Ali II of Bornu

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Alhaji Ali succeeded his father, Umar, as the ruler of Bornu in 1654. He had a relatively long reign. During the early years of his reign, the empire was threatened with minor incursions from its neighbors, the Taureg in the north and the Kwararafa in the south. He was able to hold both forces at bay and finally defeated them in 1668. After his victory, he consolidated his kingdom, controlled the trans-Saharan trade routes, and rekindled Islamic teaching in the empire. He was able to construct four mosques and made three pilgrimages to Mecca.