Ahmadu, sometimes called Seku (chief) Ahmadu (c.1775-1844), Fulani Muslim reformer and ruler of the kingdom of Macina, region between Ségou and Tombouctou, in present-day Mali. Influenced by the Islamic scholar Usuman dan Fodio, he set out to be a teacher, but soon rebelled against the semipagan ruler of his homeland and overthrew him. A jihad (holy war) against the neighbouring Tuareg and Songhai principalities ensued, and in 1826 he captured Tombouctou. Founding a capital at Hamdallahi (Arabic, "God Be Praised"), Ahmadu ruled over his Islamic empire until his death.
