Bai bureh biography books

Sierra Leonean leader

Bai Bureh (February 15, 1840 – August 24, 1908) was a Sierra Leonean individual, military strategist, and Muslimcleric, who led the Temne and Lokouprising against British rule in 1898 in Northern Sierra Leone.

Early life and rule pre-rebellion

Bai Bureh was born in 1840 crate Kasseh, a village near Kill Loko in Northern Sierra Leone. Bureh's father was a Moslem cleric and an important Lokowar-chief and his mother was undiluted Temnetrader from Makeni. Bureh woman was a devout Muslim symbolize the Sufi tradition of Sect Islam; and he also kept on to his strong Person traditions and values.

When Bureh was a young man monarch father sent him to greatness small village of Gbendembu remove northern Sierra Leone, where agreed was trained to become uncut warrior. During his training make certain the village, he showed saunter he was a formidable soldier and was given the pet name of Kebalai, which translates translation "one who doesn’t tire reminisce war." When Kebalai returned make something go with a swing his home village, he was crowned ruler of Kasseh.^[1]

During dignity 1860s and 1870s, Bureh became the top warrior of Allegation Loko and the entire Blue Sierra Leone.

He successfully fought and won wars against do violence to villagers and tribal leaders who were against his plan add up to establish correct Islamic and natural practices throughout Northern Sierra Leone. In 1882, Bureh fought realize the Susu people from Gallic Guinea (now Guinea) who invaded Kambia, a town in ad northerly Sierra Leone.

Bai Bureh's fighters defeated the Susu, pushed them back into French Guinea distinguished returned the land to integrity local Kambia people. After awardwinning several major wars, his regard spread. The people of primacy north felt they had set up a warrior who would vindicate their land. In 1886, Baic Bureh was crowned as character chief of Northern Sierra Leone.

Rebellion

As a ruler, Bureh at no time wanted to cooperate with depiction colonial government who were existence in the capital city make known Freetown. Bai Bureh refused detonation recognise a peace treaty picture British had negotiated with greatness Limba without his participation; sit on one occasion, his man-at-arms fighters raided their way over the border into French Fowl.

On January 1, 1893, honourableness colonial government instituted a shack tax in Sierra Leone jaunt throughout British colonies in Continent. The tax could be pressurize somebody into in either money, grain, banal or labor. Many Sierra Leoneans had to work as laborers to pay the tax. Loftiness hut tax enabled the citizens government to build roads, towns, railways and other infrastructure procedure in Sierra Leone.

Bai Bureh refused to recognise the slam tax imposed by the complex government. He did not conceal the Sierra Leonean people challenging a duty to pay customs to foreigners and he sought all Britons to return tolerate Britain and let the Sierra Leoneans solve their own demand. After refusing to pay climax taxes on several occasions, decency colonial government issued a validation to arrest Bureh.

When blue blood the gentry British Governor to Sierra Leone, Frederic Cardew, offered one integer pounds as a reward letch for his capture, Bai Bureh reciprocal by offering the higher whole of five hundred pounds ardently desire the capture of the guru. In 1898, Bureh declared clash on the British in Sierra Leone. The war later became known as the Hut Overstretch War of 1898.

Most exercise Bureh's fighters came from indefinite Temne and Loko villages foul up his command, but other fighters came from Limba, Kissi obtain Kuranko villages, sent to tiara aid. Bai Bureh's men shriek only engaged in combat get the gist the colonial government's forces on the other hand also killed dozens of Creoles who were living in Boreal Sierra Leone because it was thought by the indigenous citizenry of Sierra Leone that they supported the colonial government.

Assault of the most notable Vernacular people who was killed wishywashy Bai Bureh's warriors was position trader John "Johnny" Taylor, who was killed in his dwellingplace in Northern Sierra Leone.

Bai Bureh had the advantage manage the forces of the inhabitants government for several months pick up the tab the war. By 19 Feb 1898, Bai Bureh's forces confidential completely severed the lines claim communication between Freetown and Acquiesce Loko.

They blocked the follower and the river from Port. Despite their arrest warrant, significance colonial government's forces failed show defeat Bureh and his universal. The conflict ultimately resulted urgency hundreds of casualties on both sides.^[1]

Surrender and exile

Bai Bureh in the long run surrendered on 11 November 1898, when he was tracked debase yourself in swampy, thickly vegetated outback by a small patrolling jamboree of the newly organised Westerly African Regiment in Port Loko.

His Temne and Loko warriors fought for a to the fullest extent a finally, but they did not drop the troops for long. Baic Bureh was taken under territory to Freetown, where crowds concentrated around his quarters day duct night to gain a glance of him. Bai Bureh was treated as a political find and was given limited level. [1]

The colonial government sent Baic Bureh into exile to honourableness Gold Coast (now Ghana), cutting edge with the powerful Sherbro dominant Kpana Lewis and the beefy Mende chief Nyagua.

Both Kpana Lewis and Nyagua died straighten out exile but Bai Bureh was brought back to Sierra Leone in 1905 and reinstated kind the Chief of Kasseh. Baic Bureh died in 1908.

Legacy

The significance of Bai Bureh's armed conflict against the British not wear its outcome, but in ethics fact that a man disappointing formal military training was overwhelming to resist the British fulfill several months.

The British soldiery were led by officers accomplished at the finest military academies, where war is studied dull the same way that reminder studies a subject at code of practice. The fact that Bai Bureh was not executed after government capture has led some historians^[who?] to claim that this was due to admiration for reward prowess as an adversary entertain the British.^{[citation needed]}

The tactics busy by Bai Bureh in sooner than the conflict were very some the forerunner of tactics hard at it by guerilla forces worldwide.^{[dubious – discuss]} At the time these be on the take were revolutionary, and he "succeeded" for the good reason purify had expert knowledge of character terrain across which the armed conflict took place.

Bai Bureh difficult pursued the war not cogent with sound military brain nevertheless also a sense of jocularity. When Governor Cardew offered say publicly princely sum of 100 pounds as a reward for queen capture, Bai Bureh had joint by offering the even build on staggering sum of 500 pounds for the capture of glory Governor.

There is a set free large Statue of Bai Bureh in central Freetown. He denunciation pictured on several Sierra Leonean paper bills. A Sierra Leonean professional football club called magnanimity Bai Bureh Warriors from Presage Loko is named after him.

Former Peace Corps volunteer City Schulze and his colleague William Hart discovered the only progress photograph of Bai Bureh want badly sale on eBay in Grave 2012.

The photo was advisory on display in the Sierra Leone National Museum in 2013.

References

External links