The Empire of Songhai

Sunni Ali 1. Sunni Ali became leader of Songhai in He conquered the wealthy trade cities of Djenne and Timbuktu. a. He had been asked by Mali’s leaders for help against Tuareg invaders. b. He drove off the invaders and kept the cities for himself. 3. To promote peace, he participated in both Muslim and traditional African religions.

Similarities to Mali and Ghana 4. As Songhai was made rich through trade. a. They owned important salt mines. b. They were located on trans-Saharan trade routes. c. They worked with Berber caravan leaders. 5. Songhai’s leaders were Muslims. 6. Songhai depended on the Niger River for water, trade and travel.

Askia the Great 7. He was a devout Muslim. a. Made a pilgrimage to Mecca. b. He made many laws which were similar to other Muslim nations. 8. He promoted education. a. He made Timbuktu a world- famous education center once again. People came from all over to study at the University of Sankore. b. Djenne became a world-famous center of medicine. 16 th Century Mosque built by Askia the Great

Askia the Great (cont.) 9. Askia reorganized the government. a. He divided the empire into 5 provinces. b. He appointed governors and removed local leaders. c. He created government departments to oversee certain areas. 10. He had the first standing army in West Africa.

Fall of Songhai 11. After Askia the great, other askias ruled for a short time. 12. Morocco invaded to take control of Songhai’s salt mines. a. Morocco needed money after years of fighting with the Portuguese and Spanish so they marched on Songhai in b. Morocco had superior firepower. They carried the arquebus (early form of the gun) and even some cannons. c. They attacked the trading cities of Timbuktu and Gao. 13. The destruction of trade finally wiped out Songhai.

Africa’s Eastern Coast 14. Served as a major trade route between Africa and Asia. a. Ivory, gold, iron, slaves, exotic animals b. Mombasa, Zanzibar, and Mogadishu become major trading ports. 15. Islam became the religion of the region a. Became known as the Swahili people. Arabic for “People of the shore.”

Great Zimbabwe 16. Located between Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers 17. Mined rich deposits of salt, copper & gold

Great Zimbabwe 18. Zimbabwe means “houses of stone.” 19. GREAT ZIMBABWE: Great stonewall fortress that served as a political and religious center - chief held court here

Great Zimbabwe 20. Controlled trade routes between gold mines and the sea a. The Niger is one of the great rivers of Africa, stretching over 2,500 miles (4,000 km) in a great arc that extends northward from Guinea to Mali before turning back toward the south and making its way to empty into the Gulf of Guinea.