Ahmad III ibn Abu Bakr was the Emir of Harar (1852–1856). He was the ruling Emir when the British explorer Richard F. Burton visited the city for ten days in January 1855, which he later described in his book, First Footsteps in East Africa.
Emir Ahmad was the son and successor of Abu Bakr II ibn `Abd al-Munan and Gisti Fatima. Although Burton writes that she was the daughter of a Somali chieftain, "Gerad Hirsi of the Berteri tribe",[1] reliable oral tradition states that she was the eldest daughter of a previous Emir of Harar, `Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muhammad.[2] Upon the death of his father Abu Bakr he succeeded to the throne of Harar, reigning firstly under the regency of his mother. His mother was still alive at the time of Burton's visit, when the Emir had taken four wives: the daughter of Gerad Hirsi, a Sayyid woman of Harar, an emancipated slave girl, and "a daughter of Gerad Abd al-Majid, one of his nobles". Burton rounds out his tally of Emir Ahmad's households with the Emir's two sons, "who will probably never ascend the throne; one is an infant, the other is a boy about five years old."[3]
Burton described Emir Ahmad at their first meeting as "an etiolated youth twenty-four or twenty-five years old, plain and thin-bearded, with a yellow complexion, wrinkled brows and protruding eyes. His dress was a white turban tightly twisted round a tall conical cap of red velvet, like the old Turkish headgear of our painters."[4] The Emir's health at the time was "infirm", according to Burton, who adds, "Some attribute his weakness to a fall from a horse, others declare him to have been poisoned by one of his wives. I judged him consumptive."[3]
Burton further mentions that at the time of his visit the Emir's vizier, or chief minister, was the treacherous Garad Mohammed, a man whom Burton had been told Ahmad's father Abu Bakr had warned him about.[5] However, Burton describes Emir Ahmad's rule as "severe if not just, and it has all the prestige of secrecy. As the Amharas say, the 'belly of the master is not known': even the Garad Mohammed, though summoned to council at all times, in sickness as in health, dares not offer uncalled-for advice, and the queen dowager, the Gisti Fatima, was threaten with fetters if she persisted in interference."[3]
Concerned with matters on the coast he had good relations with the Habr Awal from Berbera who were influential in his court and was an enemy of the influential trader Haji Sharmarke Ali Saleh who controlled Zeila and would also put Berbera under his sway.[6]
ahmad, bakr, emir, harar, 1852, 1856, ruling, emir, when, british, explorer, richard, burton, visited, city, days, january, 1855, which, later, described, book, first, footsteps, east, africa, امير, احمد, بن, ابوبكر16th, emir, hararemir, ahmad, hararreign1852,. Ahmad III ibn Abu Bakr was the Emir of Harar 1852 1856 He was the ruling Emir when the British explorer Richard F Burton visited the city for ten days in January 1855 which he later described in his book First Footsteps in East Africa Ahmad III ibn Abu Bakr امير احمد بن ابوبكر16th Emir of HararEmir Ahmad of HararReign1852 1856PredecessorAbu Bakr II ibn Abd al MunanSuccessorMuhammad ibn Ali Abd ash ShakurBorn1830sHararDied1856DynastyDawud DynastyReligionSunni Islam Emir Ahmad was the son and successor of Abu Bakr II ibn Abd al Munan and Gisti Fatima Although Burton writes that she was the daughter of a Somali chieftain Gerad Hirsi of the Berteri tribe 1 reliable oral tradition states that she was the eldest daughter of a previous Emir of Harar Abd ar Rahman ibn Muhammad 2 Upon the death of his father Abu Bakr he succeeded to the throne of Harar reigning firstly under the regency of his mother His mother was still alive at the time of Burton s visit when the Emir had taken four wives the daughter of Gerad Hirsi a Sayyid woman of Harar an emancipated slave girl and a daughter of Gerad Abd al Majid one of his nobles Burton rounds out his tally of Emir Ahmad s households with the Emir s two sons who will probably never ascend the throne one is an infant the other is a boy about five years old 3 Burton described Emir Ahmad at their first meeting as an etiolated youth twenty four or twenty five years old plain and thin bearded with a yellow complexion wrinkled brows and protruding eyes His dress was a white turban tightly twisted round a tall conical cap of red velvet like the old Turkish headgear of our painters 4 The Emir s health at the time was infirm according to Burton who adds Some attribute his weakness to a fall from a horse others declare him to have been poisoned by one of his wives I judged him consumptive 3 Burton further mentions that at the time of his visit the Emir s vizier or chief minister was the treacherous Garad Mohammed a man whom Burton had been told Ahmad s father Abu Bakr had warned him about 5 However Burton describes Emir Ahmad s rule as severe if not just and it has all the prestige of secrecy As the Amharas say the belly of the master is not known even the Garad Mohammed though summoned to council at all times in sickness as in health dares not offer uncalled for advice and the queen dowager the Gisti Fatima was threaten with fetters if she persisted in interference 3 Concerned with matters on the coast he had good relations with the Habr Awal from Berbera who were influential in his court and was an enemy of the influential trader Haji Sharmarke Ali Saleh who controlled Zeila and would also put Berbera under his sway 6 See also editList of emirs of Harar Harar Emirate of Harar Sharmarke Ali Saleh Zeyla Berbera Habr AwalReferences edit Richard Burton First Footsteps in East Africa 1856 edited with additional material by Gordon Waterfield New York Praeger 1966 p 163 R A Caulk Harar Town and Its Neighbours in the Nineteenth Century Journal of African History 18 1977 p 376 a b c Burton First Footsteps in East Africa p 190 Burton First Footsteps p 175 Burton First Footsteps p 176 note Burton First Footsteps p 238 note Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ahmad III ibn Abu Bakr amp oldid 1169698569, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
