Kanem empire expands under Mai Dunama

1275

The Kanem empire northeast of Lake Chad flourished under Mai Dunama Dibbalemi, a Muslim ruler who corresponded with North African scholars and expanded his authority across the Sahara. His diplomatic letter to the Hafsid court of Tunis survives in Arabic sources. He established a madrasa in Cairo for Kanembu students, demonstrating that the trans-Saharan intellectual exchange ran in both directions.