The Sohance (also known as the Sohankye or Si Hamey) are a social caste among the Songhai nobility. They are believed to be the direct descendants of the Sonni Dynasty and its last ruler,

Sonni Ali Ber Sunni Ali, also known as Si Ali, Sunni Ali Ber (Ber meaning "the Great"), was born in Ali Kolon. He reigned from about 1464 to 1492. Sunni Ali was the first king of the Songhai Empire, located in Africa and the 15th ruler of the Sunni dynasty. ...

, the founder of the

Songhai Empire The Songhai Empire (also transliterated as Songhay) was a state that dominated the western Sahel/Sudan in the 15th and 16th century. At its peak, it was one of the largest states in African history. The state is known by its historiographical ...

, who reigned from 1464 to 1492.

History and Culture

The Sohance are known to be the priestly class and guardians of ancient Songhai culture. They are mainly concentrated in the western part of what is now Niger, where they settled after their ruling dynasty was ousted from power by Askia Muhammed. The area that they settled is still known as the

Songhai country The Songhai (also Songhay, Songhaytarey (), ()) is an area in the northwestern corner of Niger's Tillabéri Region populated mainly by the Songhai proper. It is considered the heartland of the Songhai people and the sanctuary of their ancien ...

Importance in Songhai

The Sohance are considered to be the highest caste among the Songhai, and even Askia Muhammed was said to be from the Sohance caste, contrary to what other historians have suggested linking him to the Sillanké caste of the

Soninke people The Soninke people are a West African Mande-speaking ethnic group found in Mali, Fouta Djallon, southern Mauritania, eastern Senegal, Guinea and The Gambia. They speak the Soninke language, also called the Serakhulle or Azer language, which is ...

. According to accounts, the ''Sohance'' were massively opposed Askia Mohammed's ascent to the throne as he was not the legitimate heir. Further research by the Ahmed Baba Institute of Higher Learning and Islamic Research in Timbuktu has shown that what was previously thought to be Sillankè was actually a mistranslation of the word “Sohance” found in the Tarikh al-fattash book, which gives accounts of the Songhai Empire. According to the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

anthropologist An anthropologist is a person engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms and ...

and filmmaker, Jean Rouch, who carried out fieldwork and documented the Songhai populations of Niger in the 1940s and 1950s, the Sohance are the true Songhai due to the minimal foreign cultural influences found among them, as opposed to other regions where outside influences were more prevalent. Rouch noted that ''"the true Songhay, after the seventeenth century, is no longer the one of Timbuktu or Gao, but the one farther south near the Anzourou, the Gorouol, on the islands of the river surrounded by rapids."''

References

{{reflist Songhai Empire