The Hawsa and Kānem-Bornu. The islamisation of two unknown kingdoms of the "Bilād as-Sūdān" between the 11th and 16th centuries

Abstract

When it is tried to understand as well as explain the process of islamisation, which took place in the Sub-Saharan Africa, is very common that this review is only focused in the most important empires in the area: Mālī y Songhay. However, the purpose of this article is analyzing the process of islamisation of two unknown kingdoms such as Hawsa and Kānem-Bornu, located, more less, between Niger River and Lake Chad. Islam reached this area, inevitably, thanks to the trading routes that conected both sides (northern and southern) of the Sahara Desert. The main actors of this survey saw how the islamic values did not replace those that were characteristic of the traditional beliefs in the region, but they coexist for a long time. All of this gave rise to the formation of a kind of religious syncretism, which was disputed in some periods with more religious fanatism which reached the region thanks to berbers preachers who came from the north side of the Sahara. This last will acquire more and more importance, considering that this “missionaries”, the moments in which they were successful, were always due to the support of local governments.