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Askia Muhammad Bani
Askia Muhammad Bani was the ruler of the Songhai Empire from 1586 to 1588. A son of Askia Daoud, he was elevated by his brothers after they had deposed Askia Al-Hajj, his predecessor. Soon after taking power, he had two of his brothers who had rebelled against Al-Hajj and been imprisoned executed. This prompted alarm among his surviving brothers, who began to plot against him. The spark for the revolt arose due to the depredations of the ''Kabara-farma'' ‘Alū, a royal eunuch slave who managed the administration of Kabara, the port of Timbuktu. He had illegally taxed the merchants and seized property from prominent clerics. When he imprisoned and whipped a slave of the ''Balma’a'' (military commander of Kabara) Muḥammad al-Ṣādiq b. Dāwūd, the prince personally confronted the royal official, stabbed him to death, and tossed his body into the street. ''Balma’a'' Muḥammad, having defied the Askia, launched a rebellion. He was joined by ''Kanfari'' Salih, but they s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Songhai Empire
The Songhai Empire was a state located in the western part of the Sahel during the 15th and 16th centuries. At its peak, it was one of the largest African empires in history. The state is known by its historiographical name, derived from its largest ethnic group and ruling elite, the Songhai people. Sonni Ali established Gao as the empire's capital, although a Songhai state had existed in and around Gao since the 11th century. Other important cities in the kingdom were Timbuktu and Djenné, where urban-centred trade flourished; they were conquered in 1468 and 1475, respectively. Initially, the Songhai Empire was ruled by the Sonni dynasty (–1493), but it was later replaced by the Askia dynasty (1493–1591). During 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. Mali conquered Gao near the end of the 13th century. Gao remained under Malian command until the la ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tomb Of Askia
The Tomb of Askia, in Gao, Mali, is believed to be the burial place of Askia Mohammad I, one of the Songhai Empire's most prolific emperors. It was built at the end of the fifteenth century and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. UNESCO describes the tomb as a fine example of the monumental mud-building traditions of the West African Sahel. The complex includes the pyramidal tomb, two mosques, a cemetery and an assembly ground. At in height it is the largest pre- colonial architectural monument in Gao. It is a notable example of the Sudano-Sahelian architectural style that later spread throughout the region. Relatively recent modifications to the site have included the expansion of the mosque buildings in the 1960s and mid-1970s, and the 1999 construction of a wall around the site. It has also been regularly replastered throughout its history, a process essential to the maintenance and repair of mud structures. Electricity was added in the early 2000s, allowing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Askia Al-Hajj
Askia Muhammad al-Hajj was the ruler of the Songhai Empire from 1582 to 1586. Rise to Power Muhammad al-Hajj was the son of Askia Daoud and named after his grandfather Askia Mohammed I. Despite his name, he never performed the hajj. Upon his father's accession to the Askiyate in 1549 he was appointed ''Korey-farma'', meaning 'Minister of the Whites.' This position was in charge of managing the Berbers and Tuareg people of the northern parts of the Empire, as well as an increasingly large and influential community of expatriate merchants in Gao and Timbuktu. Under his father, he also served as ''fari-mondio'', in charge of tax collection, from 1579 to 1583. Askia Daoud had intended that al-Hajj's older brother, '' Kurmina-fari'' Muhammad Benkan, succeed him. But when Daoud died in 1582, Muhammad Benkan had not yet arrived from Tindirma. Al-Hajj, being the oldest brother present, was elected Askia. Reign Muhammad Benkan initially intended to oppose the succession, but was quickly ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Askia Ishaq II
Askia Ishaq II, also known as Askia Isḥāq Zughrānī, was the ruler of the Songhai Empire from 1588 to 1591. He commanded the Songhai force at the Battle of Tondibi, where he was defeated by Saadian forces from Morocco who subsequently destroyed the empire. Early life and rise to power Ishaq was the son of Askia Daoud and a Zughrani concubine from the middle Niger region. He was the first son born to Daoud after his rise to power in 1549. Ishaq came to power upon the death of his brother Askia Muhammad Bani, while another brother, the ''Balma'a'' (military governor of Kabara), was bearing down on Gao with a rebellious army. After discovering the body of the deceased Askia, eunuch courtiers conspired to have Benga-''farma'' Maḥmūd b. Ismail take the crown, but another royal slave tipped off Ishaq, the oldest of the sons of Askia Daoud present that day. He and his supporters surrounded the conspirators, and he was proclaimed Askia on April 10th. Before engaging the rebe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Askiya Dynasty
The Askiya dynasty, also known as the Askia dynasty, ruled the Songhai Empire at the height of that state's power. It was founded in 1493 by Askia Mohammad I, a general of the Songhai Empire who usurped the Sonni dynasty. The Askiya ruled from Gao over the vast Songhai Empire until its defeat by a Moroccan invasion force in 1591. After the defeat, the dynasty moved south back to its homeland and created several smaller kingdoms in what is today Songhai in south-western Niger and further south in the Dendi. Historical background After Sonni Ali's death in 1492, one of his sons, Sonni Baru, became ruler of the Songhay Empire. He was immediately challenged for the leadership by Muhammad (son of Abi Bakr) who had been one of Sonni Ali's military commanders. In 1493 Muhammad defeated Sonni Baru in battle and in so doing brought an end to the Sonni dynasty. Muhammad adopted the title of 'Askiya'. The origin of the word is not known. The '' Tarikh al-Sudan'' gives a 'folk etymology' and e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Askia Daoud
Askia Daoud (also Askia Dāwūd, Askiya Dawud) was the ruler of the Songhai Empire from 1549 to 1582. His rule saw the empire rise to a peak of peace and prosperity following a series of succession disputes and short reigns."Songhai empire." ''Britannica Academic'', Encyclopædia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2019. academic-eb-com.queens.ezproxy.cuny.edu/levels/collegiate/article/Songhai-empire/68696. Accessed 30 Nov. 2019. Background and rise to power Dawud was one of many sons of Askia Muhammad Ture, the first ruler of the Askia dynasty. Under his rule, the Songhai economy thrived and developed a profoundly Islamized society, with the government promoting trade, education, and literacy. Dawud and his brothers received a good Islamic education. Beginning with his father's deposition in 1528, the Songhai empire was shaken by a series of succession disputes until his brother Askia Ishaq I was peacefully elected Askia in 1539.Root, Mario. "Songhay Empire." ''Encyclopedia of Black Studies'', ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eunuch
A eunuch ( , ) is a male who has been castration, castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millennium BCE. Over the millennia since, they have performed a wide variety of functions in many different cultures: courtiers or equivalent Domestic worker, domestics, for espionage or clandestine operations, ''castrato'' singers, Concubinage, concubines or sexual partners, religious specialists, soldiers, royal guards, government officials, and guardians of women or harem servants. Eunuchs would usually be servants or Slavery, slaves who had been castrated to make them less threatening servants of a royal court where physical access to the ruler could wield great influence. Seemingly lowly domestic functions—such as making the ruler's bed, bathing him, cutting his hair, carrying him in his litter (vehicle), litter, or even rel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kabara, Mali
Kabara is a small town in Mali on the Niger River, the port for Timbuktu. It is to the south of Timbuktu and is connected to an arm of the Niger River by a canal. The town has at times in the past been linked to Timbuktu by an extension of the canal. However, silting and lower water levels in recent years have made the extension canal unusable and the Kabara port usable only during the high water seasons. Canals In the past, the area flooded by the Niger was more extensive than today. In years with high rainfall the floodwater would reach the western outskirts of Timbuktu itself. The Koriomé canal from Daï to Kabara was dug by the emperor Soni Ali Ber when he captured Timbuktu in 1468. An extension known as the "Hippopotamus Canal" was later excavated from Kabara up to Timbuktu. A small navigable waterway to the west of Timbuktu is shown on the maps published by Heinrich Barth in 1857 and Félix Dubois in 1896. Between 1917 and 1921 the French used slave labour to again di ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Timbuktu
Timbuktu ( ; ; Koyra Chiini: ; ) is an ancient city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. It is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrative regions of Mali, having a population of 32,460 in the 2018 census. Archaeological evidence suggests prehistoric settlements in the region, predating the city's Islamic scholarly and trade prominence in the medieval period. Timbuktu began as a seasonal settlement and became permanent early in the 12th century. After a shift in trading routes, particularly after the visit by Mansa Musa around 1325, Timbuktu flourished, due to its strategic location, from the trade in salt, gold, and ivory. It gradually expanded as an important Islamic city on the Saharan trade route and attracted many scholars and traders before it became part of the Mali Empire early in the 14th century. In the first half of the 15th century, the Tuareg people took control for a short period, until the expanding Songhai Empire absorbed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kanfari
The Kurmina-fari or Kanfari was the title of a major administrative and military position in the Songhai Empire. The position was broadly in charge of the western half of the empire, and was based in Tindirma. The position was created by Askia Mohammad I in 1494 soon after he took power from Sonni Ali. His brother Umar Komadiago was the first ''Kurmina-fari'', and several of his sons would hold the position after him. The ''Kurmina-fari'' was often the eldest son or brother of the ruling Askia. List of Kurmina-fari This list comes from the Tarikh al-Sudan. Dates and english spellings are derived mostly from Michael A. Gomez's book African Dominion: A New History of Empire in Early and Medieval West Africa. * Umar Komadiago b. Abu Bakr, 1494–1520 * Yahya b. Abu Bakr, 1520–1529 * Uthman Yawbobo, 1529–1530 * Mohammed Bonkana Kirya, 1530–1531 * Uthman Tinfarin, 1531–1537 * Hammad Aryao b. Mohammad Kirai, 1537–1539 * ‘Alī Kusira, 1539–1543 * Dāwūd, 1543–154 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Askia Ismail
Askia Ismail was the sixth ruler of the Songhai Empire from 1537 – 1539, and fourth from the Askia dynasty. He was the son of Askia Mohammad I, the founder of the Askia dynasty, and Maryam Daabu, a member of the Malian royal family captured in 1501. Dynastic Struggles Ismail, a younger son, joined an abortive rebellion against his brother Musa, and was sheltered by the ''Maghsharen-koi'', the leader of the Tuareg community of Timbuktu, in the aftermath. He was recalled to court by Askia Mohammed Benkan, given the king's sister as a wife, and made to swear a public loyalty oath. Despite this, he plotted with his father, imprisoned on an island in the Niger river, to regain power. The conspiracy came to fruition in April 1537 when Benkan was encamped at a village called Mansur, site of the murder of his own predecessor Musa. Benkan’s captains turned against him and he was deposed by the Dendi-fari, who then proclaimed Ismail as Askia. Reign Ismail's reign began inauspiciousl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
