The Songhai Empire
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| Source: Pinterest |
By Evan Andrews
For sheer size, few states in African history can compare to
the Songhai Empire. Formed in the 15th century from some of the former regions
of the Mali Empire, this West African kingdom was larger than Western Europe
and comprised parts of a dozen modern day nations.
The empire enjoyed a period of prosperity thanks to vigorous
trade policies and a sophisticated bureaucratic system that separated its vast
holdings into different provinces, each ruled by its own governor. It reached
its zenith in the early 16th century under the rule of the devout King Muhammad I
Askia, who conquered new lands, forged an alliance with Egypt’s Muslim
Caliph and established hundreds of Islamic schools in Timbuktu. While the
Songhai Empire was once among the most powerful states in the world, it later
crumbled in the late 1500s after a period of civil war and internal strife left
it open to an invasion by the Sultan
of Morocco.
Source: History
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