Pre-colonial history of Cameroun

General history

The zone covering the south-west of current the Cameroun and the south-east of the Nigeria were the cradle of the people Bantou S in thousand-year-old Ier before our era.

Tikars, the Bamouns and the Bamiléké S migrated then to be installed on the Cameronian high plateaus.

In North, the civilization of Saos, badly known, had developed in the basin of the lake Chad. This area passed to XVIesiècle under control empire of Kanem-Bornou. The first known State of the historians in the area is that of Kanem, which developed around the lake Chad starting from IXe century. It became Moslem in XIe century and reached its apogee at the end of XVIe and the XVIIe century. It imposed its suzerainty on the major part of the Cameronian territory. But it ran up unceasingly against the resistance of the people and the small Cameronian kingdoms (in particular the kingdoms kotoko and will mandara).

At the end of XVIe century, the large migratory wave of Peuls (or Foulbés), people of wandering pastors who moved of west in are since Macina, reached the lake Chad. At the next century, Peuls were established in current Adamaoua, contributing to the diffusion of Islam. They were organized in small Moslem theocratic States, directed by a lamido, at the same time political leader and spiritual.

The Royaume Bamoun was founded at the end of XVIe century and took its rise under the reign of Mboumbouo Mandù, at the end of the XVIIIe century, which extended its territory by the force of the weapons. It then got busy to consolidate its capacity. At the beginning of the XIXe century, the Moslem States extended and consolidated their capacity.

In 1804, Usman daN Fodio and Peuls of the Nigeria launched an holy war against the Haoussa S in order to extend the kingdom toucoulor. Forts of this example, Peuls of the South rejoined their cause and propagated the Djihad in their area. Adama, chief of Peuls of the south, taken the title of sheik and the plates of the South Islamized took the name of Adamaoua. Their capital, Yola, were on the Bénoué. The lamido Adama will die in 1847.

The kingdom bamoun had to fight against the expansion peule.

Sao civilization

Ve century a. JC: Sao civilization around the Lake Chad

The empire Kanem Bornou

detailed Article: Kingdom of Kanem-Bornou

Kanem was founded in VIIIe century (towards 820, May of Tibesti (little brother of Derdo Molitafor)) in the north and the east of the lake Chad and a State equipped with a rather loose structure formed. It was initially dominated by wandering people, Zaghaouas, which was supplanted by a new dynasty, Saifaouas.

The new leaders converted with Islam towards XIe century. At the end of XIVe century, pushed by Boulalas nomads which had invaded their area, the sultans of Kanem invested the area of Bornou.

Most famous of the leaders bornouans was May Idris Alooma (1580-1617). ; it introduced the firearms bought to the Othoman Turks. With its apogee, Kanem-Bornou controlled the roads of the Eastern Sahara, putting central Africa in connection with Egypt and Libya. ; it amorça a long decline as from the XVIIe century.

The Kotoko principalities

The Kotoko cities formed a whole of principalities in what is today the north of the Cameroun, the Chad and the Nigeria. Its modern inhabitants and their descendants are known like the Kotoko ethnos group.

The apogee of the Kotoko cities coincided with the decline of the civilization of Sao in the north of the Cameroun. A king will direct the incipient state, and annexed several small kingdoms. Among the latter were Kousseri, Logone-Birni, Makari, and Mara. Logone-Birni emerged as a vassal kingdom of most influential Kotoko.

The empire of Kanem-Bornou introduced into the north of Kotoko in its sphere of influence very early. Missionaries and conquerors converted the major part of the north of Scandinavian Kotoko to the Islam at the XIXe century. This same century, whole Kotoko was vassalized by the empire of Kanem-Bornou, and the Islam continued with répendre. The chiefs of Bornou divided the territory in two halves, north and south, which allowed Logone-Birni in the south to maintain a certain degree of autonomy under its traditional chief of first degree. Logone-Birni was then divided into small provinces directed by chiefs of second degree.

The Mandara kingdom

detailed article: Kingdom Mandara

This kingdom extended to the basin from Benoue. He knew his golden age with XVIIIe and XIXe century. Its ceaseless wars against the kingdom of Kanem-Bornou and Fulanis were right of him.

The Bamoun kingdom

detailed article : Kingdom Bamoun

The kingdom bamoun was founded at the end of XVIe century by prince Nchar and took his rise under the reign of Mboumbouo Mandù, at the end of the XVIIIe century, which extended its territory by the force of the weapons. It then got busy to consolidate its capacity.

Its sixteenth king, Njoya, established in 1895, remained famous for the alphabet made up of ideograms which it created and for the chart of the country that it had made establish. Converted with Islam, it was détrôné in 1923.

The Bamoun kingdom approximately counted 60.000 inhabitants at the beginning of the XXe century for a surface of 7700 km ² and the capital was located at Foumban.

People of the forests

Among people of the forest of the coast and forest south (Based and Beti), civilizations was organized around villages dominated by the groins of the big families and the persons in charge of brotherhoods.

The arrival of the first Europeans

As of XVe century, Europeans of all nationalities came to trade in Cameroun. They created commercial counters to exchange ivory, rubber, as well as Esclave S against alcohol, manufactured goods and powder.

The Sawa were used as intermediaries between Europeans and the people of the interior. This situation lasted until 1884.

1827 : British exploration of the Cameronian coast and the Biafra
1845: Beginning of the evangelization by Baptist Missionary Society of London
1868: Installation of German traders
1884: Doualas sign a treaty of assistance with the Germany, this one proclaims its sovereignty on the Kamerun
1890: Installation of Societas Apostolus Catholici (evangelization)

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