Leadership of Sonni Ali- reasons for the rise

How did Sonni ali’s predecessors lay a solid foundation for the empire ?

• Mohammad Da’o - expedition against Mali and returns with prisoners - increasing the instability of Mali - brought tributary people’s into Songhay eg Bambara , Fula and fishermen from Niger River

• Suleyman Dam - expanded westward - attacked Soninke city of Mema

When did Ali rise to power ?

1464

what were the main successes of Ali ?

• cont westward expansion

• military campaigns against Mossi , Tuareg

• conquered Djenne

• captured Timbuktu in 1468

How did the capture of Timbuktu lead to tension ?

Sonni Ali hostile towards the Ulemas - never forgave

what did a West African chronicler say about Ali ?

described him as a man of great strength and colossal energy, a tyrant, a miscreant, an aggressor, a despot and a butcher… he tyrannised the scholars and the holy men, killing them, insulting them, and humiliating them’.

however , how did the chronicler also see that Ali recognised the worth of the scholars ?

he did show ‘kindness and respect to some of them’.

According to Al-Sa’dī, Sonni Ali did say that ‘were it not for the scholars, life would not be so pleasant or agreeable’.

Aswell as expanding the Kingdom , what did Ali do with the peoples of Songhay ? give example

incorporated many from different backrounds

Dogon , Manke , Sonninke and Tuareg

pluralistic and diverse society

how is Ali remembered in oral tradition ?

magician of unparalleled power

How was Ali a great military commander ?

had a well thought strategy of conquest based on Niger waterways

Under Ali in the 1440s , how was the trade status ?

reached its peak

How did Ali establish new administrative Frameworks ?

• put each conquered province under a war chief who understood the authority of Ali

• ran a central administration from Gao

How was Songhays rise helped by the decline of western trans-saharan trade route through Mauritania ?

the demand for gold and slaves centred further east , in Cairo and the ottoman empire - increased trade in this direction and the shift East from Mali to Songhay showed this pattern