African kingdoms (OCR) > Songhay > Flashcards

Songhay Flashcards

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1
Q

What were Askia Muhammad’s military tactics?

A
  • slave army
  • split the army in 2: one for Western provinces based in Timbuktu and another for Eastern provinces based in Gao
  • established the Kanfari
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2
Q

Which military expeditions did Askia Muhammad take?

A

Borgu in 1505-1506 and Agades in 1515

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3
Q

What was the Kanfari?

A

Viceroy for the Western provinces

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4
Q

What were Askia Dawud’s greatest achievements?

A
  • reorganised Songhay army
  • established public libraries
  • pushed off invaders and won victories against Tuareg raiders
  • grew trans-Saharan trade and patronage of the arts
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5
Q

What were Askia Dawud’s greatest limitations?

A

temporarily lost the salt mines of Taghaza from 1556-1557
failed to establish a clear succession

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6
Q

How did Askia Muhammad expand Songhay militarily?

A
  • conquered the salt pans of Taghaza and copper mines of Takkeda
  • military expeditions to Borgu (1505-6) and Agades (1515)
  • slave armies and division of army
  • launched jihads against Mossi and raised their children in Islam
  • attacked Kano
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7
Q

What did Askia Muhammad do after attacking/conquering a town?

A

took slaves e.g. he took almost half of Katsina’s citizens
raised the children in Islam
formed diplomatic relationships e.g. he allowed the Kano king to keep his throne and married his daughter to him

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8
Q

How did Askia Muhammad advance Songhay economically?

A
  • took salt mines of Taghaza and copper mines of Takkeda
  • expanded trade, importing cloth, salt and horses, and exporting gold, slaves and agricultural produce
  • appointed a minister of the treasury
  • took tithes from harvests
  • standardised weights and measures
  • appointed officials to tax salt trade in Taghaza
  • raided for slaves
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9
Q

How did Askia Muhammad advance Songhay religiously?

A
  • 25,000 students at Sankore university
  • 180 Qur’anic schools with 20,000 pupils
  • made Hajj with 300,000 pieces of gold
  • was appointed Caliph of Western Sudan
  • revitalised Timbuktu and appointed a Muslim Qadi
  • jihads against Mossi, converting their children
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10
Q

Why did the Mali empire collapse?

A
  • escape of the Gao princes
  • Timbuktu repeatedly attacked by Mossi
  • succession quarrels within Keita dynasty
  • Songhay and Senegambia rebellion
  • Portuguese arrival in C15 weakened control over Western trade
  • new gold fields to the East impoverished Mali
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11
Q

When was Timbuktu captures?

A

1469

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12
Q

Why was Timbuktu not a great success for Sonni Ali?

A

his harsh treatment of Muslims alienated much of his population
Muslims fled to Walata and Timbuktu declined as a centre of learning and administration
he fought no battle so he did not improve his image of military prowess

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13
Q

What caused the conquest of Timbuktu?

A
  • the city had been controlled by a corrupt Amazigh chieftain
  • the governor, Omar and religious leaders asked Sonni Ali to liberate them
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14
Q

What were Sonni Ali’s political and administrative achievements?

A

split Songhay into 8 regions with provincial governors
created new titles (Hi-Koi, harbourmaster, provincial governor)
strong central power in Gao
granted Europeans trade concessions on the coast to prevent the Portuguese forming a trade relationship with the Madinka

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15
Q

What was Mansa Musa’s impact on the Mali empire?

A

brought Islam to Mali, making Hajj in 1324
exercised royal control over gold-salt trade
100,000 man army made the empire expand to 2x the size of Ghana
divided Mali into provinces with governors who ruled justly

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16
Q

When was Djenne captured?

A

1473

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17
Q

How long did it take to capture Djenne and why was the capture impressive?

A

laid siege for 4-7 years
impressive as, according to legend, Djenne had resisted 99 attacks

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18
Q

Summarise the capture of Djenne

A

Ali set out in high tide using the Hi-Koi, besieged Djenne then married the queen mother then they surrendered

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19
Q

Why was Djenne advantageous?

A

trade of gold, Kola nuts and ivory

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20
Q

Why was Islam a beneficial religion?

A

enabled diplomatic relationships and trade with North Africa and the middle East
useful for administration and written records, making trade more efficient

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21
Q

Who were the Ulama?

A

literate class of Muslim administrators and bureaucrats

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22
Q

How did the Sonni dynasty begin?

A

Mansa Maghan kept the Gao princes hostage but Ali Kolon escaped. Kolon ousted the leader of Gao and a council of elders appointed him King, starting the Sonni dynasty. Gao refused to pay tribute and evaded capture

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23
Q

How did Askia Muhammad rise to power?

A

he was a provincial governor and military commander who objected to Sonni Ali’s brutality towards Muslims
He asked Sonni Baru twice to convert but failed then declared a jihad
he fought two battles and became King, choosing the symbolic title of Askia, representing a return to Mande leadership

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24
Q

How did Askia Muhammad maintain political power?

A

neptocracy
court of eunuchs including chief palace eunuch Ali Folon
used the Ulama
appointed ministers of the treasury, army, navy and agriculture
council of minister

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25
How did Askia Muhammad and Dawud maintain a positive relationship with the religious estate?
encouraged Islamic learning with Qur'anic schools, universities and public libraries followed the advice of the Ulama
26
How did Askia Muhammad and Dawud maintain a positive relationship with the periphery?
gifted slaves, cattle, land, cloth and tax exemptions to nomad chiefs married their daughters to Nomad chiefs
27
What roles did slaves occupy?
craftsmen, nobles, farmers on state farms, royal advisers, palace slaves
28
Why were slaves important for food supply and trade?
They worked on state farms and provided food for the cities, desert caravans and mines
29
How did Askia Muhammad change his relationship with slavery?
he freed slaves if they were Muslim the Askias 'owned' the Sorko
30
What was Sonni Ali's relationship with slavery like?
took Muslims as slaves bequeathed 12 tribes of slaves to his successor
31
What was a limitation to Askia Muhammad's governance?
he had 471 sons and failed to define his successor, leading to a succession dispute at the end of his life
32
How did Sonni Ali interact with Islam?
syncretic approach his mother was from a magic-practising region offended Islam by briutalising and enslaving Muslims in Timbutku observed Ramadan
33
Why might accounts of Sonni Ali's religion be unreliable?
they were written by Muslim chroniclers who had motive to exaggerate his attachment to animist beliefs
34
Who were the Sorko and why were they important?
river specialists who fished and provided water transportation in times of war and peace, enabling independence from Mali and trade
35
Who were the Do and why were they important?
farmers who grew crops in fertile lands bordering the river providing an independent food supply
36
Who were the Gow?
hunters of river animals- hippopotamus, crocodile
37
Who were the Songhay originally?
skilled horsemen who spoke the Songhay language
38
How did Songhay rise?
Led by the escaped Gao prince, Ali Kolon, the Sorko, Do, Gow, Songhay and Amazigh exploited Mali's fall
39
What was Askia Musa's reign like?
while his father was alive, he demanded the throne. He bcame the next Askia for 2 years, killing riival brothers, who fled to Walata and Timbuktu for safety. The remaining brothers killed him
40
What was Askia Muhammad Bonkama's reign like?
lavishly decorated the court, humiliated Askia Muhammad's daughters by making them show their faces, imprisoned Askia Muhammad in a mosquito infested island made Ismail (Muhammad's son), swear loyalty and marry his daughter
41
Who was Askia Muhammad Bonkama in relation to Askia Muhammad and Ismail?
Askia Ismail's cousin and Askia Muhammad's nephew
42
What was Askia Ismail's reign like
overthrew Bonkama and ruled for 2 years
43
What was Askia Ishaq's reign like?
demanded large sums of money from Muslim merchants (haram), which damaged the economy by discouraging trade
44
What happened with the attempted capture of Walata?
Sonni Ali's labourers began digging a canal but were interrupted by a Mossi attack, which Sonni Ali successfully defeated
45
How big was the Songhay army under Sonni Ali?
30,000 infantry and 10,000 horsemen
46
How did Sonni Ali expand Songhay militarily?
organised the Sorko into a professional navy, led by the H-koi military brought in revenue by conquest- raids and tribute secured borders against the Mossi and pushed back against Fulani
47
How did Sonni Ali integrate conquered territories into Songhay?
studied the people he had defeated and adopted some of their laws, customs and myths
48
When was Sonni Ali's reign?
1464-1492
49
When was Sonni Baru's reign?
1492-1493
50
When was Askia Muhammad's reign?
1493-1529
51
When was Askia Musa's reign?
1529-1531
52
When was Askia Muhammad Bonkama's reign?
1531-1537
53
When was Askia Ismail's reign?
1537-1539
54
When was Askia Ishaq I's reign?
1539-1549
55
When was Askia Dawud's reign?
1549-1582
56
When was Askia Muhammad al-Hajj's reign?
1582-1586
57
When was Askia Muhammad Bani's reign?
1586-1588
58
When was Askia Ishaq II's reign?
1588-1591
59
When was the battle of Tondibi?
1591
60
What was Askia Muhammad al-Hajj's reign linke?
arrested and exiled the favourite for the throne, Bankanu, who had promised to devote himself to Islamic learning, leading to many high-ranking Muslims refusing to serve as Qadis. Split religious and ruling estate. Overthrown by Muhammad Bani
61
What was Askia Muhammad Bani's reign like?
executed his two exiled brothers. suffered rebellion from Sadiq, who was backed by the Ulama, the Western provinces and the merchants, all of whom declared Sadiq the rightful Askia. Askia Bani sent a force to intercept the rebels but died of a heart attack.
62
Who was Sadiq?
Askia Dawud's son The Balma in charge of the troops just South of Timbuktu popular with leadning men of Timbuktu
63
What was the conflict between the Kabara Farma Alu and Sadiq?
in 1588, Alu whipped and jailed one of Sadiq's men and Sadiq then killed Alu, took his property and revolted against Askia Bani
64
What happened to the salt pans of Taghaza under Askia Bani?
during Sadiq's rebellion, the Moroccans occupied the salt pans of Taghaza and Askia Bani prohibited caravans from going there
65
What was Askia Ishaq II's reign like?
people were initially loyal to Sadiq the armies of Timbuktu (Sadiq) and Gao (Ishaq) met in battle and Sadiq was defeated. Ishaq killed so many military commanders that their army was left very weak He alienated the Tuaregs by executing a chief attacked the Mossi
66
What did Askia Ishaq II do about the salt pans of Taghaza?
When the Moroccan sultan demanded control of Taghaza, Ishaq refused and sent 2000 cavalry to an important market town near Marrakesh to raid, but not kill
67
What did Askia Dawud do about the salt pans of Taghaza?
when the sultan asked for 1 year's taxes collected from Taghaza, pressuring him to give him control, he gave far more- 10,000 mithqals- as a goodwill gift and friendship developed between Morocco and Songhay
68
What was the relationship with the Moroccans like under Askia al-Hajj?
in 1586, the sultan considered invading so sent a spy with expensive gifts to al-Hajj. Al-Hajj sent an even bigger gift, including slaves and civet cats, in return, piquing the sultan's interest. Morocco sent 20,000 troops to invade but they failed to cross the Sahara.
69
What precipitated the Moroccan invasion?
- Morocco felt that Songhay was dependent on them for protection against Europe e.g. in 1578, the Moroccans defeated a Portuguese army - Morocco had expelled Portugal but was left weak so wanted to replenish their wealth through Songhay
70
How many men and who participated in the Moroccan invasion?
3000-4000 soldiers and 2000 non-combat troops, led by a Spaniard called Judar. 200 English artillery mercenaries. By the time they crossed the Sahara, there may have been only 2000 troops
71
What tactics were used by the Moroccan invasion?
aquebuses (early muskets) 6 English cannons
72
Why was Songhay not prepared for the Moroccan invasion?
weak army, lack of solidarity with Tuaregs, Ishaq did not believe the Moroccans were coming to attack Songhay when he heard of their arrival. When Ishaq finally sent a message to the clans and tribes to inform them of the invasion, the Tuareg killed the messenger
73
How many troops did Songhay have in the Moroccan invasion?
12,500-18,000 horsemen and 10,000-30,000 infantry
74
What tactics did Songhay use in the battle of Tondibi?
sent cattle running towards Moroccan army but failed
75
What were the consequences of the battle of Tondibi?
Moroccans sacked Gao, Timbuktu and Djenne. When Gao was forced to surrender, Ishaq offered Judar 100,000 pieces of gold and 1000 slaves if the army left. Judar relayed this message to the sultan but he refused. The battle of Gurma followed, after the reinforcing army arrived by boat . Judar seized control over the salt trade. Malaria took over Songhay
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