al-Qā'id 'Uthmān bin Bābakr, the city's ruler. He asked 'Uthmān to stop using drums and other ceremonies. 'Uthmān agreed.

In 1833, 'Uthmān rebelled and marched against Hamdullahi. But he was defeated. However, Sidi al-Muhtar al-Saghir, Timbuktu's spiritual leader, arranged a peace agreement. Under this agreement, Seku Amadu's Fulbe forces would not take over Timbuktu. Those who attacked Hamdullahi had to pay fines.

Seku Amadu Lobbo died on April 20, 1845. His son, Amadu II, took control of the Massina Empire. Under his son, Timbuktu was part of the empire for some time. Aḥmadu bin Aḥmadu Lobbo ruled Massina from 1844 to 1852. The region was stable until 1862. That year, a Jihad led by El Hadj Umar Tall overthrew Aḥmadu's grandson, Amadu III. This caused a lot of disorder in the region.

Seku Amadu's Policies and Impact

Seku Amadu ruled through a system of governors for each province. Most of these governors were his relatives. He also had a central council of forty elders. In Seku Amadu's religious state, the law was based on a strict form of Sharia law called Maliki. Religious judges, called Qadis, applied the Sharia in each province. They played a very important role in the state. This strict following of the law made one expert call Massina "as close to an ideal state ruled by law as possible."

Seku Amadu encouraged nomadic herders to settle down. He worked hard to promote Islam. Under Seku Aḥmadu Lobbo and his family, the Niger bend region was peaceful, and trade grew. However, some people found the rulers' very strict attitudes difficult. For example, they banned tobacco and required women and men to be completely separate. This was against Tuareg customs.

At the peak of the Empire's power, 10,000 soldiers were in the capital city. Seku Aḥmadu ordered the building of six hundred madrasas (Islamic schools) to help Islam spread. He also banned alcohol, tobacco, music, and dancing. These bans followed Islamic law. He also created a social welfare system to help widows, orphans, and the poor.

One of the most lasting results of his rule was a set of rules for herders. These rules controlled how Fulani cattle herders and different farming groups could use the inland Niger delta region.

See also

In Spanish: Seku Amadu para niños