Editing Funj Sultanate (section)

===Ottoman threat and revolt of Ajib===
[[File:A lady of Sennar.jpg|thumb|left|90px|A young woman of Sennar]]
In 1523 the kingdom was visited by [[Judaism|Jewish]] traveller [[David Reubeni]], who disguised himself as a [[Sharif]].{{sfn|O'Fahey|Spaulding|1974|p=23}} Sultan [[Amara Dunqas]], Reubeni wrote, was continuously travelling through his kingdom. He, who "ruled over black people and white"{{sfn|Crawford|1951|p=136}} between the region south of the Nile confluence to as far north as Dongola,{{sfn|O'Fahey|Spaulding|1974|p=23}} owned large herds of various types of animals and commanded many captains on horseback.{{sfn|Crawford|1951|p=136}} Two years later, [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] admiral [[Selman Reis]] mentioned Amara Dunqas and his kingdom, calling it weak and easily conquerable. He also stated that Amara paid an annual tribute of 9,000 camels to the [[Ethiopian Empire]].{{sfn|Peacock|2012|p=91}} One year later the Ottomans occupied [[Sawakin]],{{sfn|Peacock|2012|p=98}} which beforehand was associated with Sennar.{{sfn|O'Fahey|Spaulding|1974|p=26}} It seems that to counter the Ottoman expansion in the Red Sea region, the Funj engaged in an alliance with Ethiopia. Besides camels the Funj are known to have exported horses to Ethiopia, which were then used in war against the [[Adal Sultanate]].{{sfn|Peacock|2012|pp=98–101}} The borders of Funj were raided by [[Ahmed Gurey]] during the war taking many slaves before stopping near the Taka mountain range near modern-day [[Kassala]]. <ref>{{cite book |last1=Burton |first1=Richard |title=First Footsteps in East Africa |page=179}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Pal Ruhela |first1=Satya |title=Somalia: From The Dawn of Civilization To The Modern Times |last2=Farah Aidid |first2=Mohammed |publisher=Vikas Pub. House |year=1994 |isbn=9780706980042}}</ref>

Before the Ottomans gained a foothold in Ethiopia, in 1555, [[Özdemir Pasha]] was appointed [[Beylerbey]] of the (yet to be conquered) [[Habesh Eyalet]]. He attempted to march upstream along the Nile to conquer the Funj, but his troops revolted when they approached the [[Cataracts of the Nile|first cataract of the Nile]].{{sfn|Ménage|1988|pp=143–144}} Until 1570, however, the Ottomans had established themselves in [[Qasr Ibrim]] in [[Lower Nubia]], most likely a preemptive move to secure [[Upper Egypt]] from Funj aggression.{{sfn|Ménage|1988|pp=145–146}} Fourteen years later they had pushed as far south as the third cataract of the Nile and subsequently attempted to conquer [[Dongola]], but, in 1585, were crushed by the Funj at the [[battle of Hannik]].{{sfn|Peacock|2012|pp=96–97}} Afterwards, the battlefield, which was located just south of the third Nile cataract, would mark the border between the two kingdoms.{{sfn|O'Fahey|Spaulding|1974|p=35}} In the late 16th century the Funj pushed towards the Habesh Eyalet, conquering north-western [[Eritrea]].{{sfn|Smidt|p=665|2010}} Failing to make progress against both the Funj Sultanate and Ethiopia, the Ottomans abandoned their policy of expansion.{{sfn|Peacock|2012|p=97}} Thus, from the 1590s onwards, the Ottoman threat vanished, rendering the Funj-Ethiopian alliance unnecessary, and relations between the two states were about to turn into open hostility.{{sfn|Peacock|2012|pp=101–102}} As late as 1597, however, the relations were still described as friendly, with trade flourishing.{{sfn|Aregay|Selassie|1971|p=64}}

In the meantime, the rule of sultan [[Dakin of Sennar|Dakin]] (1568–1585) saw the rise of [[Ajib the Great|Ajib]], a minor king of northern Nubia. When Dakin returned from a failed campaign in the Ethiopian–Sudanese borderlands Ajib had acquired enough power to demand and receive greater political autonomy.<!--1580 Eastern Desert--> A few years later he forced sultan [[Tayyib of Sennar|Tayyib]] to marry his daughter, effectively making Tayyib and his offspring and successor, [[Unsa I of Sennar|Unsa]], his vassals. Unsa was eventually deposed in 1603/1604 by [[Abd al-Qadir II]], triggering Ajib to invade the Funj heartland. His armies pushed the Funj king to the south-east. Thus, Ajib effectively ruled over an empire reaching from Dongola to Ethiopia. Abd el-Qadir II, eventually deposed in December 1606, fled to Ethiopia and submitted to emperor [[Susenyos]],{{sfn|O'Fahey|Spaulding|1974|pp=36–38}} providing Susenyos with an opportunity to intervene in the sultanate's affairs.{{sfn|O'Fahey|Spaulding|1974|p=60}} However, the new Funj sultan, [[Adlan I]], managed to turn the tide of war against Ajib,{{sfn|O'Fahey|Spaulding|1974|p=38}} eventually killing him in 1611 or 1612.{{sfn|O'Fahey|Spaulding|1974|p=36}} While chasing the remnants of Ajib's army to the north, Adlan II himself was deposed and succeeded by a son of the former sultan Abd al-Qadir II, [[Badi I]]. He issued a peace treaty with the sons of Ajib, agreeing to factually split the Funj state. The successors of Ajib, the [[Abdallabi tribe|Abdallab]], would receive everything north of the confluence of Blue and White Nile, which they would rule as vassal kings of Sennar. Therefore, the Funj lost direct control over much of their kingdom.{{sfn|O'Fahey|Spaulding|1974|pp=38–40}}

In 1618-1619 [[Bahr Negash]] Gebre Mariam, ruler of the Medri Bahri, helped [[Susenyos I|Emperor Susneyos]] in a military campaign against the Sennar Sultanate. Emperor Susneyos sent Bahr Gebre to attack Mandara whose queen, Fatima, controlled a strategic caravan road from [[Suakin]]. The [[Bahr Negash]] was successful in capturing Queen Fatima, which he sent back to Emperor Susenyos' palace in [[Danqaz]] ([[Gorgora]]) and she renewed submission to the [[Ethiopian Empire]].<ref name=":1">James Bruce, ''[[iarchive:travelstodiscov02bruc|Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile]]'', vol. 2.</ref>