Lake Fitri and the seasonal Batha river that feeds it were home to farming, fishing and herding peoples; the Kuka and their neighbours are the later names.
The Bilala dynasty that later ruled here from Yao first appears in the fourteenth century, so it has no place in 1200. Nothing written describes the area in 1200.
Who holds it
- Title
- village and clan heads
- Confidence
- low
Overlord
None recorded
How things stand that morning
Self-governing peoples on Kanem's south-eastern fringe; no tribute to Kanem is recorded.
Customs
Lineage and village heads (later ethnography).
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Later ethnography only; the Bilala are later.
On the map: Rough outline of the lake and valley country.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.