List of mais of Kanem–Bornu

The mai (sometimes equated to king or emperor) was the monarch of the Kanem–Bornu Empire from the foundation of the empire in the 8th century to the abolition of the office in the mid-19th century. From the conversion to Islam in the 11th century and onwards, the mai sometimes adopted additional titles, such as emir, sultan, or caliph. The last mai, Ali V Minargema, was killed in 1846, whereafter the empire was ruled by the shehus.

Records of the mais generally distinguish between an earlier Duguwa dynasty (8th–11th century) and a later Sayfawa dynasty (11th–19th century) but it is unclear whether this distinction is rooted in an actual change in royal lineage or the result of some other factor. The line of rulers is reconstructed by scholars through orally recited sources such as the girgam (the empire's royal chronicle), surviving literary sources, and contemporary sources from other parts of the Islamic world.

Sources

Native sources

In the Kanem–Bornu Empire, keeping records of the royal lineage was the task of specialists, usually part of the royal court and in service of the mai. Records were passed down both through documents, written in Arabic by court scribes, and in the form of oral history. The history of the mais was referred to as the diwan in its written form and as the girgam in its orally recited form. Girgam is also commonly used as a name for both versions. Another type of important source document are mahrams, grants given by mais to their officials and subjects.