The Kanem-Bornu Empire was a large African state which existed
from the 9th century through the end of the 19th century and
which spanned a region which today includes the modern-day
countries of Niger, Chad, Cameroon, and Nigeria. The empire was
founded by the Zaghawa nomadic people, who may have been the
first in the central Sudan to acquire and make use of iron
technology and horses. Kanem was situated north east of Lake
Chad. Its early origins are thought to lie in the 7th century
with the settlement of the Zaghawa people. In the early 11th
century, the Kanuri-speaking Sefawa dynasty was established,
displacing the Zaghawa. The empire was first mentioned by Arab
chroniclers in the 9th century, and by the 10th century the
ruler of Kanem had control of the Kawar Oases, a vital economic
asset. The political structure of the Kanem empire had most
likely grown out of rival states coming under the control of the
Zaghawa. In the 11th century the Zaghawa clans were driven out
by Humai ibn Salamna, who founded the