Songhai Empire 1464

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