Kade III (Kade bin ʿUthmān) was mai (ruler) of the Kanem–Bornu Empire in the mid-15th century, ruling approximately 1440–1444. Kade ruled during the "Era of Instability", a chaotic period of internal and external conflict in the empire.
Life Kade was the son of a mai named Uthman, probably Uthman III Kalinumuwa. The account of Kade's rise to the throne is confused in the sources. A royal chronicle translated by the German explorer Heinrich Barth in the mid-19th century describes Kade as taking the throne after murdering his predecessor, the unpopular mai Ibrahim II. Ibrahim was also a son of "Uthman" and thus possibly Kade's brother. In a preceding section, Barth's chronicle also contradictorily describes Ibrahim II to have been placed upon the throne during the reign of mai Abdullah III Dakumuni, who ruled again for a brief period after Ibrahim's death.
Kade had a short reign. He was killed during dynastic succession conflicts by a rival, Dunama V Ahmad, and was succeeded as mai by Biri IV. The site of Kade's death is variously recorded as Amará/Amazá, or Damaza (Damasak).Palmer, H. R. (1926). History Of The First Twelve Years Of The Reign Of Mai Idris Alooma Of Bornu (1571–1583) (Fartua, Ahmed Ibn). p. 114.
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