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Kanem-Bornu Expansion

Type Event Region Central Africa Time 1440–1449

In the 1440s, the Kanem-Bornu kingdom under the Sayfawa dynasty recovered and extended its power into the Lake Chad basin and surrounding grasslands,…

Timeline

  1. 1440–1444Bornu region · BornuSayfawa monarchs consolidated their center of rule in the Bornu region west of Lake Chad, integrating Islamic and indigenous political traditions to lay an administrative foundation for further expansion.
  2. 1444–1449Eastern grasslands of the Lake Chad basin · Lake Chad basinThe kingdom's armies and caravans imposed suzerainty over grassland peoples, controlling trade networks in salt, slaves, and livestock, with influence reaching Darfur to the east and the Hausa lands to the west.

Sources