Kanem-Bornu Empire expands around Lake Chad

1224

Under the Sayfawa dynasty, the Kanem empire pressed its authority south of the Sahara, controlling trans-Saharan trade routes that carried salt, slaves, and gold between the forest and the Mediterranean. Its capital Njimi, near Lake Chad, housed Quranic schools and camel caravans in uneasy proximity. The empire's diplomatic reach extended to North Africa and Egypt, where its ambassadors were received as representatives of a major Islamic power.