Sultanate of Bagirmi

The Sultanate or Kingdom of Bagirmi (French: Royaume du Baguirmi) was an Islamicsultanate southeast of Lake Chad in Central Africa. Founded in 1522, it was a tributary to the Bornu Empire for much of its existence, and lasted until 1897. Its capital was Massenya, north of the Chari River and close to the border to modern Cameroon. The kings had the title Mbang. Bagirmi was first mentioned in a Bornu chronicle in 1578 as "Bakarmi".

Bagirmi regained full independence from Bornu in the 18th century. It was conquered by Wadai in 1805, and again by Sudanese warlord Rabih az-Zubayr in 1893. In 1897 at the request of the mbang it became a French protectorate, and, after the killing of az-Zubayr and disintegration of his state, a French colony in 1902. The Sultanate continues to exist as a non-sovereign monarchy in Chad.