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Medieval Africa- Songhai (Songhay) Empire 7-1

Page history last edited by Jared 14 years, 7 months ago

The Songhai Empire

Songhai was ruled by a king. The system of government included a royal court which was later expanded to include governors and mayors. They still had local tribal chiefs in place but they didn't have much authority. They paid taxes to the government to ensure dominance by the Songhai government.

An important part of the regional economy were the gold fields of Niger River. They traded with the Songhai Empire for salt and other things. Salt was so important in this region, that the people would trade equal amounts of salt for gold. They did not trade slaves like people in Europe did. This region was known for producing crafts and religious artifacts. Eighty percent of the people lived on small farms with less then ten acres. The most common professions was metalworking, fishing and carpentry. The class of the people usually determined which profession they would go into.

Following Askia Dauoud's death, civil war weakened the Empire. This left Saddi Sultan Ahman I al-Mansur Saddi of Morocco with an oppurtunity, and he took it. The sultan dispatched an invasion force, led by the eunuch Judar Pasha. Judar Pasha was a spaniard by birth but had been captured as a baby. Even though Judar was badly outnumbered He won because of his new advantage. Gunpowder.

The Songhai Empire was very unique and interesting back then. Most Songhai households had a main house for the husband and smaller houses for each of his wives and their children. The houses were actually circular huts with thatched roofs. The people spoke a language called Songhay and followed the Muslim religion. The men wore three piece cotton outfits. They consisted of a long sleeved baggy shirt with an open neck, draw-string trousers and a boubou, (a long, full robe). The women wore wrap-around skirts and matching tops. A Songhai diet was millet; eaten in three different ways: as a pancake (haini maasa), as porridge (doonu), and sometimes as a paste (howru).