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Songhai Empire SONGHAI EMPIRE LOCATION Located in Western Africa south of the Sahara Desert and along the Niger River, the Songhai Empire stretched well over 1,000 miles from the present-day country of Niger to the Atlantic Ocean. Gao was the capital of the Songhai Empire. It is located in present- day Mali on the banks of the Niger River. ESTABLISHED The Songhai Empire came into power under Sunni Ali, a prince of the Songhai. The Mali Empire, who controlled the Songhai at the time, were holding Sunni Ali as a political prisoner. He escaped in 1464 to Gao and took over the city. He established the Songhai Empire and started conquering nearby regions, including the important trading cities of Timbuktu and Djenne. Sunni Ali became a legendary hero in Songhai folklore. They often portrayed him with magical powers and called him “Sunni Ali the Great.” ASKIA MUHAMMAD Askia Muhammad became the leader of the Songhai in 1493. Under him, the Songhai Empire reached the height of its power and founded the Askia Dynasty. He was a devout Muslim, so Islam became an important part of the empire. He conquered many surrounding areas and took over the gold and salt trade from the Mali Empire. GOVERNMENT The Songhai Empire was divided into five provinces, each led by a governor. All governors, judges, and town chiefs were Muslims under Askia Muhammad. The Songhai emperor had complete power, but also had ministers who ran different parts of the empire. In addition, they counseled the emperor on important issues. CULTURE Songhai culture was a blend of traditional West African beliefs with the religion of Islam. Daily life was ruled by traditions and customs, but laws were based on Islam. SLAVES The slave trade was important to the Songhai Empire. They used slaves to transport goods across the Sahara Desert to Morocco and the Middle East. They were also sold to Europeans to work in Europe and the Americas. Slaves were typically captives of war taken during raids of nearby regions. If a prisoner of war converted to Islam prior to their capture, they could not be sold as a slave. FALL The Songhai Empire started to weaken due to internal conflict and civil war in the mid-1500s. The Moroccan army invaded and captured Timbuktu and Gao in 1591. This led to its collapse and division into separate smaller states. ©Teaching to the Middle Name_________________________________________ SONGHAI EMPIRE MATCHING: Match each term with its description. A. Captured Sunni Ali prior to him establishing the 1. _____ Sunni Ali Songhai Empire 2. _____ Mali B. Capital of the Songhai Empire 3. _____ Africa C. Leader of the Songhai Empire during its height 4. _____ Islam D. River on which the Songhai Empire bordered 5. _____ Gao E. Captured and used or sold by the Songhai Empire 6. _____ Niger F. Continent on which the Songhai Empire was located 7. _____ Askia G. Established the Songhai Empire Muhummad 8. _____ Slaves H. Religion practiced by most in the Songhai Empire TRUE OR FALSE?: Place a check in the correct column. STATEMENT T F 9. The Songhai Empire fell when it was taken over by the Mali Empire. 10. Askia Muhammad was a devout Muslim. 11. Sunni Ali was portrayed as a folklore hero by the Songhai Empire. 12. Laws in the Songhai Empire were based on Islam. 13. Sunni Ali was killed by the Mali Empire. 14. The Songhai Empire was located south of the Sahara Desert. 15. A prisoner of war who converted to Islam was placed in slavery. 16. Askia Muhammad took over the Mali Empire’s salt and gold trade. 17. The Egyptian army invaded the Songhai Empire in the mid-1500s. 18. The Songhai Empire stretched about 2,000 miles in length. ©Teaching to the Middle MULTIPLE CHOICE: Choose the best answer. 19. The Songhai Empire is located in which present-day country? A. Niger B. Mali C. Senegal D. Mauritania 20. How did Sunni Ali become the leader of the Songhai Empire? A. He killed the Mali Empire’s emperor and took over. B. He gathered troops to help him conquer the Mali Empire. C. He escaped from imprisonment under the Mali Empire and took over Gao and surrounding areas. D. He killed Mali’s leader, took over Gao, and rallied the people to take control of surrounding areas. 21. What quality did all governors, judges, and town chiefs need to possess under Askia Muhammad? A. They must be Muslims. B. They must be married. C. They must own land. D. They must pay taxes. 22. What was the job of ministers under the emperor? A. To capture slaves. B. To take over surrounding land. C. To counsel the emperor and run parts of the government. D. To punish criminals in their province. 23. Where did members of the Songhai Empire get their slaves? A. They used their own people who were convicted of crimes. B. They used people who refused to convert to Islam. C. They captured children at night during raids. D. They used captives of war from nearby areas. ©Teaching to the Middle.
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