Table of Contents
How did Songhai fall?
In 1590, al-Mansur took advantage of the recent civil strife in the empire and sent an army under the command of Judar Pasha to conquer the Songhai and to gain control of the Trans-Saharan trade routes. After the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Tondibi (1591), the Songhai Empire collapsed.
How did the Songhai Empire work?
The Songhai Empire was divided into five provinces each led by a governor. Under Askia Muhammad, all the governors, judges, and town chiefs were Muslims. The emperor had total power, but he also had ministers who ran different aspects of the empire for him. They also counseled the emperor on important issues.
Who destroyed the Songhai Empire?
The Battle of Tondibi was the decisive confrontation in the 16th-century invasion of the Songhai Empire by the army of the Saadi dynasty in Morocco. Though vastly outnumbered, the Moroccan forces under Judar Pasha defeated the Songhai Askia Ishaq II, guaranteeing the empire’s downfall.
How did the Songhai Empire make money?
The Songhai Empire made money by exporting gold from its three gold mines as well as by trading other materials.
What language did the Songhai Empire speak?
Zarma (Djerma), the most widely spoken Songhay language with two or three million speakers, is a major language of southwestern Niger (downriver from and south of Mali) including in the capital city, Niamey. Koyraboro Senni, with 400,000 speakers, is the language of the town of Gao, the seat of the old Songhai Empire.
What was the history of the Songhai Empire?
The Songhai Empire was a massive, multicultural West African state that spanned between the 15th and 16th centuries CE. With an area primarily covering western Sahel, Songhai kings rose to prominence as the Mali Empire dwindled in the 15th century.
How did Songhai increase the size of his army?
He increased Songhai’s army strength by several folds. As a result of this, the Songhai Empire successfully expanded in all directions. He made sure that the empire had a standing army that was well trained and well-equipped.
When did Songhai become the leading power in West Africa?
Songhai became independent of Mali, and rivalled it as the leading power in West Africa. The Songhai had settled on both banks of the middle Niger River. They established a state in the 15th century, which unified a large part of the western Sudan and developed into a brilliant civilisation.
Where did the gold come from in Songhai?
Gold, which fascinates Europeans as much as Moroccan sovereigns, is not produced in Songhai but in mines, mainly located in Akan country from the sixteenth century. Like Mali, Songhaï serves as a hub for trade in goods that it does not produce: gold comes from the forest and salt from the Sahara.