Sultanate of Dar al Kuti دار الكوتي | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1830–1911 | |||||||||
 Approximate location of Dar al-Kuti with modern borders. | |||||||||
| Status | Vassal state ofDar Runga (1830–1890) Vassal state ofRabih az-Zubayr (1890–1897) | ||||||||
| Capital | |||||||||
| Common languages | Arabic, variousNilo-Saharan languages | ||||||||
| Religion | Islam (official),Traditional African religion | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| Sheikh, emir | |||||||||
• 1830–1870 | Djougoultoum | ||||||||
• 1870–1890 | Kobur | ||||||||
• 1890-1911 | Muhammad al-Sanussi | ||||||||
| Historical era | Late Modern Period | ||||||||
• Established | 1830 | ||||||||
• Rabih az-Zubayr deposes Kobur in favour of al-Sanussi | 1890 | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 1911 | ||||||||
• Final surrender of Kamun, Senussi's son | 1912 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | Central African Republic Chad | ||||||||
Dar al Kuti ('Dar al-Kuri' in some sources) was an Islamic state in the center and northwest of the presentCentral African Republic which existed from around 1830 until 17 December 1912.[1] From around 1800 the name Dar al-Kuti was given to a stretch of the frontier to the southwest ofWadai, a sultanate in the region ofLake Chad. The term "dar" signifies "abode" in Arabic, while the term "kuti" in the local language denotes a forest or densely-wooded area.[2]
Both Wadai and its western neighbour theSultanate of Baguirmi (1522-1897) sent slaving expeditions Into the lands of the Sara, aNilotic people to the south of Chad. By the early nineteenth century these expeditions had reached into the present dayCentral African Republic. At this time, the ruler of Baguirmi was theMbang Bourgomanda, who had two sons, Abd el-Kader and Djougoultoum. When Abd el-Kader became sultan in 1826, he sought to distance his brother from power, and Djougoultoum fled to Wadai.[3]: 65
TheKalak (sultan) of Wadai sent Djougoultoum to theDar Runga, governed by a sultan who was his tributary. Dar Runga was a military frontier between the Azoum andAouk rivers. Djougoultoum married Fatme, daughter of Boker, the sultan of Dar Runga, and in 1830 settled in a still more southerly frontier region, Bilad al-Kuti, a zone for slave raiding south of the river Aouk. Bilad al-Kuti, or Dar al-Kuti, became a tributary region of Dar Runga, which in turn remained a tributary of Wadai.[3]: 65 [4]
Chá, on the river Diangara, a tributary of the Aouk, became the capital of this new province and Djougoultoum was appointed by Wadai as governor of Dar al-Kuti, which enjoyed a high degree of independence. The dates for his reign (1830-1870) are probably not exact, but he was the first governor of Dar al-Kuti. Its territory comprised fourteen villages (probably only its most significant settlements) and could be traversed in two days from east to west, indicating that it was small.[5]
In the late 1860s or early 1870s, a respected trader andfaqih named Kobur was made governor of Dar al-Kuti (according to some sources he was the son of Djougoultoum).[6] His wealth and power probably derived from the ivory trade. While he was governor, groups of Wadai horsemen would appear in Dar al-Kuti from time to time to gather tribute and collect slaves from the regions of the Nduka andBanda peoples, which bordered on Kobur's domain. Kobur was careful to maintain good relations both with the larger Muslim realms to the north, as well as with his non-Muslim neighbours, the Nduka. Dar al-Kuti took part in the slave trade to a limited extent, but large-scale raids did not take place in the time of Kobur.[5]
The greatest threat to Dar al-Kuti was posed byRabih az-Zubayr, a Sudanese commander and slave trader who was active in the central and northeastern regions of the modern Central African Republic, capturing many of the Banda people. In 1874 Rabih's lieutenants seized Kobur's capital, Chá, and the following year he was attacked on his other flank by the Banda. In 1880 Rabih agreed to stop his attacks on Dar al-Kuti in return for free passage across its lands to attack the Banda.[3]: 112
In 1890, seeking a more compliant protégé, Rabih deposed Kobur and installed Kobur's nephew Muhammad al-Sanussi as sheikh of both Dar al-Kuti and Dar Runga,[3]: 112 Al-Sanussi, born around 1850 in Wadai, was a member of theSanusiyya order. His daughter Khadija was married to Rabih's son Fadlallah.[6] In the years that followed, Rabih continued to consolidate and expand Sanussi's authority. Any potential threats to his rule from Kobur were neutralised and Dar al-Kuti's sphere of influence expanded to include much of the modern Central African Republic.[5] Dar al-Kuti had been a tributary of Wadai before 1890, and its former overlords did not accept Rabih's seizure of control without resistance. In October 1894 theaguid of Wadai, Cherfeddine, attacked and destroyed Chá, the capital, forcing Sanussi to maintain anitinerant court for two years until he eventually founded a new fortified settlement, ortata, atN'Délé.
In the 1890s Dar al-Kuti began to come under pressure from France. Various explorers ventured into this part of Africa, seeking routes to link the basins of theUbangi andShari Rivers. A number of them, including Léon de Poumayrac andfr:Alfred Fourneau, reached areas close to Dar al-Kuti, and in 1891Paul Crampel was killed together with his companions by Sanussi.[7]
On 28 August 1897, Sanussi agreed to the establishment of a French protectorate over Dar al-Kuti through a treaty of trade and alliance signed by Mohammed el-Sanussi andÉmile Gentil. The treaty was revised twice, on 18 February 1903 and 26 January 1908, but Dar al-Kuti retained its independence until the death of Sanussi on 12 January 1911. He left behind at least two sons, Kamun, who took the throne, and Kangaya, as well as the daughter, Hadia, who had married Fadlallah.
The French decided the time had come to take most of Dar al-Kuti under direct control. Kamun fled east toOuanda Djallé, and continued resisting French forces until 17 December 1912, when Ouanda Djallé fell to Captain Souclier and Kamun went into exile in Sudan.[5] After absorption into the French colonial territory ofUbangi-Shari, Dar al-Kuti became an administrative division (circonscription) and, between 1937 and 1946, adépartement. Since 1946 the region has been known as the Autonomous District of N'Délé (1946-1961), the Autonomous Prefecture of N'Délé (1961-1964), and, after 1964, as the Prefecture of Bamingui-Bangoran.[5]
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