The Songhai Empire was formed from groups of Sorkos fishermen and Gows hunters. They recognized Faran Maka Boté as supreme leader. The first capital of the empire was Koukya, a territory located south of present-day Gao. In the 8th century, shortly before the year 1000, the capital was deported from Koukya to Gao by the Dia dynasty which had just appeared in the region. Following the extension of the Mali Empire in the 13th century, the Sonni dynasty was born in 1275. Deported as a slave, Prince Ali Kolon managed to escape and came to create a new dynasty in Koukya. Sonni Ali acceded to the throne of the small kingdom of Gao. He armed a fleet of 400 boats and went to conquer Timbuktu. He overthrew Timbuktu in 1468. In 1473, his fleet called the Djenné fleet ensured its domination over the entire interior delta of the river. This great sovereign, whom his subjects called “Ali the Great”, began to draft official acts, set up a centralized administration and allowed trade to flourish.
Following him, his son took over the reins of the empire. The latter was a very bad leader and was overthrown by Mohamed Sylla, head of the army. He undertook the expansion of the empire and favored the development of commercial cities. Under his rule, Timbuktu became one of the most important cities in the world in terms of intellect and commerce. The city became the nerve center of exchanges between cereals from the empire and salt from the desert. A wealth that allowed Muslim schools to prosper.
A coup orchestrated in 1493 brought to the head of the empire Sarakollé Mohammed Touré also called Askia Mohamed. The latter opted for an opposite policy and Islamized the kingdom. He also made a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1496 and was crowned Caliph of Sudan in Egypt, a title that legitimized his power and all his conquests. He therefore transformed Songhai into a highly Islamic territory and created the Askia dynasty (1493 – 1592). Under his leadership, the empire knows its hours of glory.
The height of the empire
Askia Mohamed sets up a system of governance which goes in line with the pagan traditions allied advantageously with Sharia. The government is modern and rational. Power is not centralized. The tasks are shared between the council, the chancellor and the various ministers such as the Hi Koy, master of water, the Monjo, master of agriculture and the Kalisa Farma minister of finance. Two provinces, each headed by a governor or a prince of the blood, make up the empire. 12 small towns accompany the territorial organization of the empire. Each of the cities is headed by a governor who leads an efficient and militarized administration.
Militarily, an army and a permanent fleet headed by professional officers are created by Askia Mohamed. The biggest source of income for the empire remains the gold and salt trade. But also the slave trade. Two broad socio-economic changes are observed. First, the development of a stable urban society based mainly on trade and the Muslim religion. The three main cities of the empire are internationally recognized for their populations and their activities. Timbuktu has 80,000 inhabitants and a strong religious mobilization with the University of Sankoré and 180 Koranic schools specializing in Malekite law. The city of Djenné with its 40,000 inhabitants is the center of trade for all of equatorial Africa. And Gao with 100,000 inhabitants is the political capital.
Then, the other change is the strong presence of Europeans, specifically the Portuguese, in trade. In 1510 the kingdoms of the Maghreb take a dim view of the prosperity of the Songhai Empire. They fear in particular a definitive seizure of the salt mines of the Sahara. These tensions disrupt trans-Saharan trade.
Fall of the empire
Dazzled by the radiance of Timbuktu and the wealth of the Askias, Al-Mansour, Sultan of Morocco embarked on a conquest of the Songhai Empire. Askia Daoud could not resist the civil war which devastated the country. At the head of the cities and provinces were Moroccan governors appointed by the sultan. The latter were called “Armas” by the people because of the firearms that facilitated their victory.
