# Abd al-Qadir becomes sultan of Agadez (1835)

URL: https://allhistories.com/niger/timeline/1835-abd-al-qadir-becomes-sultan-of-agadez
Location: Agadez, Agadez Region, Niger
Themes: ruler-change

Abd al-Qadir became sultan of Agadez in 1835 and ruled until 1853, according to Wikipedia's list. His reign saw the sultanate and its capital in a weakened state, with Tuareg confederations holding real power in the Aïr, while Agadez remained a minor caravan stop. The sultan's name appears in Bovill's lists, and Wikipedia notes his reign from 1835 to 1853, which covers the decline described by Barth. When Heinrich Barth reached Agadez in 1850, he found a town far smaller than the earlier city. The sultan relied on trade tolls and alliances with confederation leaders such as the Kel Owey. The sultan's influence over Tuareg politics was limited, but the office retained religious and ceremonial authority. Agadez's population was small, its walls decayed and its trade reduced, but the sultan still presided over legal and religious affairs. No single named ruler is documented for the lands of present-day Niger at this date. The period is represented in the rulers file by the placeholder entry 'Sahelian sultanates and states: Agadez, Songhai, Hausa states, Damagaram, Sokoto Caliphate', so the event belongs to the history of local communities and states (see the sultans-and-chiefs file for the named sultans, kings and chiefs of Agadez, Damagaram, Gobir, Dosso and neighbours) rather than a documented single head of state. Locally, Yunus (first Sultan of Agadez) (Sultan of Agadez, c. 1405/1449 (traditional)); Alkassan (Ălxăsăn) (Sultan of Agadez, early 15th century (undated)) held authority in the region concerned. Abd al-Qadir's reign shows the sultanate's decline before European exploration and French conquest. It also shows how Agadez survived as an institution despite reduced power. His reign therefore sits at the end of the sultanate's pre-colonial history, just before European explorers began to describe it.

## Why it matters
Abd al-Qadir's reign illustrates the Agadez sultanate's reduced but persistent role.

Ruler at the Time: [Sahelian sultanates and states: Agadez, Songhai, Hausa states, Damagaram, Sokoto Caliphate](https://allhistories.com/niger/rulers/sahelian-sultanates-and-states-agadez-songhai-hausa-states-damagaram-sokoto-caliphate)

## Sources
- [Sultanate of Agadez](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultanate_of_Agadez)
- [Agadez Mosque](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agadez_Mosque)
- [History of Niger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Niger)