They subdued the Fula and Arabs already settled in the district, and after being converted to Islam under Abdullah, their fourth king (about 1600), they extended their authority over a large number of tribes living to the south and east.
The most important of these tribes were the Saras, Gaberi, Somrai, Gulla, Nduka, Nuba and Sokoro, who were repeatedly raided by the Bagirmese for slaves.
[2] In 1911 polygamy was still general in upper Bagirmi, where some traces of a matriarchal stage of society lingered, one small state being called Beled-el-Mra, "Women's Land", because its ruler was always a queen.
[2] Bagirmi became known to Europe by the travels of Dixon Denham (1823), Heinrich Earth (1852), who was imprisoned by the Bagirmese for some time, Gustav Nachtigal (1872), and P. Matteucci and A. M. Massari (1881).
The country in 1871 had been conquered by the sultan of Wadai, and about 1890 was over-run by Rabah Zobeir who subsequently removed farther west to Bornu.
The first expedition led thither through Bagirmi met with disaster, its leader, Paul Crampel, being killed by order of Rabah.