Mao
Mao is the capital of Kanem which is the heart of Kanembu and Kanuri governance. This fortified city is located along the northwestern edge of Lake Sade, ruled over by a Shehu (Caliph) installed by Ilnid. Situated along the border of the Shamsi Desert, this city acts as a gate between Shamsi and Kanem, quickly becoming an important stop along trade routes. Sand dunes and hardy Shamsi vegetation sprout along the border between Shamsi and Kasar Wuta, the waters of Lake Sade a welcome sight to desert travelers, while the characteristic orange grasses of Kasar Wuta battle with the white blades of Shamsi grasses.
Demography
Mao is home to mostly Kanembu, Kanuri, Kameeni, Fulbe with smaller populations of nomadic Imaziɣen and Arabiyy traders.
Government
Kanem was a Sultinate of Ilnid's empire for a long time, more or less retaining their system of governnance after being annexed by the Kingdom of Accia which is a common tactic of the kingdom. Much of Kanem is separated into independant villages usually dominated by a specific clan. Each village has a single leader called a gir ka, the head of their clan and highest authority of their settlement. Most headsman are the eldest male member of a clan, this position hereditary and static. However, there are those who have taken to chiefdom instead, Sar, Nar and Gulay Kameeni clans among these. The Kameeni have secured more influence over Kanem after allying themselves with the Kingdom of Accia but the Kanembu and Kanuri are still far more involved with and in control of trade and politics.
Within the city of Mao, the Kanembu and Kanuri have established a strict caste system imitating the systems of their neighbors in Kasar Wuta. Duu are farmers, artisans and artists, using trade skills to create and craft goods, entertain or to nurture crops and animals. Duu are generally looked down on by non-Duu, especially by landowners, religious leaders, merchants and politicians. Outside of Mao, gir ka and chiefs must seek out the Sultan's official approval alongside the kingdom's. The kingdom retains the right to depose any of their leadership but rarely does so, most of Kanem independant and self-reliant. However, the relationship between the Shehu and the kingdom remains tenuous, this figure deeply religious and loyal only to Ilnid. The kingdom merely tolerates the Shehu as a figurehead and religious leader, most of their political power gutted.
Within the city of Mao, the Kanembu and Kanuri have established a strict caste system imitating the systems of their neighbors in Kasar Wuta. Duu are farmers, artisans and artists, using trade skills to create and craft goods, entertain or to nurture crops and animals. Duu are generally looked down on by non-Duu, especially by landowners, religious leaders, merchants and politicians. Outside of Mao, gir ka and chiefs must seek out the Sultan's official approval alongside the kingdom's. The kingdom retains the right to depose any of their leadership but rarely does so, most of Kanem independant and self-reliant. However, the relationship between the Shehu and the kingdom remains tenuous, this figure deeply religious and loyal only to Ilnid. The kingdom merely tolerates the Shehu as a figurehead and religious leader, most of their political power gutted.
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