Songhay Empire

Songhay was the third great West African empire after Ghana and Mali. Between 641 C.E. and 1600 C.E., Songhay rose and declined in power. The Malian Empire ruled Songhay, once a small kingdom known as Gao, during the reign of Mansa Musa. By 1355, however, Songhay became a sovereign state, and under the leadership of Sunni Ali Ber (1464–1492) Songhay conquered key cities such as Timbuktu and Djenne. This established Songhay as a dominant power in West Africa.

Songhay and its rise to prominence were the result of effective leaders with great ingenuity, a respect for traditional customs, and strict governmental organization. The most noteworthy leaders during the reign of the Songhay Empire were Sunni Ali Ber and Askia Mohammed. Sunni Ali Ber ruled with a great respect for traditional customs and resisted the influence of Islam on African culture. He expanded the kingdom and promoted education, the arts, and commerce. During his reign, Songhay became home to the great universities of Timbuktu and Djenne, where traditional African scholarship was advanced.

The expansion of Songhay during the reign of Sunni Ali Ber was the result of his having built a naval fleet to control the Niger River. This fleet enabled Sunni Ali Ber to capture Timbuktu, Djenne, and Mali. Shrewd and keenly aware of the need to unite the people of the kingdom, many of whom had become followers of Islam, Sunni Ali Ber took on a Muslim name. And while he was a proponent of traditional customs and religions, he did not exclude or marginalize followers of Islam. Sunni Ali Ber's ability to expand a once vassal state to a position of prominence, while maintaining peace among his diverse followers, was a great example of his political savvy. The Islamic expansion, however, was leaving an undeniable imprint on the region and, despite Sunni Ali Ber's astute leadership, an orthodox Muslim named Askia Mohammed overthrew him.

Askia Mohammed reigned from 1493 to 1529. Although Askia Mohammed's religious beliefs were different from Sunni Ali Ber's, his abilities as a leader were similar to those of his predecessor. Under the rule of Askia Mohammed, the Songhay Empire was expanded and became the largest empire in the history of West Africa. In addition, Askia Mohammed used his Islamic faith to converse with various nations on how to improve the administration of his government. Specifically, Askia Mohammed undertook a pilgrimage to Mecca, a religious obligation of all Muslims, but his pilgrimage was for more than a religious experience. He and his fleet conversed with scholars, mathematicians, and scientists. As a result of these contacts, Askia instituted various learned strategies to strengthen the empire.

John Hope Franklin and Alfred Moss wrote that as a ruler, Askia Mohammed “devoted his energies to strengthening his empire, making people prosperous and encouraging learning.” Askia Mohammed achieved his goal of a strengthened empire through decentralization. He instituted a series of cabinet-level positions while also establishing local governmental control as a way to stay abreast of the happenings in the far regions of his empire. While the Songhay Empire predated the United States by over 200 years, the organization of the government of the two is very similar. In fact, in the book Classical Africa, Molefi Asante illustrates the comparison with a display of the cabinet positions. Commerce was also enhanced during Askia Mohammed's reign, with traders traveling from as far as Europe and Asia to trade with the Songhay Empire. A banking system was in place that provided credit and used a uniform system of weights and measures.

...