Thus women continued to exert considerable political influence, especially the Magira (Queen Mother) and the Magara (the official “elder sister” of Mai).
Due to Kanem's growing influence in North Africa and the territorial expansion it achieved in the 12th and 13th centuries, the empire became very well known in the Islamic world of the time.
With a reinvigorated army, he extended Bornu's influence to neighboring regions and even demanded tribute from some Hausa states.
Shortly after his accession to the throne, he procured Turkish musketeers from North Africa as well as horses, camels and various weapons for his troops in order to strengthen Bornu's military power.
His troops carried out far-reaching campaigns: in the north from Fezzan in southern Libya to Kawar in northern Niger; in the east from the Kanem region in eastern Chad to the Mandara region in northern Cameroon; in the south he crushed the rebellion of a Marghi prince; and in the west he subdued Kano and demanded tribute from the Hausa states.
Despite its relative political weakness during this period, the court and mosques of Borno gained a reputation as centers of Islamic culture and scholarship under the patronage of a series of skillful kings.
As vibrant trading centers competing with Kanem–Bornu and Mali slowly developed in the Central Sudan, a set Kingdoms merged dominating the great savannah plains of Hausaland, their primary exports were leather, gold, cloth, salt, kola nuts, animal hides, and henna.
With the decline of the Nok and Sokoto, who had previously controlled Central and Northern Nigeria between 800 BCE and 200 CE, the Hausa were able to emerge as the new power in the region.
Many of their early mosques and palaces are bright and colourful and often include intricate engraving or elaborate symbols designed into the facade.
In Northern Nigeria and the central Sudan, Usman dan Fodio led the Fula in a bid to overthrow the Hausa Sultanates.
The Bornu Empire was initially absorbed into the Sokoto Caliphate of Usman dan Fodio, but broke away after a few years later.
[9] The Initial contact of Northern Nigeria with the British was predominantly trade-related, and revolved around the expansion of the Royal Niger Company, whose interior territories spread north from about where the Niger River and Benue River joined at Lokoja, a place called (Mount Patti Hill).
The Royal Niger Company's territory did not represent a direct threat to much the Sokoto Caliphate or the numerous states of Northern Nigeria.
The Richards constitution, proclaimed in 1945 gave overwhelming autonomy to the North, including eventually in the areas of foreign relations and customs policy.
In the 1940s agitation for Northernisation led to the Richards and eventually to the Macpherson constitution of 1953, which granted exceptional self-governing powers (including in the areas of foreign policy, customs and border control) to the North.