Why did the Kingdom of Songhay collapse?
- Created by: NoahRobinson
- Created on: 11-10-20 14:22
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- Why did the Songhay Empire collapse?
- civil war
- 1588 - Sadiq delcared a revolt against Bani and was supported by the western provinces, merchants in Timbuktu and the ulema in Gao
- The armies of Timbuktu and Gao met in battle and Sadiq was defeated
- The Moroccans used this opportunity to capture the salt mines of Taghaza, disrupting trade and threatening the economic interests of the other salt mines like Taodeni and merchants
- Sadiq and his military commanders were executed
- Post-1588 - Timbuktu still remained loyal to Sadiq during the beginning of Ishaq's reign shown through celebrations on the rooftops and beating drums
- Ishaq executed the chief of the Tuaregs, Tibirt
- Kodjo: alienated the Tuaregs when their mounted Saharan troops would be needed to intercept the Moroccan expedition
- weakened army
- Lost many of its finest military commanders in the executions following the civil war
- Tarikh al-Fattash: the loss of so many soldiers was the downfall of Songhay
- Ishaq could not replace the dead troops and yet he still undertook a campaign against the Mossi
- 1578 - Battle of Ksar el Kebir under the leadership of Mulay Ahamd, highlighted the superiority of the Moroccans over the presumably more powerful Portuguese
- commanders were unable to agree on a strategy to counter the Moroccans
- external raids
- Mossi raided the hinterland
- 1561 and 1566 - the salt mines of Taghaza were lost to the Moroccans, this was an extremely important source of revenue
- camel caravans loaded with salt went south to Timbuktu and Djenne which were then distributed throughout the empire
- Songhay did not have enough military to keep control of an empire which had expanded so rapidly
- despite the emphasis on Pan-Africanism by Sonni Ali, the heterogeneous nature of the empire meant that different groups were always vying for control, like the Mossi and the Dogon
- succession crises
- 1493 - Sonni Baru was removed by Askia Mohammed, marking a symbolic change in the direction of the kingdom
- Weakened the economy of Songhay
- Green: became "weak and fractured" due to "the overdepedence...on the trans-Saharan trade"
- 1586 - Bani overthrew al-Hajj and executed his two rival brothers
- Saad: "immediate...dislike...earned among...scholars both at Gao and Timbuktu"
- 1539 - 1549 - Askia Ishaq I's reign, sent agents to Timbuktu demanding large sums of money, damaging the economic prosperity of the empire
- Encouraged subjudgated states to reassert independence
- Tuareg tribesmen killed the messenger sent by Ishaq II to warn of the Moroccan invasion
- Encouraged the development of rival camps
- Alu supported Bani and leading men of Timbuktu supported al-Sadiq
- Moroccan invasion
- recognising the weakness of Fez, Mulay Ahmed wrote to Ishaq II and asked for the taxes on the salt mines of Taghaza to be lifted, Ishaq II refused
- Al-Sa'di: required "payment to him of the tax...of Taghaza"
- in reply to the Battle of Ksar el Kebir, Ishaq II insulted him and used a threat of war
- Al-Sa'di: "intemperate language, accompied by a spear and two iron shoes"
- 1591 - Battle of Tondbi
- Reid: "much dismissed by the Moroccan war, the central state had no further resistance"
- reports estimate 12,500 to 18,000 horsemen and 10,000 to 30,000 infantry
- armed with aquebuses, 6 English cannons and 200 English artillery mercenaries
- Gao, Timbuktu and Djenne suffered heavy damage
- 1591 - Battle of Gurma, complete victory and the Songhay forces fled in a disorderly retreat with many deserting the kingdom
- Reid: "replaced...by a chain of smaller politics"
- 1591 - Battle of Gurma, complete victory and the Songhay forces fled in a disorderly retreat with many deserting the kingdom
- recognising the weakness of Fez, Mulay Ahmed wrote to Ishaq II and asked for the taxes on the salt mines of Taghaza to be lifted, Ishaq II refused
- civil war
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