Wadai Empire
Sultanate of Wadai سلطنة وداي | |||||||||||
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1501–1912 | |||||||||||
Capital |
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Common languages | Abd al-Karim Al Abbasi | ||||||||||
• 1902–1909 | Dud Murra of Wadai | ||||||||||
• 1909-1912 | 'Asil Kolak | ||||||||||
Historical era | Early modern period | ||||||||||
• Established | 1501 | ||||||||||
• Abd al-Karim overthrows the Tunjur King Daud | 1635 | ||||||||||
• Disestablished | 1912 | ||||||||||
• Wadai reconstituted under French suzerainty | 1935 | ||||||||||
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Today part of | Central African Republic Chad Sudan |
History of Chad |
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The Wadai Sultanate (
History
Origins
Prior to the 1630s, Wadai region people, also known as Bargo, was a pre-Islamic
In 1635, the
During much of the 17th and 18th century, the history of Wadai is marked by wars between Wadai and the Sultanate of Darfur, Bagirmi, Masalit Kanem-Bornu. They fought for a period to rule the Wadai's regions .[3] Under the rule of Abd al-Karim's grandson, Ya'qub Arus (1681–1707), the country suffered terrible drought that lasted for several years.
Expansion
After 1804, during the reign of
This tactic backfired, however, when Darfur's choice,
Decline
Europeans under the German Gustav Nachtigal first explored the area in 1873. It would eventually lose its independence from the French in 1904. However, fighting against the French still continued until 1908 when Sultan Doud Murra proclaimed jihad against the French. However, by 1912 the French managed to pacify the region and abolished the sultanate.[3]
The Wadai Sultanate was reconstituted under French suzerainty in 1935, with Muhammad Urada ibn Ibrahim becoming Kolak, or sultan. The sultanate continues under the suzerainty of the Republic of Chad and its current Kolak since 1977 is Ibrahim ibn Muhammad Urada.
It became a part of the independent Republic of Chad on the day of the country's independence in 1960. The Ouaddaï Region of modern Chad covers part of the area of the old kingdom. Its major town is Abéché.
Military
Under Abd al-Karim Sabun in the early 19th century, Wadai forces were equipped with chain mail and firearms.[4] In the 1840s–50s, Wadai possessed 300 guns. The figure went upwards to 4000 flintlock muskets by the 1870s.[5] Sultan Ali (1858–1874) hired Turkish and Egyptian mechanics to cast 12 bronze and small caliber cannons. These cannons lacked carriages and Gustav Nachtigal concluded in the 19th century that they were ineffective.[6]
Wadai could deploy about 5–6000
Tactics
Wadai forces were noted by French sources for their poor gun handling and insufficient training. In 1902, a French source from Dar Kuti states the Wadai army preferred to go on offence with cavalry and rely on firearms only for defense.[6] Another source within that period documented that Wadai soldiers;
are deployed in one or more lines.... They advance under fire in dashes,from shelter to shelter. They shoot badly and only at short range, when they come within 400 metres from the enemy. Their shooting at any rate is only effective from this point, since they do not know how to make use of gunsights. This is, however, no great disadvantage for them, for extensive fields of fire are rare in the wooded country where we did battle with them.... They fight generally on foot and in order. They employ firearms and appear not to like hand-to-hand fighting.... On the defensive they adopt the same tactic as in attack, defending the terrain step by step, retiring from shelter to shelter...[6]
Outflanking and encirclement were documented as a tactic of Wadai for the first time in 1908.[6]
Gallery
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Wadai sultanate east of Lake Chad around 1890s
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View of Abéché, with buildings constructed by the last sultan of Wadai, 'Asil Kolak. Photo after French annexation, c. 1918
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-520-01789-4. Retrieved 2018-10-10.
- ^ "Wadai | historical kingdom, Africa". Encyclopedia Britannica.
- ^ a b c "Ouaddaï | region, Chad | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
- ISBN 9781579582456.
- ISBN 9781400833597.
- ^ S2CID 162746263.
- ^ Nachtigal (2021), p. 183
- ^ Nachtigal (2021), p. 184
- ^ "About this Collection | Country Studies | Digital Collections | Library of Congress". Library of Congress.
Bibliography
- Nachtigal, Gustav (2021). Sahara and Sudan IV: Wadai and Darfur. ISBN 9780520329126.
External links
- www.waddai.com (in Arabic)