The document provides information about the Songhai Empire that arose in West Africa after the decline of the Mali Empire. It discusses several important rulers including Sunni Ali who expanded the empire through conquest, and Askia Muhammad the Great who took the throne illegally but secured legitimacy through alliances with Timbuktu scholars. Askia standardized measures, organized tax systems, and encouraged learning and literacy. However, succession disputes later weakened the empire and it was eventually invaded and fragmented by the Sultanate of Morocco.

1. SONGHAI
Social Studies for 10th E.G.B.
Teacher: Mauricio Torres

2. AFTER MALI
 With the decline of
Mali, Songhai took
advantage of it, and
asserted it’s
independence.
 Their capital was Gao.
 The Songhai
expansion moved
across the Sahel.
 By the year 1420, they
were the most powerful
force in the area.

3. SUNNI ALI
 Reigned from 1463 to 1493.
 He was Muslim.
 He conquered neighboring
states, including MALI.
 His conquests are the biggest there have
even been in the history of Africa, and
were bigger than Western Europe.
 He was described as an intolerant tyrant.

4. ASKIA MUHAMMAD THE GREAT
 He was not in line to take the throne.
 He had Soninke lineage.
 Askia bypassed the law and took the throne on his own in 1493.
 He allied himself with the scholars of Timbuktu to secure the
legitimacy of his usurpation of the throne.
 The territory he conquered, was done more through alliances than
by using military force.
 He was a devout Muslim.

5. ASKIA’S ACHIEVEMENTS
 Standardized measures and
regulations.
 Policing of trade routes.
 Organized Tax System.
 Encouraged learning and literacy.
 The building of canals to improve
agriculture.

6. TIMBUKTU
 Even though it was not
the capital, it was a
center for trade
 Arabs, Italians and Jews
gathered here to trade.
 A revival of Islamic
scholarship took place
here.

7. ECONOMY
 Clans were the cell of the social structre.
 They decided what everyone’s function was. The most common were:
metalworkers, fishermen and carpenters.
 The clans resembled modern day unions.

8. DECLINE: THE COWS TOPPLE AN
EMPIRE
 Succession disputes weakened the
empire.
 Finally, the Sultan of Morocco invaded
from the north, in a desperate
measure to gain riches fast.
 At a battle, the fire of guns and cannons,
provoked an stampede that routed the
whole Sonhgai army.
 The Arabs couldn’t hold the Empire
together, and it began to fragment into
smaller kingdoms.

9. ASK YOURSELF
 How are the kingdoms of the rulers of Songhai alike with Mansa
Musa’s?
 What led to the decline of Songhai?
 Why was Timbuktu given such an importance?
 Is there a pattern in the rise and fall of West-African Empires?

10. ASSIGNMENT
 Make a table comparing the three empires from Western Africa
that we have studied.
 Use the following fields:
 How it rose to power.
 Source of strength of each empire.
 Most important leader of each.
 Greatest achievements (at least 2).
 Important facts, of any kind (at least two).
 Make a first draft, and bring a clean and final version next class.
 In a paragraph, draw a conclusion, how alike or different where
they?

11. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 Ellis, E. G., & Esler, A. (2009). World History. (P. Hall, Ed.) Upper
Saddle River, New Jersey, US: Pearson Education INC.
 Wikipedia. (n.d.). Songhai Empire. Retrieved May 14, 2012, from
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songhai_Empire
 Wikipedia. (n.d.). Askia Mohammad I. Retrieved May 14, 2012,
from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Askia_the_Great
 Images taken from Google.