Latest / The Songhai Empire: Africa's Powerful Forgotten Kingdom — Fexingo History
Songhai's Ecological Crisis: Drought, Famine, and the Niger's Changing Course
In the late 16th century, the Songhai Empire faced not only military threats but a devastating ecological crisis. This episode explores the severe droughts and famines that struck the Sahel between 1580 and 1590, documented in the Tarikh al-Sudan and other local chronicles. Lucas and Luna discuss how the Niger River's unpredictable flooding and declining rainfall undermined agricultural productivity, contributing to political instability and the empire's vulnerability to the Saadian invasion. They examine specific famine years, the role of locust plagues, and the strain on trade…
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