Latest / The Songhai Empire: Africa's Powerful Forgotten Kingdom — Fexingo History / The Chroniclers of Songhai: History's History
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've spent a lot of episodes on Songhai — its rulers, its wars, its trade networks. But there's one thread that ties it all together, and that's how we actually know about this empire. I'm talking about the great chronicles written in Timbuktu and Gao in the 1600s. Luna: You mean the Tarikh al-Sudan and Tarikh al-Fattash? I've heard those names, but I'm fuzzy on what they actually are. Lucas: Exactly. The Tarikh al-Sudan — 'History of the Sudan' — was written by a scholar named Abd al-Rahman al-Sa'di. He finished it around 1655, decades after the Moroccan invasion. The Tarikh al-Fattash is a bit older, started by Mahmud Kati and later revised by his grandson Ibn al-Mukhtar. These are our main windows into Songhai. Lucas: But here's the thing: they're not objective. Al-Sa'di came from a family of judges in Timbuktu, and he had a clear bias. He was sympathetic to the Askia dynasty and pretty harsh on Sonni Ali, the Sunni king who ruled before them. Luna: So he wrote the history that suited his patrons? Lucas: Exactly. In the Tarikh al-Sudan, Sonni Ali is described as a tyrant, almost impious, while Askia Muhammad is portrayed as a model Muslim ruler. But other sources, like oral traditions from the Sorko fishermen, present Sonni Ali as a strong, effective leader. So we have to read these texts carefully. Lucas: The Tarikh al-Fattash is a bit different. Mahmud Kati was a contemporary of Askia Muhammad, so his account is closer to the events. But his manuscript was later expanded by his grandson, and there are debates about which parts are original. It gives more detail on the earlier Dia and Sunni dynasties. Luna: So we've got two chronicles, both from the same period, but with different perspectives. That's actually a gift for historians. Lucas: It really is. For example, they both describe the founding of Gao, but with variations. The Tarikh al-Fattash traces the Dia dynasty back to a Yemeni origin, which legitimizes their rule in Islamic terms. The Tarikh al-Sudan focuses more on the Songhai people's own traditions. Lucas: And then there's the question of what they leave out. Neither chronicle says much about the role of women, except for a few royal women. We covered that in an earlier episode, but it shows the limits of these sources. They're written by elite men for an elite audience. Luna: Were there other historians writing at the time? Like that Leo Africanus guy? Lucas: Leo Africanus visited Timbuktu in the early 1500s, but he was a Moroccan diplomat captured by pirates and forced to write for a European audience. His Description of Africa is full of fascinating details, but it's more of a traveler's account. He's not a chronicler like al-Sa'di. Lucas: Now, one of the most interesting parts of the Tarikh al-Sudan is its account of the Battle of Tondibi in 1591. Al-Sa'di was writing about fifty years later, but he had access to survivors' accounts. He describes the Moroccan firearms and the Songhai cavalry charge — and the chaos when the Songhai camels stampeded. Luna: That's the battle where the Moroccans, with just a few thousand men, defeated a much larger Songhai army, right? Lucas: Exactly. And al-Sa'di's version emphasizes the betrayal by some Songhai generals, while the Tarikh al-Fattash is more focused on the aftermath — the flight of Askia Ishaq II and the resistance in Dendi. Both are invaluable, but they tell different stories. Lucas: What's amazing is that these manuscripts survived. They were copied by hand, passed down in families, and eventually rediscovered by French colonial scholars in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Tarikh al-Fattash was published in French in 1913, but parts of it are now considered a forgery by some historians. Luna: A forgery? Really? Lucas: Yeah, there's a theory that Ibn al-Mukhtar, the grandson, added passages to glorify the Askia dynasty and even inserted prophecies about the Moroccan invasion. So we have to read it critically. But even forgeries tell us something about what people wanted to believe. Lucas: And then there's the figure of Ahmed Baba, the great Timbuktu scholar who was deported to Morocco after the invasion. He wrote his own works, but he's mentioned in both chronicles. In fact, al-Sa'di studied under some of his students. Luna: So the chronicles are also a record of the intellectual network in the Sahel. Lucas: Absolutely. They list libraries, scholars, and debates. One passage in the Tarikh al-Sudan describes a dispute between two jurists about the legality of a tax, and it gives us a window into how Islamic law was applied in practice. That's gold for historians. Lucas: You know, it's interesting — we're having this conversation today because people cared enough to preserve those manuscripts. And in a way, that's what we're doing with this show too. Keeping these stories alive, free and accessible for anyone curious. Luna: Yeah, it's a lot like how the chronicles were copied by hand for generations. If nobody copies them, they disappear. Lucas: Exactly. And that's why listener support matters so much to us. If you've been enjoying these deep dives into Songhai history, you can help keep the show ad-free and independent by supporting us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a simple way to keep these conversations going. Luna: And every little bit helps the research, the writing, all of it. Lucas: So back to the chronicles. One of the most debated passages is about the death of Sonni Ali. The Tarikh al-Sudan says he drowned in the Niger after a reign of terror. But the Tarikh al-Fattash gives a more neutral account, just saying he died on campaign. Which one is true? Luna: I've heard the drowning story, but it seemed a bit too dramatic. Lucas: It's probably embellished to discredit him. Oral traditions from the Sorko say he died in battle against the Fulani. So we have three versions, and each tells us something about the source's agenda. Al-Sa'di wanted to paint the Sunni dynasty as corrupt, so a dramatic death fit his narrative. Lucas: Another great example is the account of Askia Muhammad's pilgrimage. Both chronicles describe it, but the Tarikh al-Fattash adds details about the gifts he brought and the legal questions he asked scholars in Cairo. Al-Sa'di skips that and focuses on his coronation and the legitimacy from the Sharif of Mecca. Luna: So the Tarikh al-Fattash is more interested in legal and religious aspects, while al-Sa'di is more political? Lucas: That's a good way to put it. Mahmud Kati was a qadi, a judge, so he cared about legal precedents. Al-Sa'di was an administrator, so he cared about the political order. Their backgrounds shaped their histories. Lucas: And then there's the question of audience. The chronicles were meant to be read aloud in mosques and courts, so they had to be engaging. They include poetry, anecdotes, and moral lessons. They're not dry annals; they're literature. Luna: So you could read them today and still be entertained? Lucas: Absolutely. There's a story in the Tarikh al-Sudan about a greedy judge who accepted bribes and was cursed by a holy man, leading to his downfall. It's a cautionary tale, but also a vivid snapshot of life in Timbuktu. Lucas: These chronicles also mention the environment — droughts, locust plagues, the level of the Niger River. For example, they record a great famine in the 1580s that forced people to sell their children. That gives us data on climate and food security. Luna: Wow. So they're history, literature, and climate science all in one. Lucas: Exactly. That's why they're so valuable. The Tarikh al-Fattash even includes a list of the kings of Gao going back to the 9th century, though the earlier parts are legendary. Still, it's our best guess at the Dia dynasty's timeline. Lucas: So when we talk about Songhai, we're really talking about the version of Songhai that these scholars wanted us to remember. But by comparing the two chronicles, and putting them alongside oral traditions and archaeology, we can piece together a richer picture. Luna: It makes you wonder what we're missing — what didn't get written down. Lucas: That's the eternal historian's question. But at least we have these two remarkable texts. They've survived wars, climate shifts, and neglect. And now they're being digitized and studied anew. The story of Songhai is still being written. Lucas: And maybe, in a small way, this show is part of that tradition — continuing the conversation about what the Songhai Empire meant, and what it can teach us today.