Latest / The Songhai Empire: Africa's Powerful Forgotten Kingdom — Fexingo History / Songhai's Urban Agriculture: Feeding the Empire's Cities
Transcript
- Lucas: When we picture Songhai, we tend to think of the river fleets, the cavalry charges, the gold and salt caravans. But there's a quieter, everyday engine that made all of that possible: the farms that fed the empire's cities. Luna: I've never really thought about where the food came from for all those people in Gao and Timbuktu. Lucas: Exactly. Gao at its height may have had 70,000 to 100,000 people. Timbuktu maybe 50,000. That's a lot of mouths, and they weren't all growing their own food. The city populations were made up of scholars, traders, soldiers, craftsmen—people who didn't farm. So the state had to ensure a steady food supply, and that meant organizing agriculture on a massive scale. Lucas: The backbone of Songhai agriculture was what we call flood-recession farming, or décrue agriculture. Along the Niger River, the annual flood would deposit fresh silt on the banks, and as the waters receded, farmers would plant directly into the moist soil. They didn't need elaborate irrigation—the river did the work. Luna: So they timed their planting around the flood cycle? Lucas: Exactly. The Niger's flood season in this region is from June to September, driven by rains far to the south. The farmers would wait for the waters to go down, usually around October or November, and then quickly sow millet, sorghum, and rice. These crops are drought-resistant and fast-growing, perfect for the Sahel climate. Lucas: And they weren't just relying on the flood. There's evidence from the Tarikh al-Sudan and from Leo Africanus that Songhai farmers used shadufs—a counterweighted pole with a bucket—to lift water from the river onto higher fields. They also dug canals to direct floodwater into basins, a technique still used in the Dendi region today. Luna: So it was a combination of letting the river do its thing and then supplementing with hand-powered irrigation. Lucas: Right. And the Sorko people, who we've talked about as river warriors and fishermen, also played a key role. They knew the river's rhythms intimately. They would sometimes ferry farmers to islands that emerged during low water, or help with the transport of harvested grain. The Sorko were essentially the river keepers, and their knowledge was vital. Lucas: The main crops were millet and sorghum, which stored well and could be ground into flour for porridge or flatbread. Rice was grown in the river valleys, especially around Djenne and the Bani River. Cowpeas provided protein, and there were also melons, onions, and okra. Cotton was grown for textiles, but that's another story. Luna: What about tools? Were they using iron plows or just hand tools? Lucas: That's a great question. Songhai farmers used iron-tipped hoes, digging sticks, and knives. We know from our episode on Songhai's iron industry that iron production was widespread, and a lot of it went to agricultural tools. But they didn't have animal-drawn plows widely—the climate and soil weren't suitable. Labor was intensive, and families worked the fields together. Lucas: The land itself was organized by villages and clans. The Koyam—the royal court officials—oversaw agricultural production in the imperial heartland. They collected taxes in kind: a portion of the harvest went to the state, stored in granaries in Gao and provincial capitals. These reserves were used to feed the army, the court, and during famines. Luna: So agriculture was tightly tied to the empire's bureaucracy. Lucas: Absolutely. And Askia Muhammad, when he took power, made agricultural reform a priority. He expanded the areas under cultivation, encouraged settlement along the Niger, and promoted the use of manure as fertilizer. He also standardized weights and measures for grain, which made tax collection fairer and more efficient. This wasn't just about feeding people—it was about building a stable, loyal population. Lucas: There were challenges, though. Drought was a constant threat. The Tarikh al-Sudan mentions several severe droughts, like the one in 1573 during Askia Dawud's reign, when the Niger River dropped so low that boats got stuck. Locusts could wipe out fields. And over-farming near cities could deplete the soil. Luna: How did they manage those risks? Lucas: Diversification was key. A single village would grow multiple crops, and they'd stagger planting times. They also kept livestock—goats, sheep, and some cattle—which provided manure and a backup food source. The state granaries were a buffer. And there was trade: if one region failed, grain could be moved along the Niger from another area. Luna: It sounds like a pretty sophisticated system. Lucas: It was. And it's one of the reasons Songhai could support such a large urban population. Without that agricultural base, the scholars of Timbuktu couldn't have dedicated their lives to study, the artisans couldn't have produced their crafts, and the farari cavalry couldn't have ridden out to defend the borders. The farmers were the silent foundation of everything. Luna: It's humbling to think about how much we owe to people who worked the land, and we don't even know their names. Lucas: Yeah. And that's part of why we do this show—to bring that world back into view. If you've been stepping into history with us episode by episode, exploring West Africa's empires, you know that listener support is what keeps this ad-free. It's a small way to honour those stories and make sure they keep being told. If you'd like to chip in, you can find us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: That's a nice way to put it. So, getting back to the river—what about the role of fishing in the Songhai diet? Lucas: Fishing was huge. The Sorko supplied fresh and dried fish to the markets of Gao and Timbuktu. Fish was a major protein source, especially during the dry season when game was scarce. They used nets, traps, and spears, and they knew the best spots along the river. Some of their techniques, like using woven baskets as fish traps, are still used today. Lucas: And it wasn't just subsistence. Dried fish was traded inland, along with salt from Taghaza. So the river economy was integrated into the larger trade networks. The food system wasn't isolated—it was part of the same web that moved gold, salt, and books across the Sahara. Luna: That puts a whole new light on the phrase 'you are what you eat'. Lucas: Right. And when we look at Songhai's collapse after Tondibi, the agricultural system was disrupted. The Saadian invasion, the drought, the political chaos—it all hit the farmers hard. Cities shrank, fields went fallow, and the knowledge was lost in some areas. It's a reminder that empires rise and fall on their ability to feed people. Luna: So in a way, the farmers were the ones who held it all together. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the story we don't hear enough about. The next time you look at a map of the Sahel, think of the fields along the Niger, the shadufs lifting water, the granaries in Gao—that was the real engine of Songhai.