Empires in Chad first came about around 800-900 A.D. with the formation of the Kanem-Bornu Empire. They controlled areas around Lake Chad and were an important part of trade there. Its location made it especially influential over trade between Nile River societies and North African societies, as well as societies in the Sub-Saharan region. At various times they had control of Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger, and Libya, in addition to Chad. It was ruled by the Sef Dynasty and had its capital city at Njimi, which was located northeast of Lake Chad. The Empire became an Islamic state around 1100 A.D. when the Mai, or King, at the time converted to Islam. The capital was moved to a city west of Lake Chad in the Bornu region known as Birni Ngazargamu when the Bulala people invaded and forced the Kanembu people of the Sef Dynasty to the Bornu region in the late 1300’s. The Kanem region was retaken around 1500 A.D. but the capital remained in the Bornu region. Leadership improved after the Kanem region was retaken, and leaders such as Idris Alawma, Muhammad Dunama and ‘Abd Allah were able to expand the Kanem-Bornu Empire during the 1500’s. By the 1800’s, however, the empire began to decline. In 1808 the Fulani of Nigeria took over part of the empire and its capital west of Lake Chad. The Sef Dynasty would die out in 1846 and the Kanem-Bornu Empire would fall near the end of the 19th century.
There were also two other kingdoms that were in the Chad region. One was known as the Bagirimi Kingdom. This kingdom came to prominence southeast of the Kanem-Bornu during the 1500’s. The Bagirimi Kingdom adopted Islam later that century, and became a sultanate. They established a capital city at Massenya. The Bagirimi Kingdom spent some time under the control of the Kanem-Bornu, initially for a little less than a century. Bagirmi broke away from Kanem-Bornu, only to be reconquered and become a territory of Kanem-Bornu until it fell. After Kanem-Bornu fell, Bagirimi fell under control of the other Chad kingdom, the Wadai Empire. The Wadai Empire was located northeast of Bagirimi and took over them after the Kanem-Bornu Empire fell. The Wadai Empire would go on to be a major oppressor to French colonization that would come later in the century and into the early 1900’s.
Due to the importance of Lake Chad, and its importance of trade from Northern Africa to Sub-Saharan Africa, the Kanem-Bornu Empire was an important African Empire, that played a significant role in trade in the continent, and it is because of this that a decent bit of information can be found on them on the internet, however not nearly as much as empires in Europe or Asia, even of lesser influence, most likely due to the fact that they were in Africa and were out of power by the time northern colonists began colonizing the continent as well as that they did not make any noticeable technological advancement that was worth mentioning in the articles I read.
Bibliography:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/310975/Kanem-Bornu