sultanate · Central and Southern Africa

Sultanate of Rafai

1870 CE – 1909 CE (approx.) · capital Rafai

A Zande sultanate on the Mbomou River whose rulers traded ivory and captives before falling under French rule.

Origins

The Rafai state was one of several Zande-ruled sultanates that formed along the Mbomou River in the 19th century. It took its name from its ruler Rafai, whose followers controlled the area around the town that still bears the name.

Rule and society

Little is recorded in detail. Like its neighbours, the sultanate depended on armed retainers, tribute and the sale of ivory and captives to traders coming from the Nile basin, which supplied firearms.

Decline and legacy

In the 1890s it dealt with officers of the Congo Free State and then, after the 1894 boundary agreement, with France. Its independent power ended when it was absorbed into Ubangi-Shari in the early 20th century.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Connections (1)

  • Sultanate of Rafai was a protectorate of Ubangi-Shari1894 CE – 1909 CE

More states of Central and Southern Africa →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Sultanate of Rafai. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sultanate-of-rafai
MLA
“Sultanate of Rafai.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sultanate-of-rafai. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Sultanate of Rafai.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sultanate-of-rafai.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Sultanate of Rafai’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sultanate-of-rafai (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻