Illustrative of African empires 1450-1750
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Seceded from the Mali Empire (in 1375)
Under Sunni Ali Songhai became the largest
of the western Sudan empires
Successor Askia spread the empire west into
Mali & north into Sahara and encompassed
the trading cities of Hausaland
Askia centralized administration, created a
tax system & regulated trade
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Islam was present through trade, but weak
outside of urban areas where traditional “small
traditions” prevailed
95% of population was peasants who spoke
many languages, practiced indigenous
religions, and stayed loyal to local chiefs
Askia made pilgrimage to Mecca and returned
with Muslim scholars from Morocco and Egypt
to teach in the Sankore Mosque in Timbuktu
TOMB OF ASKIA
SANKORE MOSQUE
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Today in the country of Mali
Primarily made of mud
Had 3 great mosques
Was the intellectual and spiritual capital for spreading
Islam in Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries
Located at an intersection of the Trans-Saharan trade
route
A natural meeting point for North African Arabs and
nomadic Berbers
Longlasting reputation for scholarship, having one of the
first universities in the world
Contains many ancient Greek texts, ended up being a
trade post that involved Europe
Visited by Ibn Battutta ~1350