Born in the first half of the 18th century, Damagaram was an appendage of Borno until the accession of Tanimoune Dari to power in 1851. This energetic, daring sovereign and fine diplomat took decisions which allowed him to create the Independent state of Damagaram, starting with the capital, Zinder.
To write this article we first read the scientific writings on this kingdom. Then, we used documents from colonial archives and information collected following our field survey.
This article shows that the sovereign Tanimoune was an exemplary, courageous and daring statesman who knew how to build a city which acquired great fame. This city emerged thanks to the different districts that this sovereign created. These are the Birni, Zongo and Grain Malam districts. The Birni district symbolizes the independence of Damagaram. The Zongo district symbolizes commerce and the Garin Malam district refers to the «modernization of Islam which has become the state religion.