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Songhai's Kanta Commanders: Forgotten Generals of Empire
In the shadow of Songhai's famous emperors, the kanta—provincial military governors—held the empire together. This episode explores the rise of the kanta system under Askia Muhammad, the immense power wielded by figures like the kanta of Kebbi and the kanta of Dendi, and how these commanders both defended and destabilized the realm. We discuss the kanta's role in tax collection, justice, and warfare, the tensions between central authority and regional strongmen, and the fate of the kanta during the Moroccan invasion of 1591. Drawing on the Tarikh al-Sudan and Tarikh al-Fattash, we…
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