Aissa Koli

Aissa Koli or Aisa Kili (Āʾisha Kili ), sometimes called Aisa Kili Ngirmaramma, was a ruler of the Kanem–Bornu Empire in the mid-to-late 16th century, ruling approximately 1563–1570. Formally styled as magira ("queen mother"), Aissa was one of few women to rule the empire and the only known woman to do so in her own right. In the 12th century, Fasama also wielded considerable power as regent but she formally ruled on behalf of her young son Biri I Uthman. Aissa remains celebrated in local Bornuan oral tradition but there is considerable disagreement in the sources on most of the details of her reign.

Life There are discrepancies in the sources on Aissa's familial relationships and the details on her reign. Aissa is celebrated in local oral tradition in Bornu but is often omitted in literary sources written by Arab historians. and an older sister or half-sister of her successor, mai Idris IV Alooma.

In one version of the tale that presents Aissa as Ali II's daughter, Dunama VI (who succeeded Ali) had all the sons of Ali killed, except for Idris who was sent away to the Bilala in secret by his mother, Amsa. When Abdullah IV (Dunama's heir) died, Aissa succeeded him as ruler as she was unaware that Idris was still alive. Some versions designate Aissa as Idris's mother, perhaps out of confusing resulting from the use of the title magira ("queen mother"). This is false since Idris's mother is known from various sources to have been named Amsa. Ronald Cohen suggested in 1966 that the use of magira could imply that Aissa was a wife of Ali II, but not Idris's mother, and that she thus lacked formal blood ties to the other rulers.