Tensions between Drum-lords

The drums are at the centre of disputes between notables called "drum-lords" both metaphorically and concretely. Drumlords (arbāb al-ṭabl) were the few whose drums would play until they reached a threshold, after which only the Askia's drums could be heard (Gomez, 2018).

وطلب من الامير ان يولّى ابنه بل فرم بنك فرم وهو ادِكَ فرم يومئذ فاذن له به وهو معروف بين اخوته بالنجدة والشجاعة ومن صغار اولاده فلمّا سمع اخوانه الكبار ذلك غضبوا وحلفوا متى جاء كاغ يشقّون طبله وتلك الرياسة مقام كير في سلطنتهم وصاحبه من ارباب الطبل وبقى اخوانه يتكلّمون في امره بكلام العار حسّادًا الا فارمنذ موسى وحده وهو اكبر منهم جميعةً فسمع بل جميع مقالاتهم فخلف هو على من اراد ان يشقّ طبله يشقّ هودير امّه فجاء كاغ وطبله بين يديه يضرب حتى وصل موضعاً معروفًا بقرب المدينة وهو حدّ لانقطاع ضرب جميع الطبل الا طبل اسكيا وحده فامر طباله ان لا يمسك عن عمله الى باب دار الامير فركب كبار الجيش الذين من عاداتهم ان يركبوا للقاء مثله وفيهم اخوانه الذين وعدوا بشقّ طبله فلمّا وصلهم نزل عن حصانه للسلام عليه كلّ من عادته ان يزل لمثله الا فارمنذ موسى سلّم عليه وهو على حصانه واحنى راسه له فليلًا وقال له ما تكلّمت بشيء وقد عرفتَ ان تكلّمت لا بد من وفاء كلامي [ص. ٧٩]

[ʿAlī Fulan] advised the amīr [Askiya Muḥammad] to appoint his son Balla to the vacant post of Benga-farma - he being Adiki-farma at the time - and the askiya agreed. Balla was well-known among his brothers for his courage and valour, though he was one of the younger ones. When his elder brothers heard of the appointment, they were angry and swore that when he came to Gao they would split open his drum [ṭabl], for that post of Benga-farma was a major one, and its occupant was one of the drum-lords [arbāb al-ṭabl]. His brothers, in their envy, continued to talk about the matter in a shameful fashion, except for Fari-mondyo Mūsā alone, who was the eldest of them all. Balla heard everything they said, and swore he would split open the anus of the mother of anyone who wanted to split open his drum [ṭabl]. He came to Gao, his drum [ṭabl] being beaten in front of him, and on reaching a certain spot, recognized to be the point beyond which no drum [ṭabl] but the askiya's was to be sounded, he told his drummer [ṭabbāl] to continue beating until they reached the gate of the amīr's palace. The army commanders who customarily rode out to meet a man of his rank emerged, among them were his brothers who had threatened to split open his drum [ṭabl]. When he reached them those who would customarily dismount to greet such a person did so, except for Fari-mondyo Mūsā. He greeted him from on horseback with a slight nod of his head, saying, "I have said nothing, but you know that if I speak, I keep my word".

115-116

1524 circa