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307:, a town in northern Sierra Leone. Bai Bureh's fighters defeated the Susu, pushed them back into French Guinea and returned the land to the local Kambia people. After winning several major wars, his popularity spread. The people of the north felt they had found a warrior who would defend their land. In 1886, Bai Bureh was crowned as the
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The significance of Bai Bureh's war against the
British not in its outcome, but in the fact that a man lacking formal military training was able to resist the British for several months. The British troops were led by officers trained at the finest military academies, where war is studied in the same
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worldwide. At the time these tactics were revolutionary, and he "succeeded" for the good reason he had expert knowledge of the terrain across which the war took place. Bai Bureh had pursued the war not just with sound military brain but also a sense of humour. When
Governor Cardew offered the
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Bai Bureh had the advantage over the forces of the colonial government for several months of the war. By 19 February 1898, Bai Bureh's forces had completely severed the lines of communication between
Freetown and Port Loko. They blocked the road and the river from Freetown. Despite their
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in Port Loko. His Temne and Loko warriors fought for a while, but they did not evade the troops for long. Bai Bureh was taken under guard to
Freetown, where crowds gathered around his quarters day and night to gain a glimpse of him. Bai Bureh was treated as a
272:. During his training at the village, he showed that he was a formidable warrior and was given the nickname of Kebalai, which translates as "one who doesn’t tire of war." When Kebalai returned to his home village, he was crowned ruler of Kasseh.
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who were living in
Northern Sierra Leone because it was thought by the indigenous people of Sierra Leone that they supported the colonial government. One of the most notable Creole people who was killed by Bai Bureh's warriors was the trader
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Former Peace Corps volunteer Gary
Schulze and his colleague William Hart discovered the only known photograph of Bai Bureh for sale on eBay in August 2012. The photo was put on display in the Sierra Leone National Museum in 2013.
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as a reward for his capture, Bai Bureh reciprocated by offering the higher sum of five hundred pounds for the capture of the governor. In 1898, Bureh declared war on the
British in Sierra Leone. The war later became known as the
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way that one studies a subject at university. The fact that Bai Bureh was not executed after his capture has led some historians to claim that this was due to admiration for his prowess as an adversary to the
British.
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Bai Bureh refused to recognise the hut tax imposed by the colonial government. He did not believe the Sierra
Leonean people had a duty to pay taxes to foreigners and he wanted all Britons to return to
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princely sum of 100 pounds as a reward for his capture, Bai Bureh had reciprocated by offering the even more staggering sum of 500 pounds for the capture of the
Governor.
464:. Both Kpana Lewis and Nyagua died in exile but Bai Bureh was brought back to Sierra Leone in 1905 and reinstated as the Chief of Kasseh. Bai Bureh died in 1908.
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to pay the tax. The hut tax enabled the colonial government to build roads, towns, railways and other infrastructure amenities in Sierra Leone.
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of Bai Bureh in central Freetown. He is pictured on several Sierra Leonean paper bills. A Sierra Leonean professional football club called the
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and let the Sierra Leoneans solve their own problems. After refusing to pay his taxes on several occasions, the colonial government issued a
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villages, sent to his aid. Bai Bureh's men not only engaged in combat with the colonial government's forces but also killed dozens of
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after his surrender, sitting relaxed in his traditional dress with a handkerchief in his hands, while a Sierra Leonean
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As a ruler, Bureh never wanted to cooperate with the colonial government who were living in the capital city of
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The tactics employed by Bai Bureh in during the conflict were very much the forerunner of tactics employed by
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practices throughout Northern Sierra Leone. In 1882, Bureh fought against the
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On January 1, 1893, the colonial government instituted a
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leaders who were against his plan to establish correct
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without his participation; and on one occasion, his
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561:Web Archives (archived 2005-04-19)
538:Bai Bureh – Hero of the 1898 Rebellion
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323:. Bai Bureh refused to recognise a
518:. sierra-leone.org. Archived from
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207:Early life and rule pre-rebellion
43:soldier stands guard next to him.
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431:and was given limited freedom.
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227:. Bureh's father was a Muslim
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41:West African Regiment
400:John "Johnny" Taylor
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414:Surrender and exile
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259:Sunni Islam
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315:Rebellion
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167:Bai Bureh
130:dominance
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195:against
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146:Religion
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567:at the
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450:Sherbro
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363:warrant
359:Britain
344:hut tax
333:warrior
285:Islamic
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253:of the
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197:British
173:ruler,
139:Warrior
124:British
486:Statue
468:Legacy
462:Nyagua
460:chief
452:chief
420:swampy
367:pounds
348:Africa
305:Kambia
301:Guinea
281:tribal
251:Muslim
247:Makeni
243:trader
229:cleric
213:Kasseh
182:cleric
179:Muslim
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101:Kasseh
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444:(now
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387:Kissi
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329:Limba
309:chief
299:(now
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154:Sunni
150:Islam
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389:and
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