Ali was a son of
mai Dunama V Ahmad. which had forced
mai Umar I Idrismi to re-center the empire in the region of
Bornu, west of
Lake Chad. Ali was a descendant of Idris I. All remaining Dawudids and their supporters were banished from imperial territory. and as marking the start of the second era of the Kanem–Bornu Empire. In the aftermath of the long civil wars, Ali instigated vital governmental reforms. Previously overly powerful titleholders such as the
kaigama (chief general) had their power reduced. A new policy was enacted that the empire's major fief holders were to be stationed in the capital and rule their fiefs through representatives, placing the most prominent nobles in the empire under the strict supervision of the imperial court. To centralise the administration, Ali founded the large capital of
Ngazargamu, situated on the southern bank of the
Komadugu Yobe River, near the border of modern-day
Nigeria and
Niger. This capital remained the focal point of power for the empire's rulers for three and a half centuries, until it was destroyed during the
Fula jihads in the 19th century. Ali was a powerful warrior-king and engaged in several military campaigns, including confrontations with
Kwararafa in the south, and the extraction of tribute from a number of
Hausa states in the west, including
Kano, the commercial centre of the region. Furthermore, he expanded the empire northward into
Borku and
Tibesti and regained control over the northern desert trade routes. There was also heavy fighting with the Bilala of Kanem in Ali's reign. Although some accounts attribute victory in these conflicts to Ali, neither side appears to have achieved any significant territorial gains. Bornu gained notable prestige under Ali's rule. The
Arab traveller
Leo Africanus underscored the significance of Bornu in
trans-Saharan trade during Ali's reign. This period marked Bornu's first appearances on
European maps of Africa, produced by
Portuguese cartographers in the late 15th-century. Ali ruled for over twenty years, perhaps for over thirty. He died at Ngazargamu and was succeeded as
mai by his son
Idris III Katagarmabe. == Notes ==