Songhay Flashcards
(78 cards)
What succession issue weakened Mali after Mansa Musa’s death in 1337?
Civil wars erupted between his descendants, notably between Magha I and Sulayman (Musa’s brother), undermining central authority.
What key city did Mali lose to the Tuareg in 1433–1434?
Timbuktu, a major centre of trade and Islamic scholarship
Who were Ali Kolon and Sulayman Nar, and why were they important to Mali’s collapse?
Sons of the king of Gao, taken as hostages by Mali; they escaped, returned to Gao, and led Songhay’s independence movement, undermining Mali’s eastern control
What military and political weaknesses contributed to Mali’s collapse?
Over-reliance on vassal loyalty, decentralisation, inability to control rebellious provinces like Gao, Djenné, and Timbuktu
How did the Mossi and Tuareg invasions contribute to Mali’s decline?
They repeatedly raided Mali’s frontiers and seized trade centers like Timbuktu and Walata, cutting Mali off from Saharan commerce
How did external trade dynamics hurt Mali in the 15th century?
Portuguese maritime trade along the West African coast diverted commerce away from Saharan routes, reducing Mali’s gold-trade dominance
By the 1450s, what was Mali’s effective area of control?
Only Manden (the Mali heartland) and nearby regions. Within 20 years, it was reduced further to the
southern half of that core region.
Who were the founders of the Sunni (Sonni) dynasty, and when did it begin?
Ali Kolon and Sulayman Nar, who took power in Gao around 1335 after escaping Mali captivity.
What happened to the Dia dynasty of Gao?
It was overthrown by Ali Kolon, ending centuries of rule by the Dia kings and replacing it with the Sunni dynasty.
Why was Gao an ideal capital for Songhay’s rise?
It was on the Niger River, at the intersection of Saharan and inland trade routes, and had grown into a thriving commercial and intellectual city.
How did Sunni Ali (r. 1464–1492) begin to build a true empire?
He used cavalry and a river navy to conquer cities like Timbuktu (1468) and Djenné (1475), integrating trade hubs into Songhay rule.
What were the main challenges to Mali’s authority?
Rebellion by the Fulani people in Senegambia and the Songhay people in Gao
How did shift in trade contribute to Mali’s decline?
The western trans-Saharan trade through Oulalata in Mauritania declined and by 1500 it was described as a wretched town. Increasingly, the demand for gold and
enslaved persons was centred further east, in Cairo and the Ottoman Empire and this pattern was reflected in the eastern shift from Mali to Songhay
What was the importance of the Niger Bend?
Thousand miles of navigable waterway on which boats can sail. The soil along the shoreline is rich,
suitable for both agriculture and cattle-raising.
Who was Sonni Mohamed Da’o and what did he do?
Sonni Mohamed Da’o led a successful military expedition against Mali in the early 1400s, capturing prisoners and weakening Mali’s authority over tributary groups like the Bambara and Fula.
Which key territories were taken from Mali by the early Songhay rulers before Sonni Ali?
Sonni Madawu sacked Niani; Sonni Sulayman Dama destroyed Mema (c. 1460), a province west of Timbuktu.
Describe the structure of Sonni Ali’s military.
The army had 30,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry. Cavalry wore iron breastplates, and foot soldiers had spears, arrows, and leather or copper shields. Military bands used trumpets for battle signals.
Who commanded the riverine army?
Hi-Koi (organised the Sorko boatmen into a professional fleet)
Why was Timbuktu strategically important to Sonni Ali?
As a hub of Saharan, Mediterranean, and West African trade, controlling Timbuktu gave Sonni Ali access to trans-Saharan gold and salt routes.
How was the Songhay Empire administratively organized under Sonni Ali?
Divided into 8 regions (e.g., Bara, Bani, Kala), each governed by a Farmas. Gao served as the imperial center with a central council (Sounna) and a bureaucracy of dignitaries.
What titles were introduced or expanded under Sonni Ali’s administration?
Titles included Hi-Koi (naval commander), Baray-Koi (cavalry commander), Fari-Mondiyo (tax overseer), Jenne-Mondiyo (Djenne administrator), Yubu-Koi (market chief), and Rabb al-Tariq (infantry commander).
How did Sonni Ali practice religious syncretism?
He mixed Islamic practices (to accommodate Muslim traders) with traditional African religion, worshipping spirits like Dongo (thunder god) and river deities, and using magical healers (soni-anke).
What was the political effect of Sonni Ali’s religious approach?
It strengthened ties with rural, traditionalist populations but alienated Islamic elites, particularly in cities like Timbuktu.
Why was control of Djenne important economically?
It was a key trade city dealing in gold, kola nuts, and ivory, and its capture gave Sonni Ali access to southern trade routes leading to the Volta Basin.
