How much did you know about the powers of the Kanuri tribal Mark's (facial marks) ?Did you know that the Kanuri tribal Mark's are not only for cultural affiliations, cultural identity, beautification,cultural preservation and or reflections of kanuri history, but it was also use for security purposes and served as an international identity equivalent of an international passport. According to a research on the Kanuri people under the theme Kanuri Complete released in 2017 indicates that the Kanuri fasial marks were used as an international identity for individuals travelling outside of the Kanuri kingdom or the Kanem Empire since the Sayfawa Dynasty some 700 to 1000 years back.Please note that some 300 years back and beyond slavery was a very big lucrative business striving not only in Africa, but globally. The victims of slavery then were mostly people belonging to tiny kingdoms who are easily defeated and captured as slaves or longly individuals travelling without any proof of identity qualifying them as affiliates or members of any mighty kingdoms that retaliates when its members are captured as slaves. The Kanem-Bornu empir under the peak of the Sayfawa Dynasty rules especially from the era of Mai Dunoma Dibalemi in the 12th century to the period of Mai Idris Alawma in the 16th century the Kanem-Bornu was ranked the undisputed champion among the African ancient empires and also among the five superpowers of the world as at that time alongside the Roman's empire,the Byzantine (Constantinople/Turkish),Mongols and the Sultanate of Baghdad. Kanem Bornu then was occupying the territory of approximately six African countries of our modern time namely Nigeria, Chad, Niger, Sudan, Cameroon and Libya. This might of the Kanem-Bornu made all powers or kingdoms of Africa including the North Africans to be Afraid of Kanem-Bornu empire with no one can able to afford the dream of capturing a Kanuri man as slave or slaves weather withing the kingdom or outside of the kingdom while travelling mostly on pilgrimage to Hijaz the modern day Saudi Arabia where people spend approximately six months travelling to Makkah and returning back to the kingdom after pilgrimage. The Kanuri facial tribal Mark's on the face then became one of the identities qualifying a traveller that he is from the Kanem-Bornu . So people with this Mark's use to travel outside of the empire with pride and without fear. However apart from the Kanuri there are some members of the Kanem-Bornu who are not Kanuris and these made them vulnerable to slave hunters whenever they are outside of the empire or the Kanuri protections , so these made the majority of the other none Kanuri tribal people to adapt the making of the full 9 Kanuri tribal Mark's on their faces, with some copying the full Kanuri tribal Mark's and with others carrying either the 4 facial Mark's on the cheek, the two Mark's on the face's Temple (side of the face) or the mark on the forehead with some of them stopping at the forehead or coming down to the top or top of the nose.In view of the above today many none Kanuri tribes in Borno continue to have the Kanuri tribal Mark's just like among the Shuwa Arabs,Kotoko, Babur,Mandara,Bolewa, Ngizim,Marghi and others . The people of Hadeja ,Kirikasama and Malummadori though they have Kanuri people among them but they mostly carry the one forehead Mark's on their face, the Sudanese carrys the 2 side mark (Temple) plus many many others. Also the Kanuri have the Maami tribal marks too in addition. And also know that some Mark's changed from the original ones copied from the Kanuris, but immediately you see them you can tell that it was copied from the Kanuri. Due fo the fact that historically people especially from the hausa lands,songhai empire, ashanti empire and even some yorubas travelling on pilgrimage or to Asia in the ancient time must have to pass through the Kanem-Bornu because of its geographical location in Africa, made some of the travelers passing through the empire choose to have these kanuri Mark's on their faces just to show that they are from the Kanem-Bornu or exiting with the support of the mighty Kanem-Bornu Empire as a result made many none Kanuri people to have the Kanuri tribal Mark's. This situation is similar in our modern time to people struggling to get an American or a British passport coming from non American or British territories. So some after returning to their various communities with these Facial Marks and having considering the immunities and privileges enjoyed as a result of having such Facial Mark's they then continue to keep it going within their families and loved ones despite the fact that it is not connected to their various communities, so as a result it is possible to see people with tribal Marks of the Kanuri people in a non Kanuri communities in Nigeria, Chad, Niger and others. The Kanuri people of Lafiyan Barebari (Lafia) over the years have lost almost all parts of the Kanuri intangible cultural elements they inherited from their forefathers including food,dressing and even the Kanuri oral language itself, but due to the importance of the Kanuri facial marks they still maintained this perfectly and today they use same Mark's to trace their origins. Wonders of Africa:Amazingly even throughout the history of the European slave trade or slaves hunting that lasted for approximately 300 years in Africa, no single Kanuri man or those with the Kanuri tribal Mark's were slave traded,,,

Kanuri Power

Kanuri people are one of the ethnic groups in North-East Nigeria and also in the central Nigeria, Nasarawa, Niger and Kwara, with a lot of cultural heritage and rich history. With an estimated 3 Million speakers in Nigeria alone, mostly in Borno and Yobe states, the Kanuri people are one of the largest ethnic groups in the country. Kanuri names are also popular among the people. This article will outline a list of Kanuri names and meanings in English, including Kanuri male names and Kanuri female names.Kanuri Male NamesAbdu, Buji, Dala or Dallai – Means Abdullahi, servant of AllahRamanu or Darman – Means Abdulrahman, servant of the BeneficentGudusu – Means Abdulquddus, servant of the Holy.Mumin – Means Abdulmumin, servant of the guardian of FaithMele – IdrisKadir or Kadǝr – Means Abdulqadir, servant of the AbleBukar/Aboor/Gawai/Garwa – Means Abubakar, the father of the little girlGarga – Means Ali, the one who will become highNgari – UsmanBunu/Sanda/Gasau or Yarema/Umara – UmarMaaji/Kur – The first-born child in a familyButari – Abu TalibGaji – the last bornChellu – In an incident of three consecutive births, the second child may be renamed Chellu if it is of a different sex from the first and the third.Kawu – A set of twinsWasainyi – HussainiGambo – A child born immediately after a set of twinsDulo – A child from multiple births such as triplets are calledJabba – A person born at the peak of the rainy seasonSǝrwa – A person born during late rainsAsham/Armalan – A person born during the month of Muslim fasting RamadanAji or Baitu – A person born during the month of pilgrimage ‘Dhul Hajj’Maulud – A person born on the twelfth day of the third month of the Muslim calendar Rabi’ul AwwalNgubdo ‘the discarded’ – A child dropped at a refuse dumping site known as ‘Ngubdola’Kundili/Buzu – A child who is very sicklyWagani – When a child’s father dies before the child was bornAbatcha/Abacha/Awuza/Bocu (Awa Chabe) meaning ‘the father is reborn’ – A child born when one of their grandparents died recently.Surumbi ‘the repayment’ – A person’s deceased immediate brother.Tar – Means Mukhtar ‘The Chosen One’Modu/Mommodu/ Allemin – MuhammadDunoma – The strong oneDu’u – Short for servantLaminu – Variation of ‘Al-ameen’, the trustworthyKalla – MusaMammadu – Variant of ‘Mahmud or Muhammad’Taibu – The pure oneTar – Short for MukhtarKonto, Kontoma – AdamSumain or Sumail – Ismai’lYaya – Variant of ‘Yahaya’Jiwurla – Variant of Jibirl, named after an angelKawui – A species of hardwood tree in the savanna as well as a kind of fishWasayni – Variant of HusainiKashim – Variant of KasimBulamaBakuraZannaKachallaMalaGoniKyariKanuri Female NamesNgumuri – A girl born on Sallah dayAji or Baitu – A person born during the month of pilgrimage ‘Dhul Hajj’Madari – HauwaMaulud – A person born on the twelfth day of the third month of the Muslim calendar Rabi’ul AwwalShawwallam – A girl born during the tenth month of the Islamic Calendar; ShawwalLondo/Alima/Kawudi/Kodo/Kula – HalimaNgubdo ‘the discarded’ – A child dropped at a refuse dumping site known as ‘ngubdola’Kundili/Buzu – A child who is very sicklyBudu – Maryam Durtu – When a child’s father dies before the child was bornYecca/Yedza (Yachabe) ‘the mother is reborn’ – A child born when one of their grandparents died recently.Surumbi ‘the repayment’ – A person’s deceased immediate sister.Amsa/Yamara/Hamsatu/Mara/Kalu/Kawul/Kawule- HafsatTukule/Karu/Fandi/Fandau/Falta/Falmata/Yaalta/Kolo/Batul/Bintu/Fanne/Fanna – FatimaBotul/Botula/Busam/Fusam/Dungule/Fanta/Fotuma/Fusam/Koshi/Kului/Lefa/Lewa/Zari – FatimaBalu/Asma– Bilkisu Foji/Kuura/Mangu – Hadiza Madari/Mada – Hauwa Yaruwaiya – RukayyaMaida/Aisa/Aida/Aisa/Asha/Ashe/Bintu/Boli/Maida/Mali/Shetu – Aisha Sato – AminaAbduram- Daughter of AbduBujiram – Daughter of BujiDalaram – Daughter of DalaAdija/Banna/Hadiza/Khadi/Kubura – KhadijahRuwaya or Arkwaya – RukayyaZainawa or Zainam – Zainab,,

Kanuri Culture