Latest / The Songhai Empire: Africa's Powerful Forgotten Kingdom — Fexingo History / Sankore's Astronomers: Songhai's Sky Watchers
Transcript
- Lucas: If you've been stepping into history with us episode by episode across West Africa, you know Songhai was a powerhouse of trade, law, and scholarship. But one dimension we haven't touched yet is their astronomy — how Songhai's scholars studied the stars, and it was seriously advanced. Luna: Wait, Songhai had astronomers? I always associate that with the Islamic Golden Age in Baghdad or Cordoba. Lucas: Absolutely. Timbuktu's Sankore Madrasa wasn't just a legal and theological center — it was a hub for the sciences, especially astronomy. Scholars there produced detailed star catalogs, developed instruments, and even predicted a solar eclipse. We know from the Tarikh al-Sudan that many scholars studied the works of earlier Islamic astronomers like al-Battani and al-Farghani, but they also made their own observations. Luna: So they were building on existing knowledge, but also adding their own data from the Sahel skies. Lucas: Exactly. The skies over the Sahara are incredibly clear, so conditions were perfect for observation. One key figure was Ahmad al-Tifashi, who was born in Tifash, near Tlemcen, but spent time in Timbuktu. He wrote a famous work on gemstones, but he also composed a treatise on astronomy called the Taqrib al-Maqsud, or 'The Approximation of the Intended.' That manuscript survives and shows a sophisticated understanding of planetary motion and the use of instruments like the astrolabe and the quadrant. Luna: The Taqrib al-Maqsud — what does it actually cover? Lucas: It's a practical manual. It explains how to calculate the positions of the sun and moon, predict eclipses, determine the direction of Mecca for prayer, and even forecast the monsoon rains that were vital for agriculture along the Niger. Farmers relied on astronomers to know when to plant and harvest. So it's not just theoretical — it was applied science. Luna: That makes sense. The Niger floodplain is so dependent on seasonal rains. Lucas: Right. And this astronomy was embedded in a broader intellectual culture. Under Askia Muhammad's patronage, Sankore attracted scholars from across the Islamic world — from Egypt, Morocco, and even Spain. They brought instruments like the astrolabe, which measures the altitude of stars, and they adapted them to local needs. The Tarikh al-Sudan mentions that the qadis and imams often doubled as astronomers, because calculating prayer times and the lunar calendar required precise observation. Luna: So the religious scholars were also scientists. Lucas: Yes, there was no divide. One famous example is the solar eclipse of 1492. The Tarikh al-Sudan records that scholars in Timbuktu predicted it. We don't have the exact calculations, but they used methods from Ptolemy and al-Khwarizmi, refined with local data. Imagine the impact — a predicted eclipse would have reinforced the authority of these scholars in the eyes of the emperor and the public. Luna: That's a big deal. If you can predict an eclipse, you're seen as having genuine power. Lucas: Exactly. And this connects to our episode today — if you found this useful, you know, the way we keep these episodes free and ad-free is through listener support. If you'd like to help, you can go to buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That's all — no pressure, just if the work matters to you. Luna: Yeah, it's a way to keep the show going without ads. So, back to the eclipse — did the prediction actually happen? Lucas: Yes, the Tarikh al-Sudan specifically says that the eclipse was expected. The chronicler al-Sa'di writes that it occurred on a certain date and that people gathered in the mosque. So it was a public event, and the astronomers' credibility was on the line. We don't know if it was totally accurate down to the minute, but it was close enough to be recorded as a notable event. Luna: And this was before telescopes, right? Lucas: Right, they used the naked eye and instruments like the quadrant — a quarter-circle with a plumb line to measure angles. The Taqrib al-Maqsud describes how to use the quadrant to find the altitude of the sun at noon, which gives your latitude. That's how they navigated the Sahara and set their calendars. Luna: So it's practical for travel too. Caravan guides could use the stars. Lucas: Absolutely. The trans-Saharan trade routes depended on celestial navigation. But there's also evidence of institutional support. Askia Muhammad and later Askia Dawud funded the construction of observatories — not huge stone towers, but probably raised platforms or rooftops at the Sankore complex. The Tarikh al-Sudan mentions that the mosque's roof was used for lunar observations. Luna: They were using the mosque itself as an observatory. Lucas: Exactly. And this tradition continued for centuries. Even after the Saadian invasion in 1591, some scholars maintained their work. Ahmad Baba, the famous jurist, was also knowledgeable in astronomy. He was taken to Marrakech as a prisoner, but he still corresponded with scholars back in Timbuktu about astronomical matters. Luna: So astronomy survived the fall of the empire. Lucas: To some extent. But the loss of manuscripts and the dispersal of scholars after the invasion took a toll. Many of the astronomical texts from Sankore are now lost, or hidden in private collections. Some have been rediscovered recently — like the Taqrib al-Maqsud, which was found in a library in Timbuktu in the 1990s. Luna: It's amazing that any of this survives at all, given the climate and the conflicts. Lucas: It's a miracle. The manuscripts are written on paper from Europe or the Islamic world, and they're fragile. But they show a sophisticated astronomical tradition that was fully integrated into the intellectual life of the empire. Songhai's astronomers weren't just copying older works — they were making original contributions, adapting instruments, and teaching a new generation. Luna: What about other figures besides al-Tifashi? Any other names? Lucas: Yes, there's Muhammad al-Kaburi, who wrote a commentary on the astronomy of al-Battani. And there's a scholar named al-Hajj al-Timbuktawi, who traveled to Egypt and brought back astronomical tables. The Tarikh al-Fattash mentions that the qadi of Timbuktu, al-Aqib, was also an astronomer. So it was a common skill among the educated elite. Luna: And they taught this at Sankore as part of the curriculum? Lucas: Yes, astronomy was part of the standard syllabus, alongside mathematics, grammar, and law. Leo Africanus, who visited Timbuktu in the early 1500s, noted that scholars were well-versed in the sciences. He wrote that they prized astronomy above all other disciplines, because it was seen as a way to understand God's creation. Luna: That puts it in perspective — it wasn't a niche subject. Lucas: Not at all. It was central to their worldview. And it's a reminder that the history of science isn't just European. The Songhai Empire had a vibrant astronomical tradition that connected West Africa to the broader Islamic world and beyond. Luna: I had no idea. This really changes how I think about the empire. Lucas: It's one of those layers of history that gets overlooked. Next time, we might look at how their medical knowledge combined with astronomy — they believed the stars influenced health. But that's for another episode. Luna: Looking forward to it.