By: Courtney Charles, Date: , Subject: W. History, and 10 th grade

What were the greatest achievements of the Songhai Empire? Increased commerce by making trade with traders in North Africa. Keeping trade safe by extending Songhai’s borders north into the desert, near the town of Tuareg. Askia Muhammad ruled the eastern sided personally, and used an official called Kurmina far, to rule the western part. He built the capital city of Gao oversee trade, agriculture, and the military.

What did Sunni Ali use to attack Mali? Sunni Ali’s military success was with his army of skilled cavalry and navy of war canoes. When he conquered an area he replaced the present leaders with his own loyal followers. In according to tradition his forces never lost a battle.

 By having his fellow loyal followers take over positions head by conquered enemy leaders and noblemen.  This made revolts by conquered people less likely than in the empires of Mali and Ghana. HOW DID SUNNI ALI MAINTAIN CONTROL OF SMALLER KINGDOMS?

 To prove his commitment to Islam, Askia Muhammad decided to make a grand pilgrimage to Mecca.  He traveled through Egypt, where he gained support of the Muslim rulers.  No, that was not the primary reason. Do you think the primary reason for Askia Muhammad’s hajj was to show that he was a devout Muslim?

 The other states that developed in West Africa would be the:  Kingdom of the Benin  Yoruba Kingdoms  And the Hausa city-states

 The people of Yoruba and Benin are recognized for their art of statues of their leaders.  The people of Benin made their statues of brass, copper, and bronze.  They recorded history through copper plaques.  The people of Yoruba made realistic sculptures of Yoruba leaders or onis. The statues were made from bronze, brass, copper, and terra-cotta. What do the Yoruba and the people of Benin have in common?

Why do you think these African societies did not rival the power of the other kingdoms and empires in this section?  The African societies did not rival other kingdoms and empires because they made their own significance achievements.  The economy of the Hausa was based on farming, manufacturing, with imports and exports. Along one the exports were slaves which were a specialty for the Hausa.  The Yoruba empire relied on its precious art and trading of food and ivory to the north for copper and salt.  The people of Benin traded slaves but, stopped and in between that period they traded pepper, cotton, and ivory for gold.