The Decline of Songhai

EARLY MODERN AFRICA and the WIDER WORLD HIST 1301 | History The Decline of Songhai The Songhai Empire reached its pinnacle of wealth and cultural diversity under Askia the Great. Under Askia's rule, artistic and intellectual pursuits flourished in a way never seen before, and Timbuktu and Djenné became famous hubs of research and learning. Islamic knowledge flourished, drawing poets and academics from all across the Islamic world to these dynamic towns. Islam's impact grew, affecting all facets of government and society. Furthermore, the stability and economic expansion of the empire were facilitated by Askia's large-scale infrastructural initiatives, which included building canals to increase agricultural output. These programmes increased agricultural productivity and promoted commerce, which fueled the empire's wealth even more. Trade across the Sahara prospered, linking the empire to far-off places and filling its coffers. But as Askia got older, he became less in control of his own affairs and more dependent on the authorities in his palace to run the kingdom. His family became estranged from him as a result of this change in power dynamics, especially his sons who were resentful of Ali Fulan, Askia's chief chamberlain. Simmering tensions broke out into a full-scale uprising in 1528 when Askia's sons took control, overthrowing their father and appointing one of their own, Musa, as king. However, the transfer of power was anything but seamless, engulfing the empire in a brutal civil war. Competing groups from Musa's own family fiercely opposed his attempts to unify his rule. Many relatives lost their lives in the subsequent struggle, including Musa himself, who in 1531 was betrayed by his siblings. Internal conflict exacerbated political instability and undermined the legitimacy of succeeding rulers by weakening the empire even further. Outside forces started eyeing the Songhai Empire's lands and riches as it fell into disarray. Encouraged by their recent victory over a Portuguese invasion and struggling financially, the Saadi dynasty of Morocco saw an opportunity to gain control of the lucrative trans-Saharan trade routes. Sultan Ahmad I al-Mansur Saadi attempted to take use of the Songhai Empire's wealth in order to restock the imperial coffers. Equipped with the newest military technology obtained via diplomatic machinations with European countries, the Saadi launched a decisive assault in 1591. In an effort to oppose Spanish power in the area, Queen Elizabeth I of England provided the Saadi army with weapons, ammo, and artillery. In the Battle of Tondibi, the bigger but outgunned Songhai force was soundly defeated due to this technical superiority. The Spanish eunuch Judar Pasha commanded the Saadi armies in a campaign of conquest and devastation when they emerged victorious in the battlefield. Important commerce hubs and cities, like as Timbuktu, Gao, and Djenné, saw their valuables pillaged, their citizens brutalised, and their lives tormented. The Saadi invaders left a path of destruction in their wake, sparing no one and attacking men, women, and children without distinction. The Saadi methodically destroyed the institutions and infrastructure of the Songhai Empire in order to maintain their power. The economic underpinnings of the empire were severely damaged when trade routes were interrupted, fields of crops were destroyed, and water wells were filled in. The once-dominant Songhai Empire was reduced to ruins, its realms divided and its strength decimated. The once-great empire was reduced to shambles in the wake of the Saadi invasion, with its provinces split up into smaller kingdoms and areas governed by petty warlords and cunning chieftains. As the area entered a new period of unpredictability and instability, Askia the Great's legacy and the Songhai Empire's golden age vanished from memory.