Songhay Kingdom

The Songhay Kingdom, or Songhay Empire–also called the Songhai Kingdom or Songhai Empire–was one of the largest and longest running kingdoms of northwestern Africa. It was at first conquered, but then rose up to forge an empire of its own. Its cities, like Timbuktu, were world renowned for their splendor and culture. Learn about this fascinating African kingdom, its history, and its way of life here.

The Songhay Kingdom

The Songhay Kingdom gets its name from the main ethnic group that comprised its ruling class, known as the Songhai. It first emerged around the capital city of Gao in the 11th century, ruled by the Sonni dynasty. It was at first a small kingdom, and only grew to the large and powerful empire it became after it was conquered and then regained its independence.

Fig 1 - Map showing the extension of the Songhay Kingdom at its peak around 1500.

Songhay Kingdom and Mali Rule

By the mid-13th century, Gao had become an important trading center and attracted the attention of the neighboring Mali Empire. Around the turn of the 14th century, Mali conquered Gao and maintained control over it for around 100 years, until the empire began to decline.

With the declining Mali Empire unable to put down a rebellion of the Songhai in Gao, the Songhay Kingdom was reborn.

Establishment of the Songhay Empire

After taking back independence and control of Gao, the Songhay Kingdom took advantage of Mali's decline to forge their own large and powerful empire.

The Songhay Empire reached its height of power around 1500, bolstered by the conquests and successful administration of Sonni Ali. Besides Gao, the Songhay Empire also controlled the legendary city of Timbuktu, a center of trade and culture.

Sonni Ali's son was overthrown by a general known as Askia, who instituted a number of reforms that strengthened the empire. He is sometimes called Askia the Great as the Songhay Kingdom grew to be famous in Africa and Asia for its stability, wealth, and culture. Especially Timbuktu became even more well known as a center of learning under Askia.

Decline

After Askia's death, there was a series of conflicts, assassinations, and plots around his succession, causing the empire to begin to decline.

In the mid-16th century, there was a period of renewed power and stability under Askia Daoud. However, internal conflict broke out again over his succession. The Sultan of Morocco took advantage of this internal conflict to send an army to conquer the Songhay Kingdom, and the empire ceased to exist after its defeat at the Battle of Tondibi in 1591.

After the collapse of the Moroccan empire shortly thereafter, what had been the Songhay Empire remained splintered into a number of smaller, independent kingdoms.

Fig 2 - Tomb of Askia in Gao today.

Songhay Kingdom Society

The historical record shows that the Songhay kings were all Muslims, although many of the common people in the empire continued to follow traditional religions under the Sonni Dynasty. Askia oversaw an increased emphasis on Islam in society, but many people in rural areas are believed to have retained traditional religious practices.

The society was organized by clans, similar to castes. The clan to which a person was born determined their role and occupation in society.

During the reign of the Songhay Empire, Timbuktu continued to be a major center of trade, culture, and scholarship. Its University of Timbuktu attracted Muslim scribes and scholars from across Africa and Asia.

The Songhay Kingdom also had a well-organized professional army, and they were effective administrators of their empire.

Political Organization of the Songhay Kingdom

The political organization of the Songhay Kingdom and Empire was highly centralized and well organized.

• Royal court which appointed governors and mayors to oversee the provinces of the empire
  • collected tribute in the form of taxes that contributed to the empire's economic, and military might
• Local qadis, or magistrates charged with enforcing local criminal justice according to Sharia Law
  • Professors and teachers were sometimes important officials in local government, with many serving as qadis
• Local rulers were given autonomy over their areas of control but had to remain loyal to the empire
  • Each town had its own government officials and bureaucracy, and the royal court rarely directly intervened in local affairs

Under Askia, the Songhay Kingdom adopted a more centralized control of the empire that helped ensure increased stability but day to day decisions were still left largely to the local governments.

Songhay Kingdom Trade

The Songhay Kingdom sat at a strategic location for trade. It was a crossroads between North Africa, the West African coast, and East Africa and Asia.

Especially by the time of the Kingdom of Ghana's rise as an important source of gold, Gao became an important trading center by 1000 CE. Besides the gold flowing from Ghana, salt, kola nuts, slaves, leather, dates, and ivory all passed through Gao on its way to or from passage across the Sahara Desert on camelback.

It was precisely the prosperity brought by this trade that had prompted Mali to conquer the city.

After regaining independence and creating their own empire, the Songhay Kingdom's trade only expanded. The export of gold in exchange for salt from North Africa was the most important part of the Songhay Kingdom's trade economy.

Goods arriving from the Sahara at Timbuktu were ferried down the Niger River to Gao and vice versa. The Songhay Empire government protected trade partnerships, and the empire even instituted a universal system of measurements and weights for trade purposes.

The Songhay Empire's trade led to the establishment of a wealthy class of merchants and craftsmen, who made up the second most important social class after the ruling class.

Fig 3 - Sketch of the great mosque of Timbuktu.