African Kingdoms

Dar al-Kuti / Belad al-Kuti (Islamic Sultanate) (Africa)
c.AD 1830 - 1912
Incorporating Circonscription de Dar el-Kouti (1912-1946)

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The pre-history of Africa contains a far longer period of human habitation than any other area on Earth, thanks to it being the cradle of humankind's evolution. Much of this pre-history involves a great deal of uncertainty in which small windows of opportunity to view events can be gained through archaeology. Even more recent prehistory is shrouded in uncertainty, requiring analysis and archaeology to help define it.

The Bantu people originated in West Africa before they migrated across sub-Saharan Africa, generally helping to spread the African Neolithic as they went. The Bantu languages come from a proto-Bantu language which was spoken in the area of today's Cameroon. Bantu-speakers are part of the Niger-Congo language family which forms the largest branch of the Southern Bantoid group of languages.

Central Africa was poorly defined as a region until the creation of colonial-era territories. A collection of sultanates emerged in the eighteenth century, across the area which today is partially covered by Central African Republic (or CAR) and to its north. The sultans here ruled large conquered populations in the north and east of CAR, usually as dependencies of larger sultanates to the north.

The title of sultan was later confirmed by colonial 'Congo Free State' agents for local rulers in Bangassou, Rafaï, and Zémio, in the early 1890s. These sultanates included the famous slave-trader, Muhammad al-Sanusi of Dar al-Kuti (or Dar el-Kouti in French records), along with the sultans Labasso of Bangassou, Hetman of Rafaï, and Zémio of the state of the same name, all heads of conquering minor dynasties.

Dar al-Kuti governed a stretch of the Islamic frontier which was located to the south-west of the sultanate of Wadai. Founded about 1830, it was part of a complex set of regional inter-kingdom rivalries which operated under the growing collective threat of being annexed by the French in Central Africa (see feature link for more).

(Information by Richard A Bradshaw & Juan Fandos-Rius, with additional information by Peter Kessler, from Monographie du Dar-Kouti-Oriental, Edmond A J Boucher (Typescript, 1934, copied and updated from the original by Pierre Claustre), from Dar al-Kuti and the Last Years of the Trans-Saharan Slave Trade, Denis D Cordell (The University of Wisconsin Press, 1985), from Un ancien royaume Bandia du Haut-Oubangui, Eric de Dampierre (Plon, Paris, 1967), from Central African Republic, Pierre Kalck (Praeger Publishers Inc, 1971), from Historical Dictionary of the Central African Republic, Pierre Kalck( Third Edition, Scarecrow Press Inc, 2005), from Un explorateur du centre de l'Afrique, Paul Crampel (1864-1891), Pierre Kalck (L'Harmattan, Paris, 1993), from The New Atlas of African History, G S P Freeman-Grenville (Rex Collins, London, 1991), from Times Atlas of World History (Maplewood, 1979), and from External Link: Encyclopaedia Britannica.)

c.1830 - 1870

Brother of Abd el-Kader of Bagirmi. Founded sultanate.

c.1830

Djougoultoum has married Fatme, daughter of Boker, sultan of Dar Rounga. Having previously fled his home in the sultanate of Bagirmi to seek refuge in Wadai, he now establishes an even more southerly border zone called Belad al-Kuti as a slave-raiding zone to the south of the Aouk.

The sultanate of Dar al-Kuti was located to the north of the later Central African Republic, forming a small pocket of territory within one of the many modern CAR provinces (click or tap on map to view full sized)

The Belad al-Kuti border zone becomes better known as the sultanate of Dar al-Kuti when it quickly progresses to being a formal, tribute-paying province of Dar Rounga, which in turn is part of Wadai's empire. Its capital is at Châ, on the River Diangara tributary of the Aouk (now within Central African Republic, or CAR).

c.1870 - 1890

Governor. Former faqij trader. Deposed. Died 1892.

c.1870

The reign of Djougoultoum of Dar al-Kuti has seemingly been a long one, although even those long dates are only approximate. About now (or by the late 1860s) Kobur, a respected faqij trader, becomes the Muslim governor of Dar al-Kuti.

A faqij or fuqaha' is a teacher who is familiar with the rudiments of Islam and who supplements his income by engaging in petty commerce by selling Muslim charms and offering Qur'anic instruction. Kobur's growing wealth and power probably derive in large part from his sale of ivory, the province's chief export.

A picture postcard view of the settlement of Ndélé while the sultanate was under the command of Muhammad al-Sanusi

1890

The greatest recent threat to Dar al-Kuti has come from Rabih Fadlallah, a Sudanese warlord and slave-trader who is active in the north-eastern and central regions of today's CAR. Rabih's raiders have enslaved and sold many Banda people, and have also invaded Dar al-Kuti and Dar Rounga while creating a Zobeir territory to the north.

Seeking a local 'protégé' who is less religious and less indebted to Wadai than is Kobur, Rabih now has Kobur deposed in a coup. In his place Muhammad al-Sanusi is proclaimed to be the sultan of Dar al-Kuti and Dar Rounga, with the titles of emir and sheikh. Kobur remains a trusted advisor for the first two years of his reign.

1890 - 1911

Nephew. Died in battle against the French on 12 Jan.

1894

Châ is attacked and destroyed by a Wadai army under Cherfeddine, aguid of Wadai, in October 1894. After this al-Sanusi keeps on the move for two years until he is able to found a fortified settlement at Ndélé.

This picture postcard contains a photo of the troops of Muhammad al-Sanusi in the late eighteenth century or early nineteenth century, being rallied by the sultan himself at the fortified tata at N'Délé

1897

Having been defeated in 1893 by the Zobeir ruler, Rabih of Ouaddai-Chari, the mbang of Bagirmi, Gaourang, has solicited and now obtains French protectorate status. At the same time the sultanate of Dar al-Kuti also accepts the creation of a French protectorate while maintaining direct rule.

1909

The Islamic sultanate of Wadai has been a regionally-strong kingdom on the eastern side of Lake Chad and to the west of Darfur. Now even it loses its independence, with French troops capturing Abéche and showing the native states that they too will all be conquered in time.

1911

Muhammad al-Sanusi dies in battle on 12 January 1911 when resisting increasing French dominance as part of 'French Equatorial Africa'. After this, the French take control of much of Dar al-Kuti. Al-Sanusi's son, Kamoun, flees eastwards to Ouanda-Djallé, where he continues to resist the French.

Central Africa in 1897 was a land of uncertain, shifting borders, with small states expanding to incorporate previously stateless tribal societies (click or tap on map to view full sized)

1911 - 1912

Son. Resisted the 'Federation of Central Africa'.

1911

Son.

Sister. b c.1873. m Fadl el-Allah, eldest son of Rabih, c.1890.

1911

Kangaya, along with sixty loyalists, two hundred bazinguer warriors, and the chiefs Bakoungia, Dembao, Paoura, Asraga, Iatogo, and Bara, attack the Paoura factory on 27 December 1911. Two agents of the 'Compagnie des Sultanats of Upper Oubangui', Bellard and Mallac, are murdered and the factory is damaged.

1912 - 1960

Having fought the warriors of Dar al-Kuti in January 1911 and suffering a destructive raid in December, the French decide to resolve matters once and for all. On 17 December 1912, Captain Souclier captures Ouanda-Djallé and Kamoun seeks refuge in the Sudan.

The siege of Khartoum began in 1884 when the Mahdist forces surrounded the city, shortly after the arrival of General Gordon as shown here - but the Mahdi's victory would be short-lived

The sultanate comes under direct French administration within the 'Federation of French Colonies' as part of their protectorate. The 'Circonscription de Dar el-Kouti' is created in place of the sultanate. That name is used for the last time between 1937 to 1946 as the Département du Dar el-Kouti.

From 1946 the region is known by a series of names: the 'Autonomous District of N'Délé' (1946-1961), the 'Autonomous Subprefecture of N'Délé' (1961-1964), and the 'Prefecture of Bamingui-Bangoran' from 1964.

1958 - 1960

The 'Federation of Central Africa' is dissolved as the republics become autonomous. Full independence from France is achieved in 1960. Dar al-Kuti's former ruling family remain prominent, holding positions of authority by 1974.

By 1919, with the conclusion of the First World War, the African colonies found themselves being exploited for their resources more intensely than ever before

Along with the territory of Dar al-Kuti, Ubangi-Shari forms the core of the new state having formerly been a colonial creation which had consisted of territory between the Ubangi and Chari rivers. The new state is known as Central African Republic.