The Songhai Empire

The Songhai Empire was a huge kingdom in West Africa. It grew in the 1400s and 1500s. Songhai took over lands that once belonged to Mali. At its biggest, it was one of the largest empires in African history. It was rich from trading gold, salt, and other goods.

A Great Empire

The Songhai Empire stretched along the Niger River. Its capital was a city called Gao. Famous kings like Sunni Ali and Askia the Great made the empire strong. They had a big army with horses and boats. They also set up fair laws for their people.

Learning and Trade

Songhai kept the city of Timbuktu as an important center. Timbuktu had schools where people learned reading, writing, and science. Traders brought salt from the north and gold from the south. Camels carried goods across the Sahara Desert. The empire became wealthy from these busy trade routes.

Fun Facts

• Askia the Great made Songhai bigger than any African empire before it.
• Timbuktu had hundreds of thousands of books during the Songhai time.
• The Songhai people still live in parts of West Africa today.

Did You Know?

The Songhai Empire was about as big as all of Western Europe at its peak.