Latest / The Songhai Empire: Africa's Powerful Forgotten Kingdom — Fexingo History / The Askia's Jewish Advisors at the Songhai Court
Transcript
- Lucas: So, we've talked a lot about Askia Muhammad Toure — his pilgrimage, his reforms, his military campaigns. But there's a side of his court that's almost never mentioned in popular history, and it's one of the most fascinating examples of religious coexistence in pre-colonial Africa. Luna: What side is that? Lucas: Jewish advisors. During Askia Muhammad's reign, the Songhai court in Gao included Jewish diplomats, merchants, and interpreters who had come from North Africa. They were part of a wider Jewish diaspora that had settled across the Sahel. Luna: Wait — Jewish communities in the Songhai Empire? I don't think I've ever heard that. Lucas: Most people haven't. And the sources are thin, but they're real. The Tarikh al-Sudan mentions Jewish merchants in Timbuktu, and there are accounts from Jewish chronicles in the Maghreb that describe communities in Gao. Even Leo Africanus, the Moroccan traveler who visited the region in the early 1500s, noted that the king of Gao — likely Askia Muhammad — employed Jewish interpreters. Luna: So these were Sephardic Jews, fleeing Spain? Lucas: Partly. After the Spanish Inquisition in 1492 and the Portuguese expulsion in 1497, many Jews from Iberia fled to North Africa, especially to cities like Tlemcen in what's now Algeria. Tlemcen had a well-established Jewish community that had been there for centuries. From there, some pushed south across the Sahara, following the trade routes to Timbuktu and Gao. Lucas: By the time Askia Muhammad took power in 1493, there were already Jewish merchants living in the empire. They were valuable because they brought connections to Mediterranean trade networks and often spoke multiple languages — Arabic, Berber, and sometimes Portuguese or Spanish. That made them ideal as diplomats and interpreters. Luna: Did Askia Muhammad actively recruit them, or did they just show up? Lucas: A bit of both. Askia Muhammad was building a cosmopolitan empire. He wanted to project power and sophistication. Having Jewish advisors at court wasn't unusual for West African rulers — the Mali Empire had also employed North African merchants, some of whom were Jewish. But Askia Muhammad formalized their status. Lucas: Under Maliki Islamic law, Jews and Christians were considered dhimmis — protected people — which meant they could practice their religion and live under Muslim rule as long as they paid a special tax. The Songhai legal system, based on Maliki jurisprudence, recognized that status. So Jewish communities had legal protection. Luna: So they weren't forced to convert? That's surprising for a ruler who was so devout. Lucas: It's a key point. Askia Muhammad was deeply pious — his hajj and his alliance with Al-Maghili show that. But his piety didn't automatically translate into persecution. Maliki tradition allowed for a degree of tolerance, especially when it was practical. The Jewish community was small and posed no challenge to his authority. They were useful. Lucas: There's a famous story from Leo Africanus: he says that when Askia Muhammad wanted to send an embassy to the Portuguese, he used a Jewish interpreter who had been a resident of Gao for many years. The interpreter could translate between Arabic and Portuguese. That kind of skill was rare in West Africa at the time. Luna: Was there a synagogue in Gao or Timbuktu? Lucas: We don't have archaeological evidence, but written sources suggest there were Jewish quarters in both cities. In Timbuktu, the Jewish community was concentrated near the market area, where they worked as gold and salt traders. They lived alongside Muslims and even some Christian merchants from Europe. The city was remarkably diverse. Lucas: However, we have to be careful. Some modern accounts exaggerate the size of the Jewish presence. The community was probably never more than a few hundred people. But they were influential because they controlled key trade links to North Africa and the Mediterranean. Luna: What happened to them when the empire fell? Lucas: That's the tragic part. When the Saadian army invaded in 1591, led by Judar Pasha, the Jewish community was caught in the crossfire. The Saadians were from Morocco, where Jews had also been tolerated, but the invasion disrupted everything. Many Jewish merchants fled south to the Dendi region with the remnants of the Songhai court. Others were killed or enslaved. Lucas: After the fall, the Jewish presence in Timbuktu and Gao seems to have vanished within a generation. Some descendants may have assimilated into the local population, but the distinct community disappeared. By the 17th century, European travelers noted that there were no Jews left in the region. Luna: That's really sad. A lost world. Lucas: It is. And it's a reminder that the Songhai Empire wasn't just a Muslim state — it was a multicultural one. The presence of Jewish advisors complicates the simple narrative we often get. Askia Muhammad's court was a place where a Berber from the Sahara, a scholar from Timbuktu, and a Jewish interpreter from Tlemcen could all work together. Luna: Do we know the names of any of these Jewish advisors? Lucas: Unfortunately, no. The Tarikh al-Sudan and other sources don't give us names for Jewish figures — they're mentioned only as groups or by their roles. One exception is a possible reference in Jewish letters from the Cairo Geniza, but those are still being studied. So we have a presence without personalities. Lucas: But that doesn't mean they weren't important. Their role as intermediaries between Songhai and the wider world — especially the Portuguese — helped the empire stay connected to global trade networks. And their presence shows that the trans-Saharan trade wasn't just about goods; it was about people and ideas crossing boundaries. Luna: So the Songhai Empire was part of a bigger Jewish diaspora story. Lucas: Absolutely. The Jewish diaspora in Africa wasn't limited to North Africa or Ethiopia. For a brief period, it extended deep into the Sahel. And the Songhai court was one of the places where that history played out. It's a small chapter, but it says a lot about the openness of the empire. Lucas: I think it also challenges assumptions about Islam in Africa. Askia Muhammad is often portrayed as a reformer who imposed strict Islamic law, but his court's religious diversity shows that practice was more nuanced. He could be both a devout Muslim and a pragmatic ruler who valued expertise regardless of faith. Luna: That's a useful reminder — history is rarely black and white. Lucas: Exactly. And that's what makes the Songhai Empire so fascinating. It was a place of contradictions: a powerful slave-owning state, but also a center of learning; a Muslim empire, but one that hosted Jews and pagans. The Jewish advisors are just one thread in that complex tapestry. Luna: Are there any sites in Gao or Timbuktu today that preserve that memory? Lucas: Not really. The physical traces are gone. But there are oral traditions among some Tuareg and Songhai communities that mention Jewish ancestors. And in recent years, scholars have started to re-examine the written sources more carefully. So the story is slowly being recovered. Lucas: It's a reminder that history is always being rewritten. The Songhai Empire isn't just the story of Sonni Ali and Askia Muhammad — it's also the story of all the people who lived and worked within its borders, including those who have been forgotten. Luna: I'm glad we're remembering them today. Lucas: Me too. It's a small act of historical justice.