Songhai Empire History

West African Empires

• The most famous walled city in West Africa was Kano, where Islam spread from Kanem-Bornu.

Eastern Africa

• In eastern Africa, various states and small societies emerged, with Islam influencing many of them.
• Islam led to the emergence of wealthy states due to trade.

The Kingdom of Kongo

• The Kingdom of Kongo was located on the lower bank of the Zaire River.
• Bantu people founded it in the late 14th century.
• The people were hunters, warriors, and clever smiths.
• Agriculture and trade played important roles in the kingdom's economy.

Swahili City-States

• Bantu-speaking people established small village settlements along the coast of the Indian Ocean around 2000 years ago.
• After the rise of Islam, Muslim Arabic-speaking merchants married into local ruling families, leading to cultural diffusion.
• The language and culture developed distinctly African with Islamic and Arabic influences, known as Swahili.
• Swahili is now a common language in East African countries.

Notable Swahili City-States

• Mogadishu (in Somalia)
• Malindi and Mombasa (in Kenya)
• Zanzibar and Kilwa (in Tanzania)
• Brava, Pate, Pemba, and Sofala

The Songhai Empire

• The Songhai people established the Empire, with its capital at Gao.
• The Empire extended from central Nigeria to the Atlantic coast.
• Songhai became powerful by controlling the Trans-Sahara trade.
• The Empire ended in 1591 when a Moroccan army defeated Songhai in the battle of Tonditi.

The Kingdoms of Kanem-Bornu

• Kanem-Bornu was a Muslim dynasty in the grassland region of Africa.
• Trade was important for Kanem's greatness.
• The ruling family kept trade routes safe and collected taxes from traders.

The Hausa States

• The Hausa city-states emerged in Nigeria between 1000 and 1200 AD.
• The people were both pastoralists and farmers.
• The economy of the Hausa city-states was based on agriculture and the trans-Saharan trade.
• Hausa cities were noted for their leather goods.
• Notable Hausa city-states include Kano, Katsina, Zazzau (Zaria), Gobir, Kebbi, Rano, and Zamfara.