Kanem-Bornu Sultanate

Timeline

1. 1371–1375Ngazargamu · NigeriaSayfawa dynasty monarchs made Ngazargamu their capital, unifying the Kanuri peoples and surrounding nomadic groups. The kingdom relied on the agricultural, fishing, and salt resources around Lake Chad to maintain a large army and court expenditures, and imposed tariffs and protection policies on trans-Saharan trade routes.
2. 1376–1380Ngazargamu · NigeriaAfter succeeding to the throne, Mai Bir Idris continued to advance Islamized administration, establishing systems of court scholars and judges and strengthening ties with North African Maghreb scholars. The kingdom's army maintained control over the Bornu plateau and the Fezzan trade route, making it the most influential polity in Central Africa in the later 14th century.