Latest / The Songhai Empire: Africa's Powerful Forgotten Kingdom — Fexingo History / Sonni Ali: The Warrior King Who Built Songhai
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about the Askia dynasty — their reforms, their scholarship, their decline. But before any of that, there was the man who actually built the empire they ruled: Sonni Ali, also called Sunni Ali. He reigned from 1464 to 1492, and he's one of the most controversial figures in West African history. Luna: Controversial how? I thought he was the founder of Songhai. Lucas: He was. But the way he's remembered depends entirely on who's telling the story. The written sources we have — like the Tarikh al-Sudan, written by a scholar named al-Sa'di in the 1600s — paint him as a cruel tyrant, almost a monster. But oral traditions from the Niger River region tell a very different story: a warrior-king who was deeply connected to the land and his people. Luna: So there's a bias in the written record. Lucas: Exactly. And it's not accidental. Sonni Ali had a major conflict with the Muslim scholars of Timbuktu. They resented his rule, and after his death, his son Sunni Baru was overthrown by Askia Muhammad, who was much more aligned with the scholarly class. So the scholars — who were the ones writing history — had every reason to vilify Sonni Ali. If you listen to us and you've gotten something out of these conversations, a couple of dollars a month is genuinely what keeps this going — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, if that's something you can do. It really makes a difference for a small show like this. Luna: It's true. And it keeps us ad-free, which I love. Lucas: Absolutely. So back to Sonni Ali. He came to power in 1464, ruling from Gao, which was the capital of a small Songhai state that had been under Mali Empire influence. His first major move was to expand along the Niger River. He targeted Timbuktu, which was then controlled by the Tuareg. Luna: And he took it? Lucas: He did. In 1468, his forces captured Timbuktu. But the story gets murky. The Tarikh al-Sudan claims he massacred the scholars and destroyed the mosques. But other accounts — and oral tradition — say he actually drove out the Tuareg occupiers and restored order. The scholars he allegedly killed were probably Tuareg allies or people who had collaborated with them. So it's a case of history written by the winners — and the winners were the scholars who didn't like him. Luna: So his reputation as a destroyer of Islam might be propaganda. Lucas: Exactly. He was Muslim — his name is Sunni, a title — but he also maintained traditional Songhai practices, like consulting diviners. That made him suspect in the eyes of the more orthodox scholars. After Timbuktu, he turned his attention to Djenne, another great trading city. Djenne was famously difficult to conquer because it was surrounded by waterways — it's on an island in the inland Niger delta. Luna: How did he take it? Lucas: He laid siege for about seven years, from 1468 to 1475. The story goes that he finally broke the city's morale by cutting off their food supply, but also by using a fleet of war canoes — what the Sorko people called hiyo. The Sorko were riverine people, expert fishermen and boatmen, and Sonni Ali incorporated them into his army. That naval capability was crucial for controlling the Niger. Luna: So he built a navy? That's impressive for a land-based empire. Lucas: It was a key innovation. The Niger River was the empire's highway, and having a fleet allowed him to move troops quickly, raid, and control trade. He also used the Sorko as scouts and raiders. This military organization — combining cavalry, infantry, and river forces — was something later rulers like Askia Muhammad inherited and perfected. Lucas: Sonni Ali didn't just conquer cities. He also launched campaigns against the Mossi kingdoms to the south, the Fulanis, and the Tuareg in the desert. He was constantly on the move. The Tarikh al-Sudan says he led campaigns every year, sometimes multiple. He was known for his personal bravery — he would lead from the front. Luna: Was he ever defeated? Lucas: There are records of setbacks. The Mossi gave him trouble, and the Tuareg harassed his supply lines. But he never lost a major battle. One famous engagement is the Battle of Koli-Koli — though the details are sketchy. Oral tradition says he used magic to win, which is why some call him a sorcerer. That reputation might come from his use of traditional rituals, which the scholars found un-Islamic. Luna: So his military success led to stories of supernatural power. Lucas: Right. In many oral epics, Sonni Ali is described as having the power to become invisible, or to transform into a bird. These are not meant literally — they're poetic ways of saying he was an extraordinary leader. But the Tarikh al-Sudan uses similar stories to demonize him, calling him a magician and an infidel. Lucas: One of the most interesting aspects of his reign is his relationship with the Sorko. They were a marginalized group, considered low-status by the Muslim urban elite. But Sonni Ali elevated them. He gave them positions in his army and court. This created a deep loyalty, but also resentment from the scholars. After his death, when Askia Muhammad took power, he reversed that policy — and the Sorko lost their influence. Luna: So the class dynamics played into the historical bias. Lucas: Absolutely. Sonni Ali died in 1492 under mysterious circumstances. Some say he drowned crossing a river; others say he was assassinated. His son, Sunni Baru, took over, but he only ruled for a few months. Askia Muhammad, one of his generals, staged a coup at the Battle of Anfao and established the Askia dynasty. And the rest, as they say, is history — literally written by the new regime. Lucas: So Sonni Ali is a classic example of how history is shaped by power. Without the Askia chronicles, we'd know almost nothing about him. But thanks to oral traditions, and careful reading of the biases, we can piece together a more balanced picture: a brilliant military strategist, a builder of the state, and a ruler who was deeply connected to the non-Muslim traditions of the Niger. Luna: It makes you wonder what else we've gotten wrong. Lucas: That's the beauty — and the challenge — of studying history. Every source has a perspective. Sonni Ali's story is a reminder that the winners write the chronicles, but they don't always tell the whole truth. His legacy lived on in the empire he built, even if his name was often erased from the official narrative.