Bornu Empire

E60339

Islamic state West African state historical empire

The Bornu Empire was a powerful West African state that succeeded the Kanem Empire and dominated the Lake Chad region for centuries through trans-Saharan trade, Islamic scholarship, and military strength.

Aliases (5)

Statements (50)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	Islamic state → West African state → historical empire →
bordered	Sahara Desert → Sahel zone →
capital	Ngazargamu →
centeredOn	Lake Chad →
continent	Africa →
dynasty	Sayfawa dynasty →
endDate	late 19th century →
engagedIn	pilgrimage and diplomatic missions to North African states → pilgrimage and diplomatic missions to the Ottoman Empire →
ethnicBase	Kanuri people →
followedBy	British colonial rule in Northern Nigeria → French colonial rule in Chad region → Sokoto Caliphate influence →
governmentType	monarchy →
hadAdministrativeCenter	Ngazargamu →
hadVassal	various Hausa states (periodically) →
knownFor	Islamic scholarship → cavalry warfare → military strength → use of firearms in later period →
language	Kanuri language →
legalSystem	Islamic law (sharia) →
locatedInPresentDay	Cameroon → Chad → Libya → Niger → Nigeria →
majorEconomicActivity	trans-Saharan trade →
militaryReformBy	Idris Alooma →
notableRuler	Mai Ali Gaji → Mai Idris Alooma →
partOf	Kanem–Bornu Empire →
peakPeriod	16th century →
precededBy	Kanem Empire →
reformBy	Idris Alooma →
region	Lake Chad region →
religion	Islam →
religiousAffiliation	Sunni Islam →
rulingTitle	Mai →
startDate	c. 1380 →
successorStateTo	Kanem Empire →
tradedCommodity	copper → horses → ivory → salt → slaves → textiles →

Referenced by (10)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
Borno State ("Kanem–Bornu region") → Kanuri ("Kanem") →	historicalRegion
Kanuri ("Kanem-Bornu Empire") →	associatedWith
Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti ("Kanem") →	borderRegionOfChad
Northern Nigeria →	hasHistoricalEntity
Sahel ("Kanem-Bornu Empire") →	historicalEmpire
Borno State →	historicalPolity
Kanuri →	historicalState
Borno State ("Borno (Bornu) Empire") →	namedAfter
Bornu Empire ("Kanem–Bornu Empire") →	partOf