Traditional polities

Note: The sultans ruled large conquered populations in the north and east of the present-day Central African Republic (CAR). They included the famous slave-trader al-Sanusi, eventually killed in battle with the French in 1911, and the sultans Labassou, Zemio, and Hetman, heads of conquering dynasties. The Banda in the central part of the CAR generally had no grands chefs and have been called "anarchistic" because of their various subgroupings and divisions. The Mandjia and Baya in the west and the riverine peoples along the Oubangui and Mbomou in the south had no grands chefs either. They had leaders of different kinds, however, for the settlement of disputes or to lead men in battle against an enemy, or as heads of kinship groupings.

Dar al-Kuti

     c.1830                Djougoultoum (or Omar), an exiled Baguirmian prince, founds
                           Dar al-Kuti south of the Aouk river
       1890                Sultanate of Dar al-Kuti and Dar Rounga is established by
                           conqueror Rabah
12 Dec 1897                French protectorate over Dar al-Kuti
       1912                sultanate suppressed

Sultans
     c.1830 -         ...  Djougoultoum (or Omar)
        ... -        1890  Muhammad Kober
       1890 - 11 Jan 1911  Muhammad al-Sanusi                 (b. 18... - d. 1911)
   Jan 1911 - 17 Dec 1912  Kamoun

Bangassou

     c.1780                Ndounga founds the Bandia kingdom of Nzakara
14 Jun 1890                Congo Free State protectorate over the Sultanate of Bangassou
       1894                French protectorate over the Sultanate of Bangassou
       1917                sultanate suppressed by the French

Sultans
     c.1780 -      c.1800  Ndounga
     c.1800 -      c.1830  Mbilinga
     c.1830 -      c.1860  Gbandi (or Boendi)
     c.1860 -      c.1878  Mbali
     c.1878 -  8 Jun 1907  Bangassou                          (b. ... - d. 1907)
       1907 -  c.Jan 1917  Labassou                           (b. ... - d. 1917)
       1917                Banzanga                           (b. ... - d. 1920)
       1917 -        1932  Kelenga                            (b. ... - d. 1932)
       1932 -        1936  Antoine Gounga                     (b. ... - d. 1942)
       1936 -        1966  Sayo

Rafai

     c.1800                Kassanga founds a Bandia kingdom in the Chinko river valley
 8 Apr 1892                Congo Free State protectorate over the Sultanate of Rafai
31 Mar 1909                French protectorate over the Sultanate of Rafai
       1939                sultanate suppressed by the French

Sultans
     c.1800 -         ...  Kassanga
        ... -         ...  Tosi
        ... -         ...  Sangou
        ... -      c.1875  Baingui
     c.1875 - 15 Jun 1900  Rafai                              (b. ... - d. 1900)
       1900 -        1939  Hetman                             (b. ... - d. 1939)
       1939 -        1966  Fatrane

Zemio

     c.1830                Nounga founds a Voungara kingdom between the Chinko and
                           the Ouelle rivers
11 Dec 1894                Congo Free State protectorate over the Sultanate of Zemio
12 Apr 1909                French protectorate over the Sultanate of Zemio
       1923                sultanate suppressed by the French

Sultans
        ... -      c.1835  Nounga
        ... -      c.1855  Zangabirou                         (b. ... - d. c.1858)
     c.1855 -      c.1872  Tikima
     c.1872 - 12 Oct 1912  Zemio = Zemio-Ikpiro               (b. c.1840 - d. 1912)
       1912 -        1921  Zemio-Mbomou
       1921 -        1923  Momi