Askiya dynasty

Last updated

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.

Contents

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. [1] Muhammad adopted the title of 'Askiya'. The origin of the word is not known. [2] The Tarikh al-Sudan gives a 'folk etymology' and explains that the word derives from a Songhay expression meaning "He shall not be it" used by the sisters of Sunni Ali. [3] The Tarikh al-fattash , in contrast, mentions that the title had been used previously. [4] The early use of the title is supported by the discovery of tombstones (stellae) with the Askiya title dating from the 13th century in a cemetery in Gao. [5]

A patrilineal system of succession was used in which power passed to brothers before passing to the next generation. Some of the Askiya rulers had a large number of children creating great competition and sometimes fratricide. Margin notes in one manuscript of the Tarikh al-Sudan indicates that Askiya al-hajj Muhammad had 471 children [6] while Askiya Dawud had 333. [7] The Tarikh al-fattash states that Askiya Dawud had 'at least 61 children', of whom more than 30 died as infants. [8]

At the time of the Moroccan invasion in 1591, the empire was ruled by Askia Ishaq II. After his defeat, Askiya Ishaq II was deposed by his brother, Askiya Muhammad Gao. [9] The Moroccan military leader, Pasha Mahmud, set a trap for Askia Muhammad Gao and gave orders for him to be killed. [10] Sulayman, another brother, then agreed to cooperate with the Moroccan army and was appointed as a puppet Askia in Timbuktu. [11] Yet another brother, Nuh, became Askiya in Dendi, a region south of the modern town of Say in Niger. From Dendi Askiya Nuh organised a campaign of resistance against the Moroccan forces.

Sources

The 17th century Timbuktu chronicles, the Tarikh al-Sudan and the Tarikh al-Fattash , provide dates for the reigns of the Askiyas from the time of Askiya Muhammad usurping the leadership until the Moroccan conquest in 1591. The Tarikh al-Fattash ends in 1599 while the Tarikh al-Sudan provides information on the Askiyas in Timbuktu up to 1656. John Hunwick's partial translation of the Tarikh al-Sudan ends in 1613. Hunwick includes a genealogy of the Askiya dynasty up to this date. [12] The later sections of the Tarikh al-Sudan are available in a translation into French made by Octave Houdas  [ fr ] which was published in 1898-1900. [13] Information on the dynasty after 1656 is provided by the Tadhkirat al-Nisyan. [14] This is an anonymous biographical dictionary of the Moroccan rulers of Timbuktu written in around 1750. For the earlier entries the text is copied directly from the Tarikh al-Sudan. The Tadhkirat al-Nisyan also provides some information on the collaborating Askiya rulers based in Timbuktu. Elias Saad has published a genealogy of the Askiya dynasty. [15]

After the conquest of areas of West Africa at the end of the 19th century, the French government commissioned Jean Tilho  [ fr ] to undertake a survey of the people in the occupied territories. In the Denki region the rulers of the small towns of Karimama, Madékali and Gaya claimed descent from the Askiya dynasty of Gao. These town are near the modern border between Niger and Benin. The published report provides a genealogy but does not indicated how the information was obtained nor whether it is likely to be reliable. [16] At the time of Askiya Fodi Maÿroumfa (ruled 1798-1805) the Dendi kingdom split into three separate kingdoms with capitals in the above three towns.

Askiya dynasty of the Songhai Empire

The names and dates of reigns listed below are those given in the translation of the Tarikh al-Sudan from Arabic into English by John Hunwick. [17]

Askiya dynasty in Timbuktu

These are the Askiya rulers appointed by the Moroccans. The dates are from the Tadhkirat al-Nisyan. [19] The spelling generally follows that used by Elias Saad. [15]

Askiya dynasty of Dendi

The Tarikh al-Sudan includes a list of the Askia rulers of the Dendi after the Invasion. [22] They were all descendants of Askiya Dawud who had ruled in Gao between 1549 and 1582. The list of Askiyas provides no dates but in a few cases the list specifies the length of their reigns. Most of the Askiyas based in Dendi are not mentioned elsewhere in the Tarikh al-Sudan, but for those that are, it is sometimes possible to date their reigns. There were usually succession struggles and some of the reigns were very short. In 1639 Pasha Mesaoud sacked the town of Lulami in Dendi where Askia Ismail was based. [23] The location of Lulami is not known and the chronicle does not specify whether Lulami was a permanent capital. The Tadhkirat al-Nisyan makes no mention of Dendi or its rulers.

The report of the Tilho commission includes a list of rulers of Gao and then of Gaya in the region of Dendi. [16] The early names do not match those in the lists above. The spelling below is as used in the report.

French conquest: 1901

See also

Notes

  1. Hunwick 2003, pp. 100–102.
  2. Hunwick 2003, p. 335.
  3. Hunwick 2003, p. 103.
  4. Kâti 1913, p.  88.
  5. Moraes Farias 2003, p. l.
  6. Hunwick 2003, p. 180 n40.
  7. Hunwick 2003, p. 184 n68.
  8. Kâti 1913, p.  215.
  9. Hunwick 2003, p. 198.
  10. Hunwick 2003, p. 201.
  11. Hunwick 2003, p. 203.
  12. Hunwick 2003, p. 364.
  13. es-Sadi & 1898-1900.
  14. Houdas 1901.
  15. 1 2 Saad 1983, p. 253 Appendix 18.
  16. 1 2 Tilho 1911, pp. 505-510 Volume 2.
  17. Hunwick 2003, pp. 336–337.
  18. Kâti 1913 , p.  217
  19. Houdas 1901, pp. 289–297.
  20. Year of death given in the Tarikh al-Sudan( es-Sadi & 1898-1900 , p.  342 )
  21. Askiya Al-Mukhtar died in 1724 giving a 6-year gap before the appointment of his successor. ( Houdas 1901 , p.  85 ).
  22. es-Sadi & 1898-1900, pp.  470-473.
  23. es-Sadi & 1898-1900, p.  400.
  24. The Tarikh al-Sudan states that Askiya Nuh ruled for 7 years.
  25. The Tarikh al-Sudan states that al-Amin ruled for 7 years. The date of 1618 for the death of al-Amin and the succession of Askia Dawud II is mentioned in the Tarikh al-Sudan es-Sadi & 1898-1900 , p.  341
  26. The Tarikh al-Sudan states that Dawud II ruled for 22 years.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Songhai Empire</span> Empire in West Africa from c. 1430s to 1591

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, but it was later replaced by the Askia dynasty (1493–1591).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Songhai people</span> Ethno-linguistic group of West Africa

The Songhai people are an ethnolinguistic group in West Africa who speak the various Songhai languages. Their history and lingua franca is linked to the Songhai Empire which dominated the western Sahel in the 15th and 16th century. Predominantly adherents of Islam, the Songhai are primarily located in Niger and Mali within the Western Sudanic region. Historically, the term "Songhai" did not denote an ethnic or linguistic identity but referred to the ruling caste of the Songhay Empire known as the Songhaiborai. However, the correct term used to refer to this group of people collectively by the natives is "Ayneha". Although some Speakers in Mali have also adopted the name Songhay as an ethnic designation, other Songhay-speaking groups identify themselves by other ethnic terms such as Zarma or Isawaghen. The dialect of Koyraboro Senni spoken in Gao is unintelligible to speakers of the Zarma dialect of Niger, according to at least one report. The Songhay languages are commonly taken to be Nilo-Saharan but this classification remains controversial: Dimmendaal (2008) believes that for now it is best considered an independent language family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Askia Muhammad I</span> Askia

Askia Muhammad I (1443–1538), born Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr al-Turi or Muhammad Ture, was the first ruler of the Askia dynasty of the Songhai Empire, reigning from 1493 to 1528. He is also known as Askia the Great, and his name in modern Songhai is Mamar Kassey. Askia Muhammad strengthened his empire and made it the largest empire in West Africa's history. At its peak under his reign, the Songhai Empire encompassed the Hausa states as far as Kano and much of the territory that had belonged to the Songhai empire in the east. His policies resulted in a rapid expansion of trade with Europe and Asia, the creation of many schools, and the establishment of Islam as an integral part of the empire.

Sunni Ali, also known as Si Ali, Sunni Ali Ber, reigned from about 1464 to 1492 as the 15th ruler of the Sunni dynasty of the Songhai Empire. He transformed the relatively small state into an empire by conquering Timbuktu, Massina, the Inner Niger Delta, and Djenne.

Taghaza is an abandoned salt-mining centre located in a salt pan in the desert region of northern Mali. It was an important source of rock salt for West Africa up to the end of the 16th century when it was abandoned and replaced by the salt-pan at Taoudenni which lies 150 km (93 mi) to the southeast. Salt from the Taghaza mines formed an important part of the long distance trans-Saharan trade. The salt pan is located 857 km (533 mi) south of Sijilmasa, 787 km (489 mi) north-northwest of Timbuktu and 731 km (454 mi) north-northeast of Oualata.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gao</span> Urban commune and town in Mali

Gao, or Gawgaw/Kawkaw, is a city in Mali and the capital of the Gao Region. The city is located on the River Niger, 320 km (200 mi) east-southeast of Timbuktu on the left bank at the junction with the Tilemsi valley.

Judar Pasha was a Spanish-Moroccan military leader under the Saadian sultan Ahmad al-Mansur in the late 16th century. He led the Saadian army in the conquest of the Songhai Empire.

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.

Askia Mohammad Benkan, also Askiya Muhammad Bonkana Kirya, was the third ruler of the Songhai Empire from 1531 to 1537.

The Dendi was a former province of the Songhai Empire. It survived the fall of the Empire as a kingdom until 1901, when it was conquered by France and incorporated into French West Africa. Its centers today are the cities of Gaya in Niger, Kamba in Nigeria and Malanville in Benin.

Askia Musa or Askiya Musa was the second Askia ruler of the Songhai Empire.

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Karim al-Maghili, commonly known as Muhammad al-Maghili was a Berber 'alim from Tlemcen, the capital of the Kingdom of Tlemcen, now in modern-day Algeria. Al-Maghili was responsible for converting the ruling classes to Islam among Hausa, Fulani, and Tuareg peoples in West Africa.

The Zā dynasty were rulers of the Gao Empire based in the towns of Kukiya and Gao on the Niger River in what is today modern Mali. The Songhai people are descended from this kingdom and the Zarma people of Niger derive their name, which means "the descendants of Za", from this dynasty.

The Sonni dynasty, Sunni dynasty or Si dynasty was a dynasty of rulers of the Songhai Empire of medieval West Africa. The origins of the dynasty are shrouded in legend and debated by historians. The last ruler, Sonni Baru, ruled until 1493 when the throne was usurped by the Askiya Muhammad I, the founder of the Askiya dynasty.

Askia Ishaq I, also known as Ishaq Ber or Ishaq Kadibini, was the ruler of the Songhai Empire from 1539 to 1549, elected Askia following the death of Askia Isma'il. He was the fifth ruler of the Askiya dynasty.

<i>Tarikh al-fattash</i> 16th century West African chronicle

The Tarikh al-fattash is a West African chronicle that provides an account of the Songhay Empire from the reign of Sonni Ali up to 1599 with a few references to events in the following century. The chronicle also mentions the earlier Mali Empire. It and the Tarikh al-Sudan, a 17th century chronicle also giving a history of Songhay, are together known as the Timbuktu Chronicles.

Sonni Bāru, also known as Sonni Abū Bakr Dao was the 16th and last king of the Sonni dynasty to rule over the Songhai Empire located in west Africa. His rule was very short, from 6 November 1492, to 12 April 1493. The dates of his birth and death are not known.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pashalik of Timbuktu</span> 1591–1833 Moroccan polity in West Africa

The Pashalik of Timbuktu, also known as the Pashalik of Sudan, was a West African political entity that existed between the 16th and the 19th century. It was formed after the Battle of Tondibi, when a military expedition sent by Saadian sultan Ahmad al-Mansur of Morocco defeated the Songhai Empire and established control over a territory centered on Timbuktu. Following the decline of the Saadi Sultanate in the early 17th century, Morocco retained only nominal control of the Pashalik.

Askia Daoud 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.

Askia Muhammad Gao was the last ruler of the Songhai Empire. A son of Askia Daoud, he assumed power in the last months of 1591 after the defeat of Askia Ishaq II by Moroccan forces at the Battle of Tondibi and the subsequent Battle of Bamba. About forty days after taking power he was lured into a trap by Moroccans, captured, and later executed.

References