The Kurmina-fari or Kanfari was the title of a major administrative and military position in the Songhai Empire. The position was broadly in charge of the western half of the empire, and was based in Tindirma. The position was created by Askia Mohammad I in 1494 soon after he took power from Sonni Ali. His brother Umar Komadiago was the first Kurmina-fari, and several of his sons would hold the position after him. The Kurmina-fari was often the eldest son or brother of the ruling Askia.
List of Kurmina-fari This list comes from the Tarikh al-Sudan. Dates and english spellings are derived mostly from Michael A. Gomez's book African Dominion: A New History of Empire in Early and Medieval West Africa.
Umar Komadiago b. Abu Bakr, 1494–1520 Yahya b. Abu Bakr, 1520–1529 Uthman Yawbobo, 1529–1530 Mohammed Bonkana Kirya, 1530–1531 Uthman Tinfarin, 1531–1537 Hammad Aryao b. Mohammad Kirai, 1537–1539 ‘Alī Kusira, 1539–1543 Dāwūd, 1543–1549 Kashiya b. ‘Uthmān Tinfarin, 1549-15?? Ya’qūb b. Askia Mohammad I, 15??-1578 Muḥammad Bonkana b. Dāwūd, 1578–1582 Al-Hādī b. Dāwūd, 1582–1584 Ṣāliḥ b. Dāwūd, 1584-March 1588 Mahmud b. Ismail, 1588-1592
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