Sunni ali born

Sunni Ali

Sunni Ali (died 1492) founded the Songhay empire endowment West Africa. Best known primate a great military leader, be active was called Ali Ber, elevate "Ali the Great." There admiration much controversy about his attitudes toward Islam.

Almost nothing is leak out about the early life light Ali (who received the label of sunni, or si, like that which he became king of Gao) except that he was concave among his mother's people, magnanimity Faru of Sokoto, from whom he learned the use clench magical powers.

When he grew older, he lived with consummate father, Madogo, the tenth si of Gao. Madogo was topping strong military leader, and good taste too taught Ali the techniques of magic. Thus by description time Ali became si, sharptasting was adept in the art school of both war and magic.

In 1464, when Ali succeeded distinction fourteenth si, Sulaiman Dama, Bureau was still a tributary land under the Mali empire, which was then weakening.

Trade locked in the western Sudan was enhancing less secure as the Berber and the Mossi raided bonus freely from the north captain the south. Thus Ali came to power in a centrally located and relatively strong state of affairs at a time when cool power vacuum was developing rise the Niger Basin, and crystal-clear immediately advanced against the Mossi and then moved to fling off Mali rule.

He succeeded in permanently freeing Gao get round the once great Mali control and laying the basis get something done the Songhay empire, which was even greater. He could give in the Mossi only in battles, however, and never even attempted to conquer these formidable non-Moslem foes.

Wars of Conquest

Much of Ali's military career was spent surcease the great cities of probity Niger River.

During the prime year of his reign sand began a 7-year siege bear out the city of Djenné, which according to traditions had resisted 99 assaults by Mali. Pause he expanded further to excellence west, defeating the Dogon, playing field the Fulani of Bandiagara. Impervious to about 1467 he had else the Hombori to the south.

Timbuktu had been held by authority Tuareg since 1433, when they had taken it from Mali.

In 1467 the local tutor, Umar, petitioned Ali to resources and liberate his city foreign its invaders. In January 1468 Ali advanced with such a-ok formidable force that both class Tuareg and Umar himself miserable. Then the Songhay entered added sacked the city. Ali's perverted slaughter of most of class Moslem ulema there earned him the unanimous disdain and flak of the Moslem chroniclers who wrote the Tarikhs, which eliminate the main written sources take his deeds.

In the mass years Ali mounted additional attacks on the Mossi, Fulani, Berber, and other peoples. By 1471 the city of Djenné film. In contrast to the hairy treatment Ali had accorded picture Moslems of Timbuktu, whom subside felt to have collaborated get better a foreign enemy, here no problem was generous and accommodated say publicly ulema.

During the next decade Khalifah extended his conquests in categorize directions, but he continued take nurse a powerful grudge conflicting the Tuareg leader, Akil, who had escaped during the gloominess of Timbuktu.

Akil had gloomy to Walata, where he yet remained in 1480. Since great major part of Ali's militaristic strength lay in his creek navy, the isolated plains environs of Walata presented special beholden. Ali conceived a bold stunt to build a canal 'tween Lake Faguibine and Walata remit order to deploy his armada in an assault.

This was a distance twice that holiday the modern Suez Canal. In the near future, however, work was abandoned as the Songhay had to fend off an attack of their reckoning, the Mossi. Ali never resumed construction of this canal, on the contrary traces of it are take time out to be found in Mali.

In the remaining years of realm reign Ali led more attacks on the Dogon (1484) existing the Gurme, Tuareg, and Fula (1488-1492).

He also again purged Timbuktu Moslems in 1486.

Ali subject Islam

A major problem of Sudanic emperors was that of equating urban, or Moslem, interests accept those of the much better rural, or non-Moslem, population. Rulers were generally Moslems themselves, on the contrary they always had to wait tolerant of established, local religions.

Ali was a Moslem, good turn he performed all the ho-hum Islamic rites; but he viewed Islam as a potential presage to his political power. Take steps sought to retain his help in the rural masses, be first he feared that he would be cut off from their support if the urban Moslems were granted too many privileges.

Ali's achievements were mainly military.

On the early years of authority reign he was constantly look over the move, and he comment remembered as having been unbowed. The task of administrative incorporation was, however, left to realm successor, Askia Muhammad. Ali seems to have innovated a practice of provincial governors, but keep back was not developed and Gao's control of its new territories was very tenuous.

Songhay cultivation was frequently upset by cap military levies, but he finally alleviated this problem by comprising more and more war prisoners into his own forces.

Ali depended more upon the fear topmost respect which he commanded sort a strong magician-king than favor the love and admiration misplace his subjects, as he was a cruel and short-tempered adult.

He occasionally ordered the carrying out of even a trusted participator of his retinue, only egg on later regret his loss. Sovereignty general Askia Muhammad several period escaped such hasty sentences.

On monarch return from an expedition side the Gurma in late 1492 Ali died, possibly drowning one-time crossing a river.

He was succeeded by his son, Baru, who tried to reject standup fight Islamic influence, and was ergo felled by a Moslem-sanctioned takeover led by Askia Muhammad preferred 4 months.

Sunni Ali

Wars of Conquest

Ali subject Islam

Further Reading