Askia Ishaq II (1588–1591) ascended to power in a long dynastic struggle following the death of Askia Daoud.
Ahmad al-Mansur, the Moroccan sultan at the time, demanded tax revenues from the empire's salt mines.Īskia Daoud responded by sending a large quantity of gold as a gift in an attempt to appease the sultan.
The empire experienced a period of stability and a string of military successes during the reign of Askia Daoud (). Askia's relatives attempted to govern the empire, but political chaos and several civil wars within the empire ensured the empire's continued decline, particularly during the brutal rule of Askia Ishaq I (1539–1549).
#Songhai chaos control series
His son and successor, Sonni Bāru (1492–1493), was a less successful ruler of the empire, and as such was overthrown by Muhammad Ture (1493–1528 called Askia), one of his father's generals, who instituted political and economic reforms throughout the empire.Ī series of plots and coups by Askia's successors forced the empire into a period of decline and instability. Under the rule of Sonni Ali, the Songhai surpassed the Malian Empire in area, wealth, and power, absorbing vast areas of the Mali Empire and reached its greatest extent. Songhai rulers subsequently took advantage of the weakened Mali Empire to expand Songhai rule. As the Mali Empire started to disintegrate, the Songhai reasserted control of Gao. Gao would remain under Malian hegemony until the late 14th century. Mali conquered Gao towards the end of the 13th century. Initially, the empire was ruled by the Sonni dynasty ( c. 1464–1493), but it was later replaced by the Askia dynasty (1493–1591).ĭuring the second half of the 13th century, Gao and the surrounding region had grown into an important trading center and attracted the interest of the expanding Mali Empire. Other important cities in the empire were Timbuktu and Djenné, conquered in 14 respectively, where urban-centered trade flourished. Sonni Ali established Gao as the capital of the empire, although a Songhai state had existed in and around Gao since the 11th century. The state is known by its historiographical name, derived from its leading ethnic group and ruling elite, the Songhai. At its peak, it was one of the largest states in African history. The Songhai Empire (also transliterated as Songhay) was a state that dominated the western Sahel in the 15th and 16th century.
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