SONGHAI & THE KINGDOM OF BENIN

SONGHAI & DAHOMEY

SONGHAI & DOHAMEY

AFRICAN EMPIRE - SONGHAI

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Empire of Songhai

The Songhai Empire was the largest and last of the three major pre-colonial empires to emerge in West Africa. From its capital at Gao on the Niger River, Songhai expanded in all directions until it stretched from the Atlantic Ocean (modern Senegal and Gambia) to what is now Northwest Nigeria and central Niger.

SONGHAI EMPIRE

The cities of Timbuktu and Djenne were the other major cultural and commercial centers of the empire. The Songhai people founded Gao around 800 A.D. and established it as their capital in the 11th century during the reign of Dia Kossoi. As the city and region grew in importance, the Malian Empire incorporated both as it expanded across the West African savanna.

Gao, Songhai’s capital, which remains to this day a small Niger River trading center, was home to the famous Goa Mosque and the Tomb of Askia, the most important of the Songhai emperors.

SONGHAI EMPIRE

Mali’s power however was eventually weakened by palace intrigue that interrupted the orderly succession of emperors. Recognizing the weakness at the center of Mali, Gao rebelled in 1375. Songhai then began its own imperial expansion at the expense of Mali, conquering Mema in 1465 and three years later seizing Timbuktu, the largest city in the region, from the Taureg who had recently taken it from Mali.Sunni Ali Ber, the military commander responsible for these victories, is widely considered the first great ruler of the Songhai Empire. He continued to enlarge the empire, taking control of important Trans-Saharan trade routes as well as other cities and provinces of Mali.

SONGHAI EMPIRE

After Sunni Ali Ber’s death in 1492, his son, Sonni Baru, became emperor but soon lost the throne to Askia (Emperor) Muhammad Toure one year later. The new ruler, a devout Muslim, was responsible for few additional conquests. Instead he centralized the bureaucracy, appointing virtually all of the mayors and provincial governors, established Sharia law throughout the empire, expanded Sankore University in Timbuktu and built numerous schools through Songhai.Askia Muhammad Toure also strengthened political and cultural ties with the rest of the Muslim world, encouraging the immigration of scholars and skilled workers from Arabia, Egypt, Morocco and Muslim Spain. He was the first West African ruler to allow the exchange of ambassadors with these and other Muslim states.

SONGHAI EMPIRE

After Askia Muhammad Toure’s death in 1528, Songhai enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity under a succession of emperors. Urban-centered trade flourished in Gao, Timbuktu and Djenne although the vast majority of Songhai’s inhabitants were small farmers whose fortunes were tied to success in agriculture rather than in commerce.That period of peace and stability ended in 1591 when a civil war created an opportunity for Morocco Sultan Ahmad I al-Mansur Saadi to send an army to conquer Songhai.

ITEMS OF TRADE

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ITEMS OF TRADE :

Items of trade included kola nuts, gold, ivory, slaves, spices, palm oil,leather and precious woods , and they were traded in exchange for salt, cloth, arms, horses and copper.

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ASKIA MUHAMMAD I

Muhammad Toure, also known Askia Muhammad I and Askia the Great, was a ruler of the Songhay/Songhai Empire of West Africa from 1493 - 1528. When Sunni Ali died in 1492, his son and successor was removed by a coup d’état. Months later, Askia (the title given to rulers of the Songhay Empire) Muhammad assumed the throne. During Muhammad's rule, his greatest accomplishment was that he strengthened the Songhai Empire, and made the Songhai Empire the laregest empire in West African history.

ASKIA MUHAMMAD I

Under the rule of Muhammad, the Songhay Empire rapidly expanded. It incorporated the Hausa states as far as Kano in the South, which is present-day Nigeria, and in the west, Muhammad’s continuous expeditions against the Malian Empire made former Malian territories, tributary to the Songhai Empire. By 1500, the Songhay Empire covered over 1.4 million square kilometers, from what is now Northern Nigeria to present-day Senegal. At the time it was the largest empire in African history.Askia Muhammad also introduced policies that increased trade with Europe and Asia, standardized weights, measures, and currency; replaced native Songhay administrators with Arab Muslims in an attempt to Islamicize society, and encouraged learning and literacy.

ASKIA MUHAMMAD I

Muḥammad created the positions of director of finance, justice, interior, protocol, agriculture, waters and forests, and of “tribes of the white race” .Moors and Tuaregs who at that time were vassals of the Songhai and furnished them with squadrons of dromedary-mounted troops. All these officials were for the most part chosen from among the nobles and were brothers, sons, or cousins of Muḥammad.He established Sharia law throughout the empire, expanded Sankore University in Timbuktu and built numerous schools through Songhai. Askia Muhammad also strengthened political and cultural ties with the rest of the Muslim world, encouraging the immigration of scholars and skilled workers from Arabia, Egypt, Morocco and Muslim Spain. He was the first West African ruler to allow the exchange of ambassadors with these and other Muslim states.

AFRICAN STATE - KINGDOM OF BENIN

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Kingdom of Benin

The Kingdom of Benin, also known as the Edo Kingdom or the Benin Empire, was a kingdom within what is now southern Nigeria. It has no historical relation to the modern republic of Benin, which was known as Dahomey from the 17th century until 1975. The Kingdom of Benin's capital was Edo, now known as Benin City in Edo State, Nigeria. The Benin Kingdom was one of the oldest and most developed states in the coastal hinterland of West Africa. It grew out of the previous Edo Kingdom of Igodomigodo around the 11th century AD, and lasted until it was annexed by the British Empire in 1897.

Kingdom of Benin

The original people and founders of the Benin Kingdom, the Edo people, were initially ruled by the Ogiso (Kings of the Sky) who called their land Igodomigodo. The first Ogiso, Ogiso Igodo, wielded much influence and gained popularity as a good ruler. He died after a long reign and was succeeded by Ere, his eldest son. In the 12th century, a great palace intrigue erupted and crown prince Ekaladerhan, the only son of the last Ogiso, was sentenced to death as a result of the first queen, who was barren, changing an oracle's message to the Ogiso. In carrying out the royal order, that he be killed, the palace messengers had mercy and set the prince free at Ughoton near Benin. When his father the Ogiso died, the Ogiso dynasty ended. The people and royal kingmakers preferred their late king's son as the next to rule.

ITEMS OF TRADE

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ITEMS OF TRADE :

Items of trade in the Kingdom of Benin included palm oil, ivory, cloth, pepper, and slaves for metals, salt, cloth, guns, and powder.

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Oba Ewuare the Great

Ewuare, also Ewuare the Great or Ewuare I, was the Oba/king of the Benin Empire from 1440 until 1473. Ewuare became king in a violent coup against his brother Uwaifiokun which destroyed much of Benin City. After the war, Ewuare rebuilt much of the city of Benin, reformed political structures in the kingdom, greatly expanded the territory of the kingdom, and fostered the arts and festivals. He left a significant legacy and is often considered the first King of the Kingdom of Benin.

Oba Ewuare the Great

Ewuare is often considered a key state-reformer and crucial in many aspects of state formation in the Benin empire. He consolidated the power of the Oba, changed lineage procedures, and created an administrative structure for the Empire. In addition, he greatly expanded the empire and took over a significant territory. A major administrative development undertaken by Ewuare was reducing the power of the uzama chiefs which were a limiting force on the Oba. Ewuare removed their ability to appoint the Oba and instead adopted a clear succession going to the first-born son. In adopting this primogeniture lineage system, the authority of the uzama was greatly decreased. In addition, to clarify the situation, Ewuare developed the Edaiken title for the oldest son to clearly establish the lineage.

Oba Ewuare the Great

Ewuare also created two additional layers of administration in towns and villages with the creation of the Eghabho n'ore; town chiefs, and Eghabho n'ogbe; palace chiefs. These acted as administrative arms, directly appointed and accountable to the Oba, who would collect tribute, deal with legal issues, and generally take part of the affairs of state. To foster this, Ewuare encouraged the freeborn population to work in the palace for small wages as part of these different orders.

Oba Ewuare the Great

During his reign, Ewuare's oldest son Kuoboyuwa, the ruler of Iken, and his second son Ezuwarha, who had become the ruler of Iyowa, became rivals and ended up poisoning one another, causing Ewuare to go into mourning. In his sorrow, Ewuare passed a law prohibiting sex in the kingdom for three years, which resulted in many citezens of the kingdom migrating to other areas. Ewuare overturned the law but few migrants returned. Ewuare told all neighboring states to refuse to give entry to his citizens and developed the scarification practice to allow clear identification of their citizens.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Muhammad-I-Askia

https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/songhai-empire-ca-1375-1591/#:~:text=The%20Songhai%20Empire%20was%20the,Northwest%20Nigeria%20and%20central%20Niger.

https://www.britannica.com/place/Songhai-empire

BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/toure-muhammad-c-1442-1538/#:~:text=Muhammad%20Toure%2C%20also%20known%20Askia,15th%20and%20early%2016th%20centuries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Benin

https://www.britannica.com/place/Benin-historical-kingdom-West-Africa#ref227260

BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/benin/#:~:text=The%20kings%20initiated%20military%20campaigns,cloth%2C%20guns%2C%20and%20powder.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ewuare