Kanem-Bornu Empire

Timeline

1. c. 850–950Northeastern shore of Lake Chad · Lake Chad basinThe Sayfawa people established the Kanem kingdom on the northeastern shore of Lake Chad, with Njimi as its capital, unifying surrounding tribes through lake fisheries, nomadic vassals, and cavalry force, forming an early centralized system.
2. c. 950–1040Kano · NigeriaKanem's power expanded westward to the Kano plain, controlling eastern trade routes to Fezzan and the Nile Valley, exporting slaves and ivory, importing horses and North African goods; the Mai kings collected tribute through court officials and vassal chiefs.
3. 1041–1050Njimi · ChadIn the 1040s Kanem's cavalry numbered in the thousands; the Mai king maintained a court secretariat and military commanders centered on Njimi, keeping commercial and diplomatic exchanges with Fezzan and Libyan oases, making it the most organized political entity in the Lake Chad basin.
4. c. 1080–1400Ngazargamu · Borno StateIn the late 11th century the Mai king Hume carried out Islamization reforms; later, due to internal strife, the capital moved to Ngazargamu on the western shore of Bornu, the empire was renamed Bornu, and a more mature Islamic bureaucracy and religious academies were established, continuing into the 19th century.