| Songhay. | A.D. | A.H. | Neighbouring Kingdoms. |
+-------------------------+---------+---------+-------------------------+
| | | | |
| | 300 | |The kingdom of Ghána, or |
| | | |Ghánata, the central |
| | | |portion of which |
| | | |comprised the present |
| | | |province of Bághena, |
| | | |founded by Wakayamagha or|
| | | |mangha (mangho = great? |
| | | |Magha = Mohammed?) about |
| | | |three centuries before |
| | | |the Hejra; the ruling |
| | | |family whites |
| | | |(Leucæthiopes? Fúlbe?). |
| | | |At the commencement of |
| | | |the Hejra twenty-two |
| | | |kings had ruled.[169] |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Zá Alayámin (Zá el |Begin. of|Beginning| |
|Yemeni) comes to Kúkíá | 7th |of Hejra.| |
|(El Bekrí’s Kúgha, Ca da | century.| | |
|Mosto’s Cochia), a very | | | |
|ancient place, and the | | | |
|older residence of | | | |
|Songhay, and founds the | | | |
|eldest dynasty of the Zá.| | | |
|The Libyan origin of this| | | |
|dynasty, of which that of| | | |
|the Sonní was a mere | | | |
|continuation, is very | | | |
|distinctly intimated by | | | |
|Leo Africanus, in the | | | |
|words “della stirpe di | | | |
|Libya.”[171] | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 679-80 | 60 |Already at this early |
| | | |date an extensive |
| | | |Mohammedan quarter |
| | | |existed in Ghánata, |
| | | |containing 12 |
| | | |mosques.[170] There is |
| | | |considerable doubt with |
| | | |regard to the accuracy of|
| | | |the date. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 837 | 222 |Death of Tilútan, chief |
| | | |of the Limtúna, very |
| | | |powerful in the desert; |
| | | |he adopted Islám, and |
| | | |converted the |
| | | |neighbouring Negro |
| | | |tribes. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Gógó, an important | 893 |about 280| |
|commercial place, where | | | |
|Makhled Ébn Kaidád, with | | | |
|the surname of Ábú Yezíd,| | | |
|that great revolutionist | | | |
|who brought so much | | | |
|mischief over Northern | | | |
|Africa, was born. His | | | |
|father came often from | | | |
|Tózer to this place for | | | |
|trading purposes[172], | | | |
|evidently by way of | | | |
|Wárgelá, that most | | | |
|ancient trading place on | | | |
|the northern border of | | | |
|the desert. We thus see | | | |
|that _the commerce | | | |
|between Northern Africa | | | |
|and Negroland was | | | |
|infinitely older_ than it| | | |
|has ever been supposed. I| | | |
|may here add, that I have| | | |
|not the slightest doubt | | | |
|that Wárgelá is meant by | | | |
|the Bakalitis of Ptolemy | | | |
|(lib. iv. c. 7, p. 305., | | | |
|ed. Wilberg.), which he | | | |
|describes from the side | | | |
|of Egypt as lying beyond | | | |
|Fezzán, although no Roman| | | |
|ruins exist in Wárgelá. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 900 | 287 |Death of Ilettan, the |
| | | |successor of Tilútan. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 918 | 306 |Temím, the successor of |
| | | |Ilettan, slain by the |
| | | |Zenágha or Senhája, after|
| | | |which a division takes |
| | | |place among the Berber |
| | | |tribes established on the|
| | | |border of the Desert and |
| | | |Negroland. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Kúkíá still the ordinary | 961 | 350 |Tin-Yerútán, king of, or |
|residence of the king of | | |rather a Berber chief |
|Songhay, who already at | | |having his residence in, |
|that period becomes very | | |Aúdaghost, an important |
|powerful. | | |trading colony of the |
| | | |Zenágha, who appear at |
| | | |that time to have |
| | | |dominated over the whole |
| | | |of the neighbouring part |
| | | |of Negroland, including |
| | | |Ghánata. In the very year|
| | | |mentioned, this place, |
| | | |which carried on at that |
| | | |time a most flourishing |
| | | |trade with Sijilmésa, was|
| | | |visited by the Arab |
| | | |geographer, Ébn |
| | | |Haúkal.[173] Kúgha |
| | | |(Kúkíá) was at that |
| | | |period so powerful that |
| | | |the king of Aúdaghost |
| | | |thought it prudent to |
| | | |make presents to the king|
| | | |of that place (the king |
| | | |of Songhay), in order to |
| | | |prevent him from making |
| | | |war upon him. |
| | | |Nevertheless twenty-three|
| | | |Negro kings are said to |
| | | |have been tributary to |
| | | |another king of |
| | | |Aúdaghost, named Tinezwa,|
| | | |in the fourth century of |
| | | |the Hejra.—The site of |
| | | |Aúdaghost is quite |
| | | |evident from El Bekrí’s |
| | | |excellent itinerary:—“You|
| | | |march five days in the |
| | | |sandhills of Warán, till |
| | | |you come to the copious |
| | | |well of the Bení Wáreth; |
| | | |then further on the well |
| | | |Warán; then a well |
| | | |watered district of three|
| | | |days.” At the same time |
| | | |the abundance of gum |
| | | |trees near Aúdaghost |
| | | |proves distinctly that |
| | | |the distance of fifteen |
| | | |days intervening between |
| | | |Aúdaghost, or Ghánata |
| | | |(near Waláta), is to be |
| | | |reckoned in a westerly |
| | | |direction, and that |
| | | |Aúdaghost therefore is to|
| | | |be sought for in the |
| | | |neighbourhood of Tejigja |
| | | |and Kasr el Barka, and |
| | | |not to the north-east of |
| | | |Waláta. I shall say more |
| | | |on this subject in |
| | | |another place.—At that |
| | | |time Aulíl was the great |
| | | |place for salt. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 990 | 380 |Intercourse established |
| | | |with Negroland, according|
| | | |to the statement of |
| | | |Leo.[174] |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Zá Kasí, the 15th prince | 1009 | 400 | |
|of the dynasty of the Zá,| | | |
|adopts Islám. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1034-5 | 426 |Ábú ʿAbd Allah, son of |
| | | |Tifaut, surnamed Naresht,|
| | | |again unites under his |
| | | |sway all the Berber |
| | | |tribes of the desert; |
| | | |makes a pilgrimage; dies |
| | | |429. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1040-1 | 432 |Warjábi, the Mohammedan |
| | | |apostle of Tekrúr, died. |
| | | |Among others, the |
| | | |inhabitants of Silla were|
| | | |converted by him. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1043-4 | 435 |Jinni is founded[175], |
| | | |and soon becomes wealthy,|
| | | |owing to the trade in |
| | | |salt (from Tegháza) and |
| | | |gold (from Bítu). |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1048-9 | 440 |ʿAbd Allah Ébn Yasín |
| | | |begins to teach and to |
| | | |reform. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1052 | 445 |Aúdaghost, which had |
| | | |become dependent upon |
| | | |Ghánata, conquered and |
| | | |ransacked by the |
| | | |Merábetín, the disciples |
| | | |of ʿAbd Allah Ebn Yasín, |
| | | |in the same year as |
| | | |Sijilmésa. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1055-6 | 447 |Yahia Ébn ʿOmár, chief of|
| | | |the Merábetín, dies, and |
| | | |is succeeded by his |
| | | |brother Ábú Bakr. The |
| | | |king of Ghánata, |
| | | |Tankámenín, son of the |
| | | |sister of Besí, an |
| | | |excellent king, evidently|
| | | |dependent on Ábú Bakr. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1061 | 453 |Ábu Bakr ben ʿOmár makes |
| | | |an expedition on a grand |
| | | |scale against the Negro |
| | | |tribes. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| _Ábú ʿObaid Allah el Bekrí’s invaluable Account of Negroland._ |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Gógó[176], or Gágho (the | 1067 | 460 |The Senhája at this |
|capital of Songhay), | | |period ruled over the |
|consisting of two towns, | | |whole western part of the|
|one the residence of the | | |desert, and spread Islám |
|king and the quarter of | | |over the neighbouring |
|the Mohammedans, the | | |parts of Negroland, |
|other inhabited by | | |especially towards |
|idolaters. | | |Ghánata. |
| | | | |
|The Mohammedan worship so| | |Further eastward, between|
|predominant already, that| | |the southerly bend of the|
|none but a Moslím could | | |Niger and the later town |
|be king; nay, on the | | |of Ágades, were the |
|accession of a new king | | |Seghmára, under the |
|three royal emblems, | | |dominion of the |
|consisting of a ring, a | | |Tademékka, who had a very|
|sword, and a Kuran | | |large town (Tademékka), a|
|(مصحٮ), which were said | | |great commercial centre, |
|to have been handed down | | |nine days from Gógó, and |
|from former times, having| | |forty from Ghadámes. |
|been sent by an Emír el | | | |
|Múmenín (evidently from | | |Between Tademékka and |
|Egypt), were given to | | |Ghánata there was a |
|him. Thus we see, that | | |commercial place of |
|already at that early | | |importance called Tirekka|
|period the king of | | |(see Vol. V. p. 150.). |
|Songhay was a Ruler of | | |Sáma and Hómbori, |
|the Faithful, and the | | |considerable seats of |
|account of Áhmed Bábá, | | |power. |
|who dates Islám in this | | | |
|kingdom from the year | | | |
|400, is confirmed in a | | | |
|remarkable manner. El | | | |
|Bekrí calls the then | | | |
|ruling king Kandá, and he| | | |
|is most probably | | | |
|identical with the Zá | | | |
|Bayuki or Bayarkoy Kaima | | | |
|(of Áhmed Bábá), the | | | |
|third successor of Zá | | | |
|Kasí. | | | |
| | | | |
|Gógó already at that time| | | |
|was an important market | | | |
|place, chiefly for salt, | | | |
|which was brought from | | | |
|the Berber town Taútek, | | | |
|six days beyond | | | |
|Tademékka, which place | | | |
|was nine days from Gógó. | | | |
| | | | |
|El Bekrí, besides Gógó, | | | |
|gives a very interesting | | | |
|account of Kúgha, but, | | | |
|unfortunately, he | | | |
|gives[177] no particulars| | | |
|with regard to its | | | |
|situation, except the | | | |
|distance of fifteen days | | | |
|from Ghánata, and | | | |
|especially neglects to | | | |
|determine its situation | | | |
|with regard to Gógó; but | | | |
|there is no doubt that it| | | |
|was identical with the | | | |
|Kúkíá of Áhmed Bábá, the | | | |
|old capital, Ca da | | | |
|Mosto’s Cochia.[178] | | | |
| | | | |
|This town, therefore, | | | |
|which was lying at the | | | |
|very outset of the | | | |
|Egyptian caravan road, | | | |
|already at that time was | | | |
|inhabited exclusively by | | | |
|Mohammedans, while all | | | |
|around were idolaters. It| | | |
|was the greatest market | | | |
|for gold in all | | | |
|Negroland, although the | | | |
|quality of the gold | | | |
|brought to Aúdaghost was | | | |
|better than that exported| | | |
|from Kúgha. Besides gold,| | | |
|salt, wodʿa or shells | | | |
|(from Persia?), copper | | | |
|and euphorbium (فربيون?) | | | |
|were the chief articles | | | |
|of trade. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1076 | 469 |Ghánata conquered by the |
| | | |Senhája, and great part |
| | | |of the inhabitants, as |
| | | |well as the neighbouring |
| | | |districts of Negroland, |
| | | |compelled by the |
| | | |Merábetín to embrace the |
| | | |Mohammedan faith. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Towards the end of the | | |Ábú Bakr ben ʿOmár takes |
|fifth century of the | | |up his residence in this |
|Hejra, Timbúktu, or | | |part of Negroland. |
|Túmbutu, founded by the | | | |
|Ímóshagh (Tawárek), | | | |
|especially the tribes of | | | |
|the Ídenán and the | | | |
|Imedídderen, after it had| | | |
|been for a time their | | | |
|occasional camping | | | |
|ground, just as was the | | | |
|case with Árawán. First | | | |
|settlement at Bósebángo. | | | |
|It was at first a small | | | |
|market place for the | | | |
|inhabitants of the | | | |
|province of Rʿad. (?) | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1087-8 | 480 |Ábú Bakr ben ʿOmár dies. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1153 | 548 |El Edrísi’s account of |
| | | |Negroland, composed at |
| | | |this period, is not to be|
| | | |relied on in general, |
| | | |with the exception of a |
| | | |few instances, where he |
| | | |enters into particulars: |
| | | |for instance, the |
| | | |populous state of the |
| | | |towns of Silla and Tekrúr|
| | | |(Zágha), the latter being|
| | | |more populous and |
| | | |industrious; the salt |
| | | |mines of Aulíl,—the only |
| | | |ones known at that time |
| | | |in Negroland! (p. 11.); |
| | | |the rising of the |
|Gógó, according to | | |Mandingo, or Wángara race|
|Edrísi, powerful, and | | |(the Wákoré), a name then|
|dominating over the | | |first appearing. Very |
|neighbouring tracts; | | |doubtful appear the |
|horses and camels; the | | |following data:—Tirki, or|
|nobility well dressed, | | |Tirekka, belonging to |
|having the face veiled; | | |Wángara; even Kúgha, a |
|the common people wearing| | |dependence of Wángara, |
|leathern frocks. The | | |while at the same time |
|natives of Aújila already| | |Gógó—the real |
|at that period carried on| | |Gógó[179]—is said to have|
|a spirited trade with | | |been absolute and |
|Gógó (Edrísí, vol. i. p. | | |independent. The great |
|238.). | | |commercial importance of |
| | | |Wárgelá is confirmed, the|
| | | |inhabitants supplying |
| | | |Gógó with dates, and |
| | | |buying up the greater |
| | | |part of the gold brought |
| | | |there to market. Rice |
| | | |cultivated on the Niger, |
| | | |in the district of the |
| | | |Merása. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | |Ghánata ruled by a |
| | | |descendant of Ábú |
| | | |Táleb[180], of the |
| | | |Zenágha tribe, who paid |
| | | |allegiance to the khalíf |
| | | |in the East; but, if we |
| | | |can believe Edrísi, he |
| | | |had still a large empire.|
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1203-4 | 600 |Ghánata having become |
| | | |very weak, is conquered |
| | | |by the Súsu, a tribe |
| | | |related to the Wákoré. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1203-4 | 600 |The tribe or dynasty of |
| | | |the Árúsíyin becomes |
| | | |powerful in the |
| | | |neighbourhood of Waláta. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | |The inhabitants of Jinni,|
| | | |at least the ruling |
| | | |portion, including the |
| | | |king, adopt Islám. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Timbúktu (erroneously) | 1213 | 610 |?Baramindána, first |
|stated by Leo | | |Moslim king of Melle, |
|Africanus[181] to have | | |styled king of Tekrúr by |
|been founded by Mansa | | |Makrízi, makes the |
|Slímán. This is evident | | |pilgrimage. |
|confusion; the reason of | | | |
|which is, that Mansa | | | |
|Slímán, who reigned in | | | |
|the middle of the | | | |
|fourteenth century, | | | |
|restored Timbúktu after | | | |
|it had been plundered by | | | |
|the people of Mósi. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1233-4 | 631-633 |With the death of Ébn |
| | | |Ghanía the domination of |
| | | |the great race of the |
| | | |Senhája ends.[182] The |
| | | |remains of this great |
| | | |tribe in the southern |
| | | |part of the desert (the |
| | | |Limtúna and Messúfa) [the|
| | | |latter as Meshedúf] are |
| | | |gradually reduced to the |
| | | |degraded condition of |
| | | |tributaries. Islám |
| | | |spreads east of the |
| | | |Niger, and the name |
| | | |Tekrúr appears in Kebbi, |
| | | |probably in connection |
| | | |with the town of Zágha |
| | | |(see Appendix VI.). |
| | | |_Bíru_, or _Waláta_, at |
| | | |that time the great |
| | | |emporium of Western |
| | | |Negroland. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| |1235-1260| 633-658 |Mári Játah, king of |
| | | |Melle, on the upper |
| | | |Niger, conquers the Súsu,|
| | | |who at that time were |
| | | |masters of Ghánata. This |
| | | |is evidently the period |
| | | |of the beginning of the |
| | | |great commercial |
| | | |importance of Jinni, |
| | | |which now became a most |
| | | |powerful and wealthy |
| | | |state, as a well- |
| | | |frequented market of the |
| | | |Serracolets or Wakoré, |
| | | |Fúlbe, Jolof, Zenágha, |
| | | |the inhabitants of |
| | | |Western Tekrúr, and the |
| | | |Udáya.[183] |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| |1259-1276| 658-675 |Mansa Wáli, son of Mári |
| | | |Játah, performs the |
| | | |pilgrimage to Mekka in |
| | | |the reign of Sultan |
| | | |Bibars. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1276 | 675 |Mansa Wáli, brother of |
| | | |the latter. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | |Mansa Khalífa, succeeds |
| | | |him; of insane mind; is |
| | | |murdered by his people. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | |Mansa Ábú Bakr. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Some authors, such as | 1310 | 710 |Sákúra, or rather |
|Makrízi (Opuscl. Mscr. | | |Sábkara, a usurper, made |
|fol. 129 r.), attribute | | |the pilgrimage to Mekka |
|to this chief the | | |in the time of El Málík |
|conquest of Gágho or | | |e’ Násir. |
|Gógó, that is to say, | | | |
|Songhay, by the Mellians;| | | |
|but from the account of | | | |
|Áhmed Bábá it is clear | | | |
|that such was not the | | | |
|case. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| |1311-1331| 711-731 |Mansa Músa (properly |
| | | |Kunkur Músa), the |
| | | |greatest king of Melle, |
| | | |succeeds this usurper, |
| | | |develops the whole |
| | | |military and political |
| | | |power of that kingdom, |
| | | |which, according to the |
| | | |expressive terms of Áhmed|
| | | |Bábá[184], the Songhay |
| | | |historian, possessed “an |
| | | |aggressive strength |
| | | |without measure or |
| | | |limit.” While thus |
| | | |extending his dominion |
| | | |over an immense portion |
| | | |of Negroland, he kept on |
| | | |the very best terms with |
| | | |the Sultan Ábú ’l Hassan |
| | | |of El Mághreb (Morocco). |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | |Mansa Músa subjected to |
| | | |his dominion the four |
| | | |large territories of the |
| | | |Western part of |
| | | |Negroland; first, |
| | | |Bághena, formed out of |
| | | |the remnants of the |
| | | |kingdom of Ghánata, and |
| | | |including the whole |
| | | |inhabited country of |
| | | |Tagánet and Áderér; |
| | | |secondly, Zágha, or the |
| | | |Western Tekrúr, together |
| | | |with Silla; then |
| | | |Timbúktu, at that time |
| | | |still, as it seems, |
| | | |independent of Gógó; and |
| | | |finally Songhay, with its|
| | | |capital Gógó. Jinni, |
| | | |however, probably owing |
| | | |to its nearly insular |
| | | |character seems not to |
| | | |have become subjected to |
| | | |Melle even at this |
| | | |period, although it was |
| | | |engaged in continual |
| | | |warfare. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|It is probably at the | 1326 | 726 |Mansa Músa makes a |
|period of this | | |pilgrimage to Mekka, with|
|pilgrimage, and not | | |a very numerous cortége, |
|before, that both Songhay| | |resembling an army, and |
|and Timbúktu became | | |with great riches, going |
|dependent on Melle, | | |by way of Waláta and |
|although the dependence | | |Tawát and returning by |
|was even at this time | | |Gágho or Gógó. |
|limited, the king of | | | |
|Songhay having, as it | | |Melle Proper seems to |
|seems, quietly made his | | |have had a double |
|subjection on the | | |principle of government, |
|approach of the host of | | |one political and the |
|Melle. Músa built a | | |other national. In |
|mosque and a mihráb | | |political respects Melle |
|outside the then town | | |was divided into two |
|(Mohammedan quarter?) of | | |provinces—a northerly and|
|Gógó. | | |a southerly one, probably|
| | | |divided by the Dhiúliba; |
|Timbúktu also, as it | | |the governor of the |
|would seem, surrendered | | |former being called |
|without resistance[185], | | |Faraná (Farengh) Súra, |
|and the king of Melle | | |the other |
|built here a palace | | |Sangharzú-mʿa.[186] But |
|(mʿa-dugu), and the great| | |in national respects |
|mosque Jéngeré-bér, or | | |Melle formed three large |
|Jámʿa el kebíra, with the| | |provinces, Kála, |
|assistance of the same | | |Bennendúgu, and |
|Ís-hák, a native of | | |Sabardúgu, each with |
|Granáta (the “Granata vir| | |twelve chiefs or |
|artificissimus” of Leo, | | |governors[187], and each |
|although commonly called | | |represented at court by |
|e’ Sáheli, as if he were | | |an inspector; the |
|a native of Morocco), who| | |inspector of the province|
|built his palace in | | |of Kála was called |
|Melle. That space of the | | |Wafála-feréngh. Kála |
|town of Timbúktu included| | |comprised evidently the |
|between the two great | | |province next to Jinni |
|mosques, Jéngeré-bér in | | |along the northern side |
|the south-western, and | | |of the river, including |
|San-koré in the northern | | |the towns of Sáre and |
|quarter, was at that time| | |Sáme; and the town of |
|open, and not inhabited. | | |Kála itself, which formed|
|The mosque San-koré is | | |the residence of the |
|generally stated to have | | |province, will be spoken |
|been the oldest mosque in| | |of in the Appendix to |
|Timbúktu, although Áhmed | | |Vol. V. Bennendúgu, also,|
|Bábá, who only states | | |the country of the Benni,|
|that it was built at the | | |known from other |
|expense of a rich wife, | | |accounts, lay entirely on|
|is not very explicit with| | |the S. side of the river,|
|regard to this | | |and Sabardúgu beyond, in |
|circumstance. | | |the direction of the |
| | | |central portion of Melle.|
|Although Timbúktu thus | | |The important district |
|lost its independence, it| | |Bitu or Bido seems to |
|reaped a great advantage | | |have been included in |
|from becoming a portion | | |Melle Proper. |
|of a powerful kingdom, | | | |
|and being thus well | | | |
|protected against any | | | |
|violence offered on the | | | |
|part of the neighbouring | | | |
|Berber population; and in| | | |
|consequence the town | | | |
|increased rapidly, it | | | |
|becoming soon a market | | | |
|place of the first rank, | | | |
|so that the most | | | |
|respectable merchants | | | |
|from Misr, Fezzán, | | | |
|Ghadámes, Tawát, | | | |
|Tafilélet, Darʿah, Fás, | | | |
|Sús, and other places | | | |
|gradually left Bíru or | | | |
|Waláta, and migrated to | | | |
|Timbúktu, although this | | | |
|was more frequently the | | | |
|case after the time of | | | |
|Sonní ʿAlí. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|The town of Timbúktu | 1329 | ?730 | |
|ransacked and destroyed | | | |
|by fire and sword by the | | | |
|king of Mósi, the | | | |
|garrison of Melle making | | | |
|their escape, and giving | | | |
|up the town. The power of| | | |
|Mósi, which up to this | | | |
|time has always been the | | | |
|successful champion of | | | |
|paganism, is very | | | |
|remarkable at such an | | | |
|early period, but the | | | |
|date is not quite certain| | | |
|within a year or two. If | | | |
|the date given be right, | | | |
|it happened towards the | | | |
|end of the reign of Mansa| | | |
|Músa. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1331-5 | 732-736 |Mansa Mágha succeeds to |
| | | |his father Mansa Músa, |
| | | |and reigns four years. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|The Songhay prince, ʿAlí | | | |
|Killun, or Kilnu, son of | | | |
|Zá Yásebí, escapes in the| | | |
|company of his brother | | | |
|from the court of Melle, | | | |
|where the princes had | | | |
|served as pages, Songhay | | | |
|owing allegiance to Melle| | | |
|at that period. Having | | | |
|safely reached his native| | | |
|country, Songhay Proper, | | | |
|with the capital Gógó, he| | | |
|makes himself independent| | | |
|in a certain degree from | | | |
|Melle, by founding the | | | |
|dynasty of the | | | |
|Sonni.[188] | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1335-6 | 736 |Mansa Slímán, a brother |
| | | |of Músa and uncle of |
| | | |Mágha, succeeds to the |
| | | |throne of Melle, and |
| | | |restores the strength of |
| | | |the kingdom. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Timbúktu having been | | 737 |Mansa Slímán again takes |
|left, as it seems, to | | |possession of |
|itself for seven years, | | |Timbúktu[189], and even |
|relapses into a state of | | |obliges Songhay Proper to|
|subjection or allegiance | | |acknowledge his |
|to Melle, and remains in | | |supremacy. |
|this condition for the | | | |
|next 100 years. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | 752 |A king of Tekrúr makes a |
| | | |pilgrimage.[190] |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Travels of Ébn Batúta, | 1352-3 | 753-754 | |
|who visits Waláta, the | | | |
|frontier province of | | | |
|Melle, and an important | | | |
|trading-place, where at | | | |
|that time the Masúfa | | | |
|formed the higher class; | | | |
|thence by way of | | | |
|Karsekho, he went to | | | |
|Melle, or Máli, the | | | |
|capital of the great | | | |
|empire, situated on a | | | |
|northerly creek of the | | | |
|Dhiúliba[191]; whence he | | | |
|proceeded by land by way | | | |
|of Mímah to Timbúktu. | | | |
| | | | |
|Timbúktu at that time was| | |The town of Tademékka, or|
|inhabited mostly by | | |rather Súk, in the |
|people of Mímah and by | | |territory of the |
|Tawárek (Moláthemín), | | |Tademekket, had by this |
|especially Masúfa, who | | |time evidently lost a |
|had a headman of their | | |great deal of its |
|own, while the Melle | | |importance. |
|governor was Farba Músa. | | | |
| | | | |
|Ébn Batúta embarked in | | | |
|Timbúktu, or rather | | | |
|Kábara, and went along | | | |
|the river to Gógó, | | | |
|evidently at that time | | | |
|the common highroad of | | | |
|travellers. Gógó at that | | | |
|period was in a certain | | | |
|degree dependent on | | | |
|Melle. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1359 | 760 |Mansa Ébn Slímán reigned |
| | | |nine months. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1360 | 761 |Mansa Játah, son of Mansa|
| | | |Mágha, ascended the |
| | | |throne. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1360-1 | 762 |The same king sent an |
| | | |embassy to Ábú el Hassan |
| | | |of Morocco. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|The fact of Mari Játah | 1373 | 775 |Mansa Músa (II.), son of |
|conquering Tekádda, at | | |the latter, a weak king, |
|that time the commercial | | |the vizier Mári Játah |
|entrepôt between Songhay | | |usurping the power and |
|and Egypt, also mentioned| | |conquering Tekádda (the |
|by Ébn Batúta, shows | | |trading place spoken of |
|clearly that he was | | |on a former occasion, |
|master of Songhay, and | | |Vol. I. p. 465.) for a |
|exercised over it a | | |short time. |
|certain degree of | | | |
|supremacy. Timbúktu, as | | | |
|Timbuch, appears in the | | | |
|_Mappamondo Catalan_—the | | | |
|first time that it | | | |
|becomes known to | | | |
|Europeans. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1387 | 789 |Mansa Mágha, brother of |
| | | |the preceding king, |
| | | |succeeds to the throne; |
| | | |is killed after a reign |
| | | |of about a year. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1388 | 790 |Another usurper. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1390 | 792 |Mahmúd, a descendant of |
| | | |Mári Játah, the first |
| | | |king. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1431 | 835 |A king of Tekrúr makes a |
| | | |pilgrimage, dies in the |
| | | |town of Tór in the |
| | | |peninsula of Sinai. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Timbúktu conquered by the| 1433 | 837 |The empire of Melle |
|Ímóshagh (probably not | | |begins gradually to |
|the Masúfa, at that time | | |decline; the power being |
|not yet blended with the | | |divided among three, or |
|Arabs, and who had always| | |rather five, separate |
|been powerful in that | | |parties, the governors of|
|place) under Ákil (Eg | | |each of the three |
|Malwal). The people of | | |national provinces and |
|Melle had been so much | | |the two governors of the |
|weakened by continual | | |political provinces; the |
|inroads that they retired| | |Tawárek at the same time |
|before the greater force,| | |spreading devastation |
|and were driven out for | | |everywhere. |
|ever. Ákil, however, did | | | |
|not reside in the town, | | | |
|preferring a nomadic | | | |
|life; but he installed as| | | |
|governor, or Túmbutu-koy,| | | |
|Mohammed Násr, a Senháji | | | |
|from Shingít, who had | | | |
|also taken part in the | | | |
|government of the town | | | |
|under the rule of Melle. | | | |
|This Mohammed Násr built | | | |
|the mosque Yáhia in | | | |
|Timbúktu, which was | | | |
|called after his friend | | | |
|the Weli Yáhia from | | | |
|Tádelest. To the Túmbutu-| | | |
|koy belonged the third | | | |
|part of all taxes and of | | | |
|the whole revenue of the | | | |
|town. In the beginning | | | |
|the rule of the Tawárek, | | | |
|which according to the | | | |
|distinct statement of | | | |
|Áhmed Bábá never extended| | | |
|beyond the river, was | | | |
|mild; but gradually they | | | |
|became overbearing, using| | | |
|even violence towards the| | | |
|wives of the inhabitants,| | | |
|and offending ʿOmár, the | | | |
|son and successor of | | | |
|Mohammed Násr, by | | | |
|cheating him of his | | | |
|revenue. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1448 | 852 |The Portuguese Company |
| | | |for opening the trade |
| | | |along the coast of Africa|
| | | |is established. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1454 | 860 |Melle, in the account of |
| | | |Aloise Ca da Mosto, still|
| | | |a very powerful kingdom, |
| | | |the most powerful in the |
| | | |whole of Negroland, |
| | | |including the whole of |
| | | |the Gambia, and most |
| | | |important for the |
| | | |commerce of gold, the |
| | | |trade in which divided |
| | | |into three branches; one |
| | | |proceeding from Melle |
| | | |towards Kúkíá, and thence|
| | | |to Egypt; the other from |
| | | |Melle to Túmbutu, and |
| | | |thence to Tawát; the |
| | | |other likewise by way of |
| | | |Túmbutu, but thence to |
| | | |Wadán (Oden), which then |
| | | |was a very important |
| | | |place, not only for gold |
| | | |but also for the slave |
|Timbúktu, or Túmbutu, an | | |trade.[192] Timbúktu |
|important entrepôt for | | |already at that time was |
|the salt trade. | | |a very important entrepôt|
| | | |for the salt, which all |
| | | |came from the mines of |
| | | |Tegháza. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1460 | 865-6 |The town of Ágades, built|
| | | |according to Marmol (see |
| | | |Vol. I. p. 459.), and |
| | | |nothing is more probable |
| | | |than that this commercial|
| | | |entrepôt was built about |
| | | |this time, perhaps a few |
| | | |years later, as it is |
| | | |Sonni ʿAlí who is said to|
| | | |have destroyed the very |
| | | |important market-place of|
| | | |Tademékka, which for many|
| | | |centuries had carried on |
| | | |the commerce between the |
| | | |Niger and Egypt. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Sonni ʿAlí, son of Sonni | 1464-5 | 869 | |
|Mohammed Dʿaú, “the great| | | |
|tyrant and famous | | | |
|miscreant,” but a king of| | | |
|the highest historical | | | |
|importance for Negroland,| | | |
|the sixteenth of the | | | |
|Sonni, ascended the | | | |
|throne in Gágho, and | | | |
|changed the whole face of| | | |
|this part of Africa by | | | |
|prostrating the kingdom | | | |
|of Melle. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Invited by ʿOmár, the | 1468-9 | 873 | |
|Túmbutu-koy, Sonni ʿAlí | | | |
|marches against Timbúktu,| | | |
|which had never before | | | |
|belonged to Songhay | | | |
|Proper. While his | | | |
|horsemen appear on the | | | |
|south side of the river, | | | |
|Ákil makes his escape | | | |
|towards Bíru or Waláta. | | | |
|Sonni ʿAlí then, instead | | | |
|of attacking immediately | | | |
|the town of Timbúktu, | | | |
|went first to El Hódh, | | | |
|the south-western | | | |
|province of Waláta. | | | |
|Having thence returned to| | | |
|Timbúktu, from whence | | | |
|ʿOmár also, the Túmbutu- | | | |
|koy, had meanwhile fled | | | |
|to Bíru[193], he | | | |
|ransacked and plundered | | | |
|the town, and made a | | | |
|terrible havoc amongst | | | |
|its inhabitants, even | | | |
|surpassing that which | | | |
|took place on the | | | |
|occasion of the pagan | | | |
|king of Móshi conquering | | | |
|the town. Sonni ʿAlí | | | |
|seems especially to have | | | |
|exercised some cruelty | | | |
|against the learned men. | | | |
|But, notwithstanding, the| | | |
|town seems soon to have | | | |
|recovered from this blow,| | | |
|for it was in the latter | | | |
|part of this century that| | | |
|it became more densely | | | |
|inhabited than before. | | | |
|But the reason was that, | | | |
|in consequence of the | | | |
|conquests of Sonni ʿAlí, | | | |
|the Arab merchants from | | | |
|the north broke off their| | | |
|traffic with Ghánata or | | | |
|Waláta (Bíru), and | | |Waláta or Bíru becomes |
|instead began to visit | | |insignificant, all the |
|the markets of Timbúktu | | |merchants emigrating to |
|and Gógó. | | |Timbúktu and Gógó. |
| | | | |
|Sonni ʿAlí conquered | | | |
|Bághena, that is, the | | | |
|centre or original part | | | |
|of the ancient kingdom of| | | |
|Ghánata and the later | | | |
|Waláta, but satisfied | | | |
|himself with making the | | | |
|chief of that country his| | | |
|tributary. Sonni ʿAlí | | | |
|then made Jinni likewise | | | |
|tributary, which place | | | |
|had not been conquered | | | |
|even by the kings of | | | |
|Melle, and he there | | | |
|likewise caused an | | | |
|immense bloodshed. Jinni | | | |
|was at that time highly | | | |
|flourishing through its | | | |
|industry in native | | | |
|cloth.[194] At a later | | | |
|time the first Áskíá held| | | |
|the king of Jinni as a | | | |
|prisoner in his capital. | | | |
|(Leo, l. vii. c. 3.) | | | |
| | | | |
|It must have been Sonni | | |In the South-Western part|
|ʿAlí to whom João II. of | | |of the desert the |
|Portugal, sent an | | |Berabísh and the Udáya |
|embassy; and it was | | |struggling for the |
|evidently that king who | | |predominance. The Zenágha|
|allowed the Portuguese to| | |already in a degraded |
|establish a factory in | | |position. |
|Wadán, or Hóden, which | | | |
|however they did not | | | |
|preserve for a long time,| | | |
|the place being too | | | |
|barren, and at too | | | |
|considerable a distance | | | |
|from the coast. But | | | |
|nevertheless, the | | | |
|establishment of this | | | |
|factory is a very | | | |
|remarkable fact. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1471 | 876 |The coast of Guinea |
| | | |explored by the |
| | | |Portuguese. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1481 | 886 |Alfonso V. dies; is |
| | | |succeeded by the still |
| | | |more energetic João II. |
| | | |The Portuguese build |
| | | |Elmina, the first |
| | | |European establishment on|
| | | |the coast of Guinea. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1488 | 894 |The Jolof Prince, Bemoy, |
| | | |came to Portugal, and |
| | | |communicated so much |
| | | |information with regard |
| | | |to the nations of the |
| | | |interior of Africa, |
| | | |especially the Mósi, who,|
| | | |according to him, had |
| | | |much in common with |
| | | |Christians, that he |
| | | |excited the greatest |
| | | |interest. It was supposed|
| | | |that the king of Mósi was|
| | | |the long sought Prester |
| | | |John. Ogane is the native|
| | | |royal title of the king |
| | | |of Mósi. In consequence, |
| | | |from this time forward, |
| | | |numerous messengers were |
| | | |sent into the interior by|
| | | |the king João from |
| | | |different quarters, and a|
| | | |nearer alliance seems to |
| | | |have been concluded with |
| | | |the king of the |
| | | |Mandingoes, although it |
| | | |was well understood in |
| | | |Portugal at that time |
| | | |that the empire of the |
| | | |Mellians had fallen to |
| | | |ruin. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Sonni ʿAlí was drowned in| 5th Nov.| 15th | |
|a torrent on his return | 1492 | Mohar. | |
|from an expedition | | 898 | |
|against Gurma, after | | | |
|having conquered the | | | |
|Zoghorán[195] (not | | | |
|Zaghwána) and the | | | |
|_Fullán_. | | | |
| | | | |
|The power of the tribe of| | | |
|the Fullán in those | | | |
|quarters, in the south of| | | |
|Songhay, at so early a | | | |
|date is of the highest | | | |
|interest; in the west | | | |
|they are noticed at the | | | |
|same period repeatedly by| | | |
|De Barros.[196] | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|The army of the deceased | | 2 Jumád,| |
|king proceeded from | | 898 | |
|Bʿanebi (Benʿaba? the | | | |
|capital of Gurma, see | | | |
|Appendix VI. p. 560.) to | | | |
|Dangha, evidently the | | | |
|place (Denga) touched at | | | |
|by myself on my journey, | | | |
|and here Ábú Bakr Dʿaú, | | | |
|son of Sonni ʿAlí, | | | |
|ascended the throne. But | | | |
|Mohammed, son of Ábú | | | |
|Bakr, a native of Songhay| | | |
|(“Nigrita”—Leo) and | | | |
|officer of Sonni, | | | |
|collected his party and | | | |
|marched against the new | | | |
|king. But having attacked| | | |
|him at Dangha, he was | | | |
|beaten, when he escaped | | | |
|to the neighbourhood of | | | |
|Gágho, where he collected| | | |
|again his army, and | | | |
|vanquished the king in a | | | |
|most sanguinary but | | | |
|decisive battle. Sonni | | | |
|Ábú Bakr Dʿaú fled to | | | |
|Abar (Adar?), where he | | | |
|died. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Mohammed ben Ábú Bakr, | | 14 Jum. | |
|surnamed e’ Thúri, on | | II. 898 | |
|ascending the throne with| | | |
|the titles Emír el | | | |
|Múmenín and Khalífa el | | | |
|Moslemín, adopted as | | | |
|royal title, Áskíá, or | | | |
|Síkkia.[197] Thus the | | | |
|dynasty of a foreign | | | |
|family, Libyan, Coptic, | | | |
|or Himyaritic, was | | | |
|supplanted by a native | | | |
|Songhay and African—(e | | | |
|tornò el dominio nei | | | |
|Negri)—although it leaned| | | |
|more towards Islám and | | | |
|Mohammedan learning than | | | |
|the former one. For Áskíá| | | |
|was a friend of the | | | |
|learned, and followed | | | |
|their advice. | | | |
| | | | |
|The first thing which | | | |
|this great Songhay king | | | |
|felt it incumbent to do | | | |
|was to give his subjects | | | |
|some repose, by reducing | | | |
|his army and allowing | | | |
|part of the people to | | | |
|engage in pacific | | | |
|pursuits, all the | | | |
|inhabitants having been | | | |
|employed by Sonni ʿAlí in| | | |
|warlike purposes. | | | |
| | | | |
|Altogether it does not | | | |
|appear exaggerated what | | | |
|Áhmed Bábá says of this | | | |
|distinguished king, that | | | |
|“God made use of his | | | |
|service in order to save | | | |
|the true believers (in | | | |
|Negroland) from their | | | |
|sufferings and | | | |
|calamities.” | | | |
| | | | |
|Immediately after his | | |The Songhay language |
|accession to power, Áskíá| | |extends as far as Waláta |
|sent for his brother | | |and Jinni. |
|ʿOmár from Bíru or | | | |
|Waláta, which place | | | |
|already at this time had | | | |
|so totally merged into a | | | |
|Songhay province, that | | | |
|the Songhay idiom, at | | | |
|least in the higher | | | |
|circles, where a | | | |
|traveller like Leo was | | | |
|likely to move about, had| | | |
|become the common | | | |
|language. “Questa gente,”| | | |
|says Leo of the | | | |
|inhabitants of Waláta, | | | |
|“usa un certo linguaggio | | | |
|detto Sungai.”[198] Áskíá| | | |
|then made his brother, in| | | |
|whom he had implicit | | | |
|confidence, Túmbutu-koy | | | |
|in the place of[199] Al | | | |
|Mukhtár ben Mohammed | | | |
|Násr. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|He then sent his other | 1494 | end of | |
|brother, likewise called | | 899 | |
|Omár, but with the | | | |
|surname Kumzághu[200], | | | |
|the feréng of Kúrmina who| | | |
|conquered the important | | | |
|town of Zágha, and made | | | |
|war against “Bukr mʿa,” | | | |
|(Burku-mʿa?), evidently a| | | |
|Mandingo governor of the | | | |
|empire of Melle. He also,| | | |
|according to Leo, | | | |
|imprisoned the ruler of | | | |
|Jinni, whom Sonni ʿAlí | | | |
|had allowed to reside in | | | |
|his own capital, and kept| | | |
|him during his lifetime a| | | |
|prisoner in Gágho, ruling| | | |
|Jinni by means of a | | | |
|governor. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Having thus not only |20th Sep.| 901 |João II., the |
|consolidated, but even | 1495 | |indefatigable king of |
|extended, the empire, the| | Safer, |Portugal, died, whose |
|first Áskíá undertook a | | 902 |spirit found no repose |
|pilgrimage to Mekka, | | |but in promoting the |
|which brought him into | | |welfare of his people, |
|contact with the princes | | |and in distant |
|and learned men of the | | |discoveries, especially |
|East, and made him more | | |in Africa. As we learn |
|famous than any other of | | |from an occasional hint |
|his enterprises. The most| | |in De Barros[201], this |
|distinguished men of all | | |king had already sent an |
|the tribes under his | | |ambassador to the Mansa |
|command accompanied him | | |of Melle. |
|on his great journey, | | | |
|especially the great Weli| | | |
|Múr Sáleh Júr, a Wákoré, | | | |
|native of the town of | | | |
|Tutálna[202] in the | | | |
|province of Tindírma, and| | | |
|1500 armed men, 1000 on | | | |
|foot and 500 on | | | |
|horseback. He took with | | | |
|him 300,000 mithkál, but | | | |
|behaved so generously | | | |
|that, according to Leo, | | | |
|he was obliged to | | | |
|contract a loan of | | | |
|150,000 mithkál more. He | | | |
|had an official | | | |
|investiture performed by | | | |
|the Sheríf el ʿAbási, as | | | |
|Khalífa in Songhay, and | | | |
|took the advice of the | | | |
|most learned and pious | | | |
|men, such as Jelál e’ | | | |
|Soyúti. He also founded a| | | |
|charitable institution in| | | |
|Mekka for the people of | | | |
|Tekrúr. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Háj Mohammed Áskíá | August | Dhú el | |
|returned to Gágho. | 1497-8 | Hajja, | |
| | | 903 | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Háj Mohammed undertakes | 1498-9 | 904 | |
|an expedition, or a | | | |
|formal jihád, against | | | |
|Nʿasi the sultan of Mósi,| | | |
|having sent the Weli Múr | | | |
|Sáleh Núr as an | | | |
|ambassador to that king, | | | |
|in order to induce him to| | | |
|embrace Islám. But the | | | |
|Mósi people having | | | |
|consulted the souls of | | | |
|their ancestors, and | | | |
|refused to change their | | | |
|native worship, Áskíá | | | |
|devastated their country.| | | |
|He came back from this | | | |
|expedition in Ramadhán. | | | |
|He (himself or ʿOthmán) | | | |
|then conquered the |1499-1500| 905 | |
|country of Bághena, the | | | |
|ancient seat of the | | | |
|empire of Ghánah, or | | | |
|Ghánata, the king of | | | |
|which had already been | | | |
|made tributary by Sonni | | | |
|ʿAlí, and slew the | | | |
|Féllani (Púllo) chieftain| | | |
|Damba-dumbi. We therefore| | | |
|at this early period find| | | |
|the Fúlbe very powerful, | | | |
|as well in the south | | | |
|(Gurma, see p. 596.) as | | | |
|in the north-west; while | | | |
|from De Barros we learn, | | | |
|that their power in the | | | |
|south-west was not less | | | |
|great. The Songhay king | | | |
|made an expedition | 1500 | 906 | |
|against Abairu (?), and | | | |
|deprived him of his | | | |
|kingdom.[203] | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Áskíá then sent his | 1501 | 907 | |
|brother ʿOmár Kumzághu | | | |
|against Melle, where the | | | |
|Káíd Kám Fati Kalliyen | | | |
|seems to have exercised | | | |
|at the time supreme | | | |
|power; but ʿOmár not | | | |
|feeling himself strong | | | |
|enough to take the town | | | |
|of Zillen, or Zalna, | | | |
|where the court of Melle | | | |
|seems to have been, he | | | |
|sent for the king | | | |
|himself, encamping | | | |
|meanwhile in a place | | | |
|called Tánfaren, a little| | | |
|to the east from Zillen. | | | |
|Háj Mohammed Áskíá then | | | |
|came in person, | | | |
|vanquished the káíd, | | | |
|destroyed the town, | | | |
|together with the palace | | | |
|of the king of Melle, and| | | |
|sold the inhabitants into| | | |
|slavery. | | | |
| | | | |
|According to Leo[204], | | | |
|Áskíá made the whole of | | | |
|Melle tributary, laying | | | |
|such a heavy tribute upon| | | |
|that ruler that he | | | |
|entirely tied his hands. | | | |
|Nevertheless the capital | | | |
|of Melle still at that | | | |
|time was a flourishing | | | |
|place, and the largest | | | |
|town in Negroland, | | | |
|containing about 6000 | | | |
|dwellings. Perhaps this | | | |
|is the town called | | | |
|Zillen, or Zalna, by | | | |
|Áhmed Bábá. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|In the same year Háj | | |ʿAlí Ghajídéni, the |
|Mohammed Áskíá sent an | | |powerful king of Bórnu |
|expedition against Bargú,| | |(see Vol. II. p. 644), |
|or, as it is more justly | | |about this time probably |
|called, Barbú[205], the | | |undertook his expedition |
|country enclosed between | | |to the south-western |
|Gurma, Yóruba and the | | |frontier of his large |
|great river. The | | |empire, beyond the Kwára,|
|inhabitants of this | | |in order to protect it |
|country being a very | | |against the encroachments|
|warlike set of people, | | |of his powerful |
|the struggle appears to | | |contemporary the Songhay |
|have been very violent; | | |king. |
|and although Áhmed Bábá | | | |
|does not seem to intimate| | | |
|the whole of the result, | | | |
|yet it is clear, from the| | | |
|fact that the Songhay | | | |
|king was occupied with | | | |
|Bargú for the next four | | | |
|or five years, that he | | | |
|met with great | | | |
|resistance; this is also | | | |
|clearly indicated by | | | |
|traditions still extant | | | |
|in that country, the name| | | |
|Bargú being generally | | | |
|derived from the Songhay | | | |
|words five (go), horses | | | |
|(beri); “five horses” | | | |
|being the only remnant of| | | |
|an army led into the | | | |
|country by the Songhay | | | |
|king. Such a state of | | | |
|things is also clearly | | | |
|indicated by another | | | |
|document.[206] | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|The Songhay king made an | 1506 | 912 | |
|expedition against | | | |
|Kelinbút. The following | | | |
|years no expedition seems| | | |
|to have been undertaken, | | | |
|the Áskíá being busy with| | | |
|the internal affairs of | | | |
|his extensive empire | | | |
|which extended from Kebbi| | | |
|in the east as far as the| | | |
|present country of | | | |
|Kaarta, and from | | | |
|Bennendúgu as far as | | | |
|Tegháza. It appears that | | | |
|he staid the greater part| | | |
|of this period near | | | |
|Timbúktu, where he was | | | |
|evidently _when Leo | | | |
|visited_ this part of | | | |
|Africa, who thought | | | |
|Timbúktu to be his usual | | | |
|residence, but | | | |
|nevertheless was fully | | | |
|aware, although he did | | | |
|not clearly express it, | | | |
|that Gágho was his other | | | |
|residence—“Questo signor | | | |
|fu preso dal detto Izchia| | | |
|e tenuto in _Gágo_ fino | | | |
|alla morte,” l. vii. c. | | | |
|3, at the end. The Áskíá | | | |
|staid in Kábara, “the | | | |
|well known harbour,” when| | | |
|he heard of the learned | | | |
|man, the fákih Mahmúd, | | | |
|having come to Gágho, and| | | |
|he immediately embarked | | | |
|and went there by water; | | | |
|for almost all the | | | |
|intercourse between | | | |
|Timbúktu and the whole | | | |
|western quarter on the | | | |
|one side, and the centre | | | |
|of the Songhay empire | | | |
|with its capital on the | | | |
|other, was along the | | | |
|river. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Háj Mohammed sends the | 1511 | 917 | |
|Bʿakukurakoy ʿAlí Fulánu | | | |
|and Belgha Mohammed Kirí | | | |
|against Mʿa Futa[207] | | | |
|Kaitál, the fereng of | | | |
|Bághena, who had | | | |
|revolted. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Háj Mohammed, always | 1512 | 918 | |
|extending his empire | | | |
|further westward, marched| | | |
|against a powerful | | | |
|chieftain, Allʿaín[208] | | | |
|Almatní Tíndhar, and slew| | | |
|him in Zárú. This is a | | | |
|highly interesting | | | |
|expedition, as the | | | |
|results of it exercised a| | | |
|powerful influence as far| | | |
|as the coast, where the | | | |
|enterprising Portuguese | | |The Portuguese in the |
|were at that time | | |Senegal quite surprised |
|establishing their power.| | |at the great flame of war|
|For it happened just at | | |(incendio di guerra) |
|the time that Kolli, | | |which at that time |
|Allʿaín’s eldest son was | | |ravaged all the countries|
|absent on an expedition, | | |from east to west.[209] |
|and when he heard of the | | | |
|fate of his father he | | | |
|fled with his army to | | | |
|Fúta, which at that time | | | |
|belonged to the king of | | | |
|Jolof, and endeavoured to| | | |
|assume the sovereign | | | |
|power, in which attempt | | | |
|he succeeded, by the | | | |
|slaughter of the king of | | | |
|Jolof. The country of | | |Kolli founded a powerful |
|Jolof thus became divided| | |Negro dynasty, and was |
|between Kolli (Kolli | | |succeeded by his son |
|Salti [Sáttigi?] Tíndhar)| | |Yuríma, to whom succeeded|
|and Dúmala (Dámil, a | | |Kalábi (Kolli Labbe) |
|common title, the Temala | | |Batára, a most excellent |
|of the Portuguese), the | | |prince, celebrated on |
|most powerful of the | | |account of his piety and |
|governors of the former | | |justice; then followed |
|king of Jolof. | | |Kata, son of Yuríma. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|At the end of this year, | 1513 | 919 |The Portuguese, under |
|the Songhay king marched | | |D’Ataide, take possession|
|against Kátsena, and | | |of Azemmúr. |
|returned from thence in | | | |
|the first Rebí of the | | | |
|following year. This is | | | |
|an extraordinary short | | | |
|time for so distant an | | | |
|expedition, even if he | | | |
|had been residing in the | | | |
|easternmost part of his | | | |
|empire at the time when | | | |
|he undertook it. | | | |
|Nevertheless, if we can | | | |
|believe Leo, the Áskíá | | | |
|conquered not only | | | |
|Kátsena but also Góber | | | |
|(which already at that | | | |
|time had a very large | | | |
|capital and a good trade,| | | |
|and considerable | | | |
|industry, especially in | | | |
|leather work), Zánfara, | | | |
|Zegzeg, Kanó, and almost | | |The Háusa States become |
|the whole of Háusa[210]; | | |important—Korórofa. |
|but it would almost | | | |
|appear to me as if Leo in| | | |
|this case had confounded | | | |
|Áskíá with Kanta, the | | | |
|ruler of Kebbi. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | 1514 | 920 |The Portuguese occupy |
| | | |Tednest. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|About the end of this | 1515 | 921 | |
|year the Áskíá marched | | | |
|against Al-ʿAdálet, the | | | |
|king of Ágades, and | | | |
|returned from thence the | | | |
|following year, having | | | |
|driven out, as we know | | | |
|from other sources[211], | | | |
|the Berber tribes, and | | | |
|transplanted there a good| | | |
|many of his own people, | | | |
|although the Songhay | | | |
|language may have been | | | |
|spoken there before this | | | |
|period. However, it is | | | |
|evident from Leo’s | | | |
|account[212], who seems | | | |
|to know nothing of this | | | |
|expedition, that the king| | | |
|of Ágades paid tribute to| | | |
|Áskíá already before this| | | |
|time. At all events this | | | |
|was the highest pitch of | | | |
|power to which not only | | | |
|Háj Mohammed himself, but| | | |
|the Áskíás in general, | | | |
|attained; for, on his | 1516 | 922 |Kanta founds an |
|return from this | | |independent kingdom in |
|expedition, Kanta, the | | |Kebbi. Starting from |
|governor of Léka, in the | | |Birni-n-Duggul in the |
|province of Kebbi, who | | |province of Kátsena, he |
|owed him allegiance, and | | |took up his residence |
|who had accompanied him | | |first in Gungu then in |
|in this war, demanded his| | |Suráme, and finally in |
|share in the booty, | | |Léka. |
|which, probably, was very| | | |
|great, and not being | | | |
|satisfied rose against | | | |
|him and vanquished him in| | | |
|a great battle; after | | | |
|which he made himself | | | |
|independent of Songhay, | | | |
|and was successful, | | | |
|Áskíá, who marched | | | |
|against him the following| 1517 | 923 |Kanta vindicates his |
|year, being obliged to | | |independence of Songhay. |
|retrace his steps without| | | |
|having obtained the | | | |
|slightest success. It is | | | |
|therefore next to | | | |
|impossible that Áskíá | | | |
|achieved the conquest of | | | |
|the Háusa provinces, as | | | |
|described by Leo. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Háj Mohammed again | 1518 | 924 | |
|visited the western part | | | |
|of his empire, and on the| | | |
|15th Ramadhán stayed in | | | |
|Timbúktu. | | | |
| | | | |
|The name Songhay, not | | | |
|mentioned by former | | | |
|authors, becomes | | | |
|conspicuous, being | | | |
|employed as well by Leo | | | |
|as by De Barros. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|The king resided again in| 1520 | 926 | |
|Songhay Proper, and was | | | |
|in Sankar, a place beyond| | | |
|Kúkíá, when he learnt the| | | |
|death of his beloved | | | |
|brother, ʿOmár Kumzághu, | | | |
|to whom he was so much | | | |
|indebted for the | | | |
|stability of his rule. He| | | |
|then invested another | | | |
|brother named Yáhia, with| | | |
|the governor- or fereng- | | | |
|ship of Kúrmina, which | | | |
|certainly was the most | | | |
|important province of the| | | |
|empire. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Háj Mohammed lost another| 1521-2 | 928 | |
|brother, ʿOmár the | | | |
|Túmbutu-koy (see p. | | | |
|598.); and thus having | | | |
|been deprived of his most| | | |
|faithful servants, and | | | |
|having passed the prime | | | |
|of life, became the | | | |
|plaything of his | | | |
|overbearing sons, the | | | |
|intrigues taking a more | | | |
|open turn after some | | | |
|affair in Banku, or | 1524-5 | 931 | |
|Bango, the character of | | | |
|which is not quite clear.| | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|At length affairs assumed| 1527-8 | 934 | |
|such a serious character,| | | |
|that the heir-apparent, | | | |
|or Feréngmangha Háj Músa,| | | |
|the eldest son of the | | | |
|king, who had accompanied| | | |
|him on his pilgrimage, | | | |
|threatened to kill him; | | | |
|so that the aged Mohammed| | | |
|fled to Tindírma, and | | | |
|placed himself under the | | | |
|protection of his brother| | | |
|Yáhia. The latter then | | | |
|seems to have brought | | | |
|about some understanding | | | |
|among the members of the | | | |
|royal family. For in the | | | |
|following year we find | 1528-9 | 935 | |
|the old king again in | | | |
|Gágho, when Músa revolted| | | |
|openly against his | | | |
|father, and went with | | | |
|some of his brothers to | | | |
|Kúkíá. Yáhia, the feréng | | | |
|of Kúrmina, being again | | | |
|requested by his brother | | | |
|to interfere between him | | | |
|and his sons, came to | | | |
|Gágho, and was sent by | | | |
|the latter to Kúkíá, but | | | |
|was openly attacked by | | | |
|the mutinous children, | | | |
|and murdered. Músa, then,| | | |
|seeing that his father | | | |
|was powerless, returned | | | |
|to Gágho, and towards the| | | |
|end of the year, on the | | | |
|great holiday, forced him| | | |
|to abdicate after a reign| | | |
|of thirty-six years and | | | |
|six months. Nevertheless,| | | |
|he left him in his | | | |
|palace, while he himself | | | |
|stayed in his own house. | | | |
|Háj Mohammed Áskíá, as | | | |
|Áhmed Bábá says, was too | | | |
|great (or too mild) to | | | |
|rule a (turbulent) | | | |
|country like Songhay. | | | |
| | | | |
|That the extent of the | | | |
|empire, in its prime, was| | | |
|not exaggerated by the | | | |
|author of the history of | | | |
|Songhay, is clear from | | | |
|the account of Múláy | | | |
|Áhmed’s expedition. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|_Áskíá Músa_ began his | 1529 | 935 | |
|bloody and restless reign| | | |
|by endeavouring to murder| | | |
|all his brothers, and | | | |
|pursued them to Kúrmina, | | | |
|where they had taken | | | |
|refuge under the | | | |
|protection of the | | | |
|governor of that | | | |
|province, ʿOthmán Jubábu,| | | |
|another son of Háj | | | |
|Mohammed; but he forced | | | |
|them all to decamp, | | | |
|together with the | | | |
|governor of the province | | | |
|himself, as well as the | | | |
|governor of Banku, or | | | |
|Bango, and other great | | | |
|men. The aged ʿAlí | | | |
|Fulánu, who had | | | |
|accompanied El Háj | | | |
|Mohammed on his | | | |
|pilgrimage, fled to | | | |
|Kanó.[213] | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Músa, having returned to | 1533 | 940 |ʿAbd el Kerím ben |
|Gágho, continued the | | |Maghíli, from Bú ʿAlí, in|
|attempt to murder his | | |Tawát, the great apostle |
|remaining brothers, as | | |of Middle Negroland, |
|far as he was able to lay| | |where he is stated to |
|his hands on them, while | | |have transplanted the |
|they on their part, | | |power formerly grafted |
|endeavoured to rid | | |upon Songhay, is said to |
|themselves of their | | |have died this year. If |
|tormentor, so that he had| | |this be really the case, |
|not a moment’s rest. | | |as it would seem to be, a|
| | | |former passage in my work|
| | | |about this distinguished |
| | | |man (Vol. II. p. 76.) has|
| | | |to be altered a little. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | |At this period, the |
| | | |Portuguese sent presents |
| | | |to the king of Melle, who|
| | | |was reduced to the |
| | | |western provinces of his |
| | | |empire, and therefore is |
| | | |now styled Mandi Mansa, |
| | | |and who then waged war |
| | | |with Temalá (the Dámil, |
| | | |rey dos Fullos; see |
| | | |above). The Portuguese |
| | | |endeavoured also to open |
| | | |communication with the |
| | | |king of Mósi (el rey dos |
| | | |Moses), of whose power |
| | | |they had received |
| | | |reports, but from the |
| | | |wrong side, namely, from |
| | | |Benín. The king of Mósi |
| | | |was then waging war with |
| | | |the Mandi Mansa. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|In this sanguinary reign,| 1534 | 941 | |
|it is cheering to find | | | |
|that the Portuguese sent | | | |
|an embassy, among the | | | |
|other princes in the | | | |
|interior, also to a | | | |
|nephew of this Músa, king| | | |
|of Songhay[214], from the| | | |
|side of Mina, or Elmina, | | | |
|their colony on the gold | | | |
|coast. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Músa died. Mohammed | 1535-6 | 942 | |
|Bánkoré, son of ʿOmár | | | |
|Kumzághu, was made Áskíá | | | |
|in a place called Mansur.| | | |
|This cruel prince drove | | | |
|the old Háj Mohammed from| | | |
|the royal palace, where | | | |
|even Músa had left him, | | | |
|and imprisoned him in a | | | |
|place called Kankáka. | | | |
|Mohammed Bánkoré was a | | | |
|warlike prince, but he | | | |
|was not successful in his| | |The power of the kingdom |
|career, nor was he a | | |of Kebbi more firmly |
|favourite with the | | |established. But after |
|people. He marched | | |the death of the first |
|against Kanta, but was | | |Kanta, the founder of the|
|totally routed at a place| | |dynasty, his two sons, |
|called Wen-termása (a | | |Kanna and Himáddu, fight |
|Berber name), and fled | | |for the royal power, when|
|most ingloriously, having| | |Himáddu is said to have |
|a very narrow escape | | |driven back the former |
|through the waters of the| | |with the aid of the |
|Niger. | | |Fúlbe. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|He then marched against | 1536 | 943 | |
|Gurma, and sent Mári | | | |
|Tamiza, the feréng of | | | |
|Dendi, against the enemy.| | | |
|But the latter having | | | |
|laid in chains all the | | | |
|leading men in the army, | | | |
|deposed the king, 2nd Dhu| | | |
|el Kʿada (12th April), | | | |
|and installed Ismáʿaíl, a| | | |
|son of Háj Mohammed, on | | | |
|the throne as Áskíá. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Ismáʿaíl brought his aged| 1537 | 944 | |
|father from Kankáka back | | | |
|to Gágho, where he died | | | |
|in the night preceding | | | |
|the ʿAíd el Fotr, and was| | | |
|buried in the great | | | |
|mosque. In the same year | | | |
|Ismáʿaíl went to | | | |
|Dire.[215] | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Áskíá Ismáʿaíl then | | 945 | |
|marched against the | | | |
|Bakabóki (the chief of | | | |
|Bojjo?), in Gurma, and | | | |
|killed and carried into | | | |
|slavery a great many | | | |
|people; so that a slave | | | |
|in Gágho fetched not more| | | |
|than 300 shells. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Áskíá Ismáʿaíl, a very | 1539 | 946 | |
|energetic and much | | | |
|respected king, | | | |
|unfortunately reigned too| | | |
|short a period, and died | | | |
|after a reign of not more| | | |
|than two years, nine | | | |
|months, six days, in the | | | |
|month of Rejeb (October | | | |
|or November). | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|The army which had just | | | |
|marched out upon an | | | |
|expedition, made Is-hák, | | | |
|another son of Háj | | | |
|Mohammed, Áskíá, on the | | | |
|16th Shʿabán. The new | | | |
|king proved a very stern | | | |
|master, the severest king| | | |
|who ruled over Songhay; | | | |
|but he made himself also | | | |
|respected by his enemies,| | | |
|even in the most distant | | | |
|quarter. Thus, in the | | | |
|third year of his reign, | 1542 | 949 | |
|he marched against | | | |
|Yaghaba (not Baghaba), | | | |
|the most distant place of| | | |
|the sultans of Banduk, or| | | |
|Bennendúgu, on the | 1544 | 951 |About this time Mohammed,|
|remotest south-westerly | | |the ruler of Bórnu, |
|branch of the Niger; and | | |fought a celebrated and |
|two years later he waged | | |sanguinary battle with |
|war on the opposite side | | |the king of Kebbi, |
|of his vast dominions | | |probably Tómo, who |
|against Kukurkáb (Kokoy- | | |founded here a new and |
|Kábi?)[216], in the | | |large capital, Birní-n- |
|territory of Dendi. | | |Kebbi. (See Vol. II. p. |
| | | |646.) |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|In the course of this | 1545 | 952 | |
|year Ís-hák sent his | | | |
|brother Dáúd, the feréng | | | |
|of Kúrmina, against | | | |
|Melle. The Sultan (Mansa)| | | |
|of Melle, who, having | | | |
|been reduced to the | | | |
|position of a tributary | | | |
|chief by the great Háj | | | |
|Mohammed, seems to have | | | |
|conceived the hope of | | | |
|making himself again | | | |
|independent under his | | | |
|successors, left his | | | |
|palace and fled, and Dáúd| | | |
|remained for seven days | | | |
|in the capital defiling | | | |
|the honour of the royal | | | |
|palace in the grossest | | | |
|manner. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|At the same time, this | 1549 | 956 | |
|energetic Songhay king | | | |
|showed his power to Múláy| | | |
|Áhmed, the powerful ruler| | | |
|of Morocco, who, looking | | | |
|about for a fresh source | | | |
|of strength, cast | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Dáúd having ascended the | | | |
|throne in Kúkíá one day | | | |
|before the death of Ís- | | | |
|hák, returned to Gágho on| | | |
|the 1st Rebí I. Dáúd was | | | |
|a very peaceable king, | | | |
|and undertook no | | | |
|expedition at all. He | | | |
|resided towards the end | 1553 | 960 |Sídi ʿOmár e’ Sheikh, the|
|of his life a long time | | |great ancestor of the |
|in Tindírma, the capital | | |family of El Bakáy, died |
|of the province of | | |in the district Gídi or |
|Kúrmina, where he had a | | |Igídi. |
|palace and kept a large | | | |
|establishment. Áskíá | | | |
|Dáúd, who is said by the | | | |
|Imám e’ Tekrúri, as cited| | | |
|by De Slane[217], to have| | | |
|imitated the example of | | | |
|his father Háj Mohammed, | | | |
|died after a reign of | | | |
|nearly thirty-four | | | |
|(lunar) years. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|El Háj, or El Háj | 1582 | 990 | |
|Mohammed, then ascended | | | |
|the throne, being the | | | |
|eldest son of Dáúd, and | | | |
|named after his | | | |
|grandfather, whom he is | | | |
|said to have equalled in | | | |
|the qualities of bravery | | | |
|and patient endurance, | | | |
|although he remained far | | | |
|behind in success, and | | | |
|was plunged from the | | | |
|beginning of his reign in| | | |
|civil war, which began to| | | |
|rage the very day of his | | | |
|accession to the throne, | | | |
|the Feréng Mohammed | | | |
|Bánkoré preparing to | | | |
|oppose him; but | | | |
|fortunately the latter | | | |
|was induced by the Fáki | | | |
|Mohammed, the Kádhi of | | | |
|Timbúktu, to give up his | | | |
|pretensions, in order to | | | |
|apply himself to study. | | | |
|He was then arrested and | | | |
|lodged in the state | | | |
|prison in Kantú. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Then El Hádi, son of | 1584 | Safer. | |
|Áskíá Dáúd, and brother | | 992 | |
|of El Háj, whom, as the | | | |
|most faithful, the king | | | |
|had entrusted with the | | | |
|government of Kúrmina, | | | |
|revolted, left Tindírma, | | | |
|and marched against the | | | |
|capital, Gágho. He even | | | |
|succeeded in entering the| | | |
|town in the night before | | | |
|the 4th Rebí-el-awel, | | | |
|clad in a coat of mail, | | | |
|and preceded by a | | | |
|trumpet, drum, and other | | | |
|insignia of royal power, | | | |
|while the Áskíá, who at | | | |
|the time was very weak | | | |
|and sick, was seized with| | | |
|fear of losing his | | | |
|throne; but through the | | | |
|aid of Híki, the governor| | | |
|of the powerful province | | | |
|of Dendi, the revolt was | | | |
|overcome. El Hádi was | | | |
|thrown into the state | | | |
|prison at Kantú, and all | | | |
|his adherents were | | | |
|severely punished. | | | |
| | | | |
|While the empire was thus| | |Together with Móshi, the |
|undermined by intestine | | |ruler of Búsa, on the |
|civil wars, the great | | |Niger, is mentioned by |
|enemy who was to crush it| | |Áhmed Bábá under this |
|from without approached | | |reign as a powerful king.|
|from the north; but this | | |The power of Kebbi, |
|time the danger passed | | |therefore, probably had |
|by. Múláy Hámed, or | | |begun to decline. |
|Áhmed, in order to learn | | | |
|the real state of affairs| | | |
|in Tekrúr, and especially| | | |
|in Songhay, whose power | | | |
|could not fail to attract| | | |
|his attention, sent an | | | |
|embassy with costly | | | |
|presents; but the Áskíá | | | |
|received the messengers | | | |
|kindly, and sent a more | | | |
|valuable present in | | | |
|return, among other | | | |
|articles 80 eunuchs. But | | | |
|shortly after the | | | |
|departure of this | | | |
|embassy, the rumour | | | |
|spread of Múláy Hámed | | | |
|having sent a large army;| | | |
|and this report was soon | | | |
|confirmed. The emperor of| | | |
|Morocco sent a very | | | |
|numerous host, said to be| | | |
|20,000[218] strong, in | | | |
|the direction of Wadán, | | | |
|at that time the general | | | |
|caravan road, with the | | | |
|order to conquer all the | | | |
|places along the river | | | |
|(the Senegal and Niger, | | | |
|probably, regarded | | | |
|together)[219], and thus | | | |
|to proceed towards | | | |
|Timbúktu,—an order which | | | |
|clearly shows the immense| | | |
|extent of the Songhay | | | |
|empire, even at that | | | |
|time: and the Imám e’ | | | |
|Tekrúri[220] distinctly | | | |
|states that, even at the | | | |
|time of its downfall, it | | | |
|comprised a region of six| | | |
|months in extent. But | | | |
|this time also the danger| | | |
|passed by; the numbers of| | | |
|the army themselves | | | |
|causing its ruin, in | | | |
|consequence of hunger and| | | |
|thirst. In order to take | | | |
|at least a slight | | | |
|revenge, the Sultan of | | | |
|Morocco then sent an | | | |
|officer with a small | | | |
|troop of musketeers, to | | | |
|take possession of the | | | |
|salt-mines of Tegháza, | | | |
|which at that time | | | |
|supplied the whole of | | | |
|Western Negroland with | | | |
|that necessary | | | |
|article[221], and thus to| | | |
|deprive the inhabitants | | | |
|of Songhay of it.[222] It| | | |
|was in the month of | | | |
|Shawál (September) that | | | |
|the news reached Gágho | | | |
|that all intercourse with| | | |
|those salt-mines had been| | | |
|cut off. It was then that| | | |
|people went and dug salt | | | |
|in Taödénni, and other | | | |
|places.[223] | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|While the danger was | 1586 | 994 |The salt-mines of Tegháza|
|gathering from without, a| | |shut, and those of |
|new intestine war broke | | |Taödénni opened, on this |
|out, which does not | | |occasion.[224] |
|appear to testify to the | | | |
|great courage and energy | | | |
|for which Áhmed Bábá | | | |
|praises this Áskíá. | | | |
| | | | |
|For in the last month of | | | |
|this year, the brothers | | | |
|of El Háj Áskíá revolted,| | | |
|and brought Mohammed | | | |
|Bána, another of the | | | |
|numerous sons of Dáúd, | | | |
|with them from Kará | | | |
|(كَرَى?) to Gágho, and, | | | |
|deposing El Háj, | | | |
|installed the former in | | | |
|his place as Áskíá, on | | | |
|the 4th Moharrem. El Háj,| 1587 | 995 | |
|probably, notwithstanding| | | |
|his original bravery and | | | |
|energy, was suffering | | | |
|from disease all the time| | | |
|of his reign. He died (a | | | |
|natural death apparently)| | | |
|a few days after his | | | |
|deposition, having | | | |
|reigned four years and | | | |
|five months. | | | |
| | | | |
|Immediately after the | | | |
|accession of Mohammed | | | |
|Bána to the throne, a new| | | |
|conspiracy was formed, | | | |
|issuing from the state | | | |
|prisoners in Kantú, | | | |
|especially the two | | | |
|pretenders, El Hádi and | | | |
|Mohammed Bánkoré, and | | | |
|aiming at the | | | |
|installation of Núh, | | | |
|another son of Dáúd, the | | | |
|Farma of Bantal; but the | | | |
|rebellion was | | | |
|successfully suppressed, | | | |
|most of the conspirators | | | |
|killed, and Núh, together| | | |
|with his brother | | | |
|Mústapha, whom El Háj had| | | |
|designated as his | | | |
|successor (Feréngmangha),| | | |
|laid in chains, and | | | |
|imprisoned in the | | | |
|province of Dendi. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|The Balmʿa, Mohammed e’ | 1588 | 976 | |
|Sádik, son of Áskíá Dáúd,| | | |
|having punished the | | | |
|oppressive governor of | | | |
|Kábara, and vanquished | | | |
|his own brother Sáleh, | | | |
|the Feréng of Kúrmina (24| | | |
|Rebí II.), and being | | | |
|joined by the troops of | | | |
|the latter, and by many | | | |
|other bodies of the great| | | |
|army of the West, the | | | |
|Feréng of Bághena, Mansa,| | | |
|the Hómborikoy, and | | | |
|others, left Kábara on | | | |
|the 1st Jumáda. Áskíá | | | |
|Mohammed Bána marched out| | | |
|of Gágho on the 12th, in | | | |
|order to meet the rebel, | | | |
|but died the same day, | | | |
|either from the effects | | | |
|of wrath, or in | | | |
|consequence of the heat | | | |
|of the weather and his | | | |
|own corpulency. He | | | |
|reigned one year, four | | | |
|months, and eight days. | | | |
| | | | |
|The day following the | | | |
|death of Mohammed Bána, | | | |
|the army having reentered| | | |
|the town of Gágho, Ís- | | | |
|hák, another son of Dáúd,| | | |
|ascended the throne as | | | |
|Áskíá. But the Pretender,| | | |
|having been raised by his| | | |
|troops on his way to | | | |
|Gágho, to the dignity of | | | |
|Áskíá, pursued his march,| | | |
|while Áskíá Ís-hák left | | | |
|his capital, when both | | | |
|armies met at a place | | | |
|called Kamba-Kíri, | | | |
|evidently only four | | | |
|days’[225] march from | | | |
|Gágho, where, after a | | | |
|violent struggle which | | | |
|lasted the whole day, the| | | |
|army of the Pretender was| | | |
|beaten, and he escaped | | | |
|towards Timbúktu. Great | | | |
|was the disappointment of| | | |
|the inhabitants of this | | | |
|town. They had celebrated| | | |
|the accession to power of| | | |
|their favourite, Mohammed| | | |
|e’ Sádik, with the | | | |
|greatest manifestations | | | |
|of joy, and had even | | | |
|imprisoned, on the 21st, | | | |
|at his request, the | | | |
|messenger who had | | | |
|announced the accession | | | |
|of Ís-hák. On the 28th, | | | |
|there arrived the | | | |
|favourite as a fugitive, | | | |
|who brought them the | | | |
|account of the | | | |
|unfortunate battle, and, | | | |
|having plunged them into | | | |
|deep sorrow, continued | | | |
|his flight, in company | | | |
|with the Hómborikoy, the | | | |
|Barakoy, by way of | | | |
|Tindírma, across the | | | |
|river to the other side. | | | |
|He was, however, | | | |
|overtaken, and confined | | | |
|in the state prison at | | | |
|Kantú, where he was | | | |
|killed, together with the| | | |
|Barakoy; as were also the| | | |
|Túmbutu-koy and the | | | |
|Ímóshaghenkoy. Of course | | | |
|the inhabitants of | | | |
|Timbúktu, having so | | | |
|openly favoured the | | | |
|proceedings of the | | | |
|Pretender, were severely | | | |
|punished, and a new | | | |
|Túmbutukoy, Al Hasan, the| | | |
|last during the Songhay | | | |
|period, and a new | | | |
|Ímóshaghenkoy, were | | | |
|installed. Áskíá Ís-hák | | | |
|likewise installed new | | | |
|governors of Banku, Bal, | | | |
|and Kúrmina, and | | | |
|confirmed others in their| | | |
|provinces. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Having recovered from the| 1588-9 | 997 | |
|severe shock inflicted | | | |
|upon the empire by this | | | |
|rebellion, Áskíá Ís-hák | | | |
|undertook an expedition | | | |
|against Namandúgu, | | | |
|evidently the place | | | |
|touched at by myself on | | | |
|my road to Timbúktu, | | | |
|inhabited by pagans of | | | |
|the Gurma tribe, and the | | | |
|following year he | | | |
|undertook an expedition | | 998-999 | |
|against some other part | | | |
|of Gurma[226],—namely | | | |
|Tínfiri. Having thus had | | | |
|some respite, and | | | |
|consolidated his empire, | | | |
|he planned an expedition | | | |
|against Kala, the | | | |
|province to the north of | | | |
|Jinni, which it would | | | |
|seem had been subjected | | | |
|to the former Áskíá; but | | | |
|when about to undertake | | | |
|this expedition into the | | | |
|furthest parts of his | | | |
|empire, he heard of the | | | |
|arrival[227] of the | | | |
|Mahalla of the Bashá | | | |
|Jódar, a valiant eunuch | | | |
|of Múláy Hámed, the | | | |
|emperor of Morocco, with | | | |
|an army of 3600 | | | |
|musketeers, in 174 | | | |
|divisions of 20 each | | | |
|besides the | | | |
|officers[228]; and he met| | | |
|him on the battle-field | | | |
|on the 18th Jumád II., | | | |
|but fled before him. | | | |
| | | | |
|Jódar remained only | | | |
|seventeen days in Gágho, | | | |
|when the Khatíb Mahmúd | | | |
|behaved in a very hostile| | | |
|manner towards the | | | |
|strangers. On visiting | | | |
|the palace of the Áskíá, | | | |
|in the presence of | | | |
|witnesses, he found it | | | |
|not equal to his | | | |
|expectation, and accepted| | | |
|the conditions of Ís-hák,| | | |
|who offered to give him | | | |
|1000 slaves and 100,000 | | | |
|mithkál of gold, if he | | | |
|gave up the conquered | | | |
|country. The Bashá, | | | |
|although he was not | | | |
|authorized to agree upon | | | |
|these conditions himself,| | | |
|consented to write an | | | |
|account of them to his | | | |
|liege lord, and return | | | |
|meanwhile to Timbúktu. He| | | |
|therefore wrote to Múláy | | | |
|Hámed, in conjunction | | | |
|with the Káíd Áhmed ben | | | |
|el Haddád, adding at the | | | |
|same time, in order to | | | |
|show his master that the | | | |
|conquered country was not| | | |
|worth a great deal, that | | | |
|the dwelling of the | | | |
|Sheikh El Harám (a very | | | |
|inferior personage) in | | | |
|Morocco excelled by far | | | |
|the palace of the Áskíá. | | | |
|But the ambitious Múláy | | | |
|Hámed, the friend of | | | |
|Philip II., who, in | | | |
|following the example of | | | |
|his friend the mighty | | | |
|prince of Europe, | | | |
|contemplated the conquest| | | |
|of new regions, was | | | |
|filled with wrath at the | | | |
|receipt of the despatches| | | |
|of his officer Jódar, | | | |
|deposed him on the spot, | | | |
|and sent the Bashá Mahmúd| | | |
|ben Zarkúb, accompanied | | | |
|by 80 musketeers, with | | | |
|instructions to undertake| | | |
|the command of the army, | | | |
|and drive Áskíá Ís-hák | | | |
|out of Sudán. | | | |
| | | | |
|Meanwhile Jódar having | | | |
|arrived at Móse- or Bóse-| | | |
|Bango (the same creek of | | | |
|the great river where I | | | |
|was encamped for some | | | |
|time) on the last day of | | | |
|Jumáda II., remained | | | |
|encamped for thirty-five | | | |
|days, from the 1st Rejeb | | | |
|till the 6th Shʿabán, | | | |
|outside the town of | | | |
|Timbúktu[229], when the | | | |
|term fixed for the return| | | |
|of his courier from | | | |
|Morocco having elapsed, | | | |
|he well saw that all was | | | |
|not right, and that his | | | |
|master was not content | | | |
|with his proceedings. He | | | |
|therefore entered the | | | |
|town with his soldiers, | | | |
|chose for himself the | | | |
|quarter of the | | | |
|Ghadámsíyín, between the | | | |
|gate leading to Kábara | | | |
|and the market, as the | | | |
|most densely inhabited | | | |
|quarter, and as | | | |
|containing the largest | | | |
|houses, for the purpose | | | |
|of erecting there a | | | |
|kasbah, driving the | | | |
|inhabitants out of their | | | |
|dwellings by force. It | | | |
|also seems, from another | | | |
|passage of Áhmed Bábá, | | | |
|that the Rumá shut all | | | |
|the gates of the town | | | |
|with the exception of the| | | |
|gate leading to Kábara, | | | |
|the consequence of which | | | |
|was that all the people, | | | |
|in order to enter the | | | |
|town or to go out of it, | | | |
|had to pass through or | | | |
|under the kasbah, so that| | | |
|the whole traffic and all| | | |
|the intercourse could | | | |
|easily be overawed by a | | | |
|limited garrison. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|On Friday, the 26th | | | |
|Shawál, the new Bashá | | | |
|Mahmúd arrived in | | | |
|Timbúktu, accompanied by | | | |
|the two káíd’s, ʿAbd el | | | |
|ʿAálí and Ham Baraka, and| | | |
|deposed Jódar, | | | |
|reproaching him bitterly | | | |
|for not having pursued | | | |
|the king Ís-hák; but | | | |
|Jódar excused himself by | | | |
|pleading that he had no | | | |
|boats at his disposition.| | | |
|The first thing therefore| | | |
|which the Bashá Mahmúd | | | |
|had to do was to procure | | | |
|boats, the inspector of | | | |
|the harbour having fled | | | |
|with the whole fleet in | | | |
|the direction of Banku, | | | |
|or Bengu. It was on this | | | |
|occasion that all the | | | |
|trees in the town were | | | |
|cut down. | | | |
| | | | |
|On the 20th Dhú ’l Káda, | | | |
|the Bashá Mahmúd left | | | |
|Timbúktu with the whole | | | |
|of his army, taking the | | | |
|ex-bashá Jódar with him, | | | |
|and installing in the | | | |
|government of the town | | | |
|the káíd El Mustapha and | | | |
|the emír Ham from Wádí | | | |
|Darʿa. Having kept the | | | |
|great festival near the | | | |
|town in a place called | | | |
|Síhank (?), he marched | | | |
|against Ís-hák, who | | | |
|approached with his army | | | |
|to make a last struggle | | | |
|for his kingdom and the | | | |
|independence of his | | | |
|country. But although the| | | |
|Áskíá seems to have been | | | |
|not totally devoid of | | | |
|energy, he could not | | | |
|contend against that | | | |
|terrible weapon which | | | |
|spread devastation from a| | | |
|great distance, for the | | | |
|Songhay do not seem to | | | |
|have possessed a single | | | |
|musket; and it is not | | | |
|impossible that the | | | |
|Moroccains had some small| | | |
|field pieces[230], while | | | |
|the Songhay did not even | | | |
|know how to use the one | | | |
|small cannon which the | 1591 | 999 | |
|Portuguese had once made | | | |
|them a present of, and | | | |
|which the Bashá | | | |
|afterwards found in | | | |
|Gágho. The consequence | | | |
|was, that in the battle | | | |
|which ensued on Monday | | | |
|the 25th Dhú-el Hijje, | | | |
|Ís-hák and the Songhay | | | |
|were beaten, and the king| | | |
|fled on the road to | | | |
|Dendi, making a short | | | |
|stay in Kira-Kurma, and | | | |
|leaving behind him some | | | |
|officers, whom he ordered| | | |
|to make a stand in | | | |
|certain stations, | | | |
|especially the Balmʿa | | | |
|Mohammed Kágho, who had | | | |
|been wounded by a ball, | | | |
|and the Barakoy Buttu. To| | | |
|the latter he gave orders| | | |
|at the same time to make | | | |
|forays against the | | | |
|_Fullán_, a fact of the | | | |
|highest importance, and | | | |
|which, combined with | | | |
|another fact, which I | | | |
|shall soon bring forward,| | | |
|shows how this remarkable| | |The Fúlbe or Fullán begin|
|tribe, which we have seen| | |to play a prominent part |
|stirring in these regions| | |in the history of this |
|already several years | | |region. |
|previously, as soon as | | | |
|they saw the established | | | |
|government endangered, | | | |
|broke out in order to | | | |
|make use of circumstances| | | |
|for establishing | | | |
|themselves firmly in the | | | |
|country. | | | |
| | | | |
|Áskíá Ís-hák wanted the | | | |
|Bara-koy to imprison the | | | |
|royal princes who were in| | | |
|his company at the time, | | | |
|in order to prevent their| | | |
|joining the enemy, but | | | |
|they escaped; and he also| | | |
|endeavoured, in vain, to | | | |
|cause a diversion in his | | | |
|rear, by raising a revolt| | | |
|in Timbúktu, but his | | | |
|messenger was killed. The| | | |
|Bashá Mahmúd ben Zarkúb | | | |
|pursued the king, and did| | | |
|not halt till he reached | | | |
|Kúkíá, having, with him, | | | |
|according to Áhmed Bábá, | | | |
|174 divisions of | | | |
|musketeers, each of | | | |
|twenty men[231]; so that,| | | |
|if the ranks were all | | | |
|filled, he had 3480 men, | | | |
|or, including the | | | |
|officers, about 3600; and| | | |
|these being all armed | | | |
|with matchlocks, there | | | |
|was certainly no army in | | | |
|Negroland able to resist | | | |
|them.[232] Seeing that a | | | |
|numerous undisciplined | | | |
|army against a well | | | |
|disciplined and compact | | | |
|band, armed with such a | | | |
|destructive weapon, was | | | |
|only a burthen, the | | | |
|Songhay king seems to | | | |
|have thought that a band | | | |
|of choice men, even if | | | |
|small in numbers, was | | | |
|preferable, and he | | | |
|therefore sent Híki | | | |
|Serkía, an officer of | | | |
|acknowledged bravery, | | | |
|with a body of 1200 of | | | |
|the best horsemen of his | | | |
|army, who had never fled | | | |
|before an enemy, to | | | |
|attack the Bashá. But the| | | |
|fate of Songhay was | | | |
|decided; treachery and | | | |
|disunion still further | | | |
|impaired the power which,| | | |
|even if well kept | | | |
|together, would still | | | |
|have had great difficulty| | | |
|in resisting such an | | | |
|enemy. When therefore | | | |
|that very body of cavalry| | | |
|rendered homage to the | | | |
|Balmʿa Mohammed Kágho, in| 1591-2 | 1000 |The tribe of the Erhámena|
|the beginning of the last| | |becomes powerful in the |
|year of the tenth century| | |west. |
|of the Hejra, and made | | | |
|him Áskíá, Ís-hák seeing | | |The Zoghorán or Jawámbe |
|that all was lost, (from | | |conquer great portions |
|Dendi, where he staid at | | |of the former Songhay |
|the time?) took the | | |country. |
|direction of Kebbi.[233] | | | |
|He was, however, obliged | | | |
|to retrace his steps, as | | | |
|the Kanta, the ruler of | | | |
|that kingdom, which at | | | |
|that period was still | | | |
|enjoying very great | | | |
|power,—afraid probably of| | | |
|drawing upon himself the | | | |
|revenge of the dreaded | | | |
|foreign foe, who with the| | | |
|thunder of his musketry | | | |
|was disturbing the repose| | | |
|of Negroland; or, moved | | | |
|by that ancient hatred | | | |
|which, since the | | | |
|expedition to Ágades, | | | |
|existed between the | | | |
|Songhay and the | | | |
|inhabitants of | | | |
|Kebbi,—refused him | | | |
|admission into his | | | |
|dominions. Ís-hák | | | |
|therefore crossed the | | | |
|river, and went to | | | |
|Téra[234], where his last| | | |
|friends took leave of | | | |
|him. Even the inhabitants| | | |
|of this very place, who | | | |
|have preserved their | | | |
|independence till the | | | |
|present day, were not | | | |
|able, or were not | | | |
|inclined, to defend their| | | |
|liege lord. “There they | | | |
|separated, and bade each | | | |
|other farewell. The king | | | |
|wept, and they (the | | | |
|courtiers) wept, and it | | | |
|was the last time that | | | |
|they saw each other.” | | | |
|There was certainly a | | | |
|strong reason for weeping| | | |
|over the fate of Songhay.| | | |
|That splendid empire, | | | |
|which a few years back | | | |
|had extended from the | | | |
|middle of Háusa as far as| | | |
|the ocean, and from Mósi | | | |
|as far as Tawát, was | | | |
|gone, its king an exile | | | |
|and fugitive from his | | | |
|native land, deserted by | | | |
|his friends and nearest | | | |
|relations, had to seek | | | |
|refuge with his very | | | |
|enemies. Driven back from| | | |
|the Mohammedans in Kebbi,| | | |
|he now turned towards the| | | |
|pagans of Gurma, and | | | |
|those very inhabitants of| | | |
|Tínfiri upon whom he had | | | |
|made war two years | | | |
|before; and, indeed, the | | | |
|pagans were more merciful| | | |
|than the Mohammedans, and| | | |
|forgot their recent wrong| | | |
|sooner than the latter | | | |
|their old one; but | | | |
|probably the ex-king | | | |
|excited their fear; and, | | | |
|after having resided | | | |
|there some time, he was | | | |
|slain, together with his | | | |
|son and all his | | | |
|followers, in the month | | | |
|of Jumáda the second. | | | |
| | | | |
|Meanwhile there seemed to| | | |
|be still a slight | | | |
|prospect for the | | | |
|pretender Mohammed Kágho | | | |
|to save at least part of | | | |
|the empire, as all that | | | |
|remained of wealth and | | | |
|authority in Songhay | | | |
|gathered round him to do | | | |
|him homage; but even now | | | |
|the ancient family | | | |
|discord prevailed; and | | | |
|while he strengthened | | | |
|himself by some of his | | | |
|brothers, whom he | | | |
|liberated from prison, | | | |
|especially Núh, the | | | |
|former governor of | | | |
|Bantal, others among his | | | |
|brothers, sons of Dáúd, | | | |
|fled to the enemy, and, | | | |
|being well received, | | | |
|dragged after them a | | | |
|great many of the most | | | |
|influential men of the | | | |
|army. After this, | | | |
|Mohammed Kágho was | | | |
|induced by treachery to | | | |
|throw himself upon the | | | |
|mercy of the Bashá, from | | | |
|whom he received the | | | |
|assurance that he had | | | |
|nothing to fear; but he | | | |
|was laid in chains, and | | | |
|soon after executed. | | | |
| | | | |
|The Bashá Mahmúd, | | | |
|although he evidently | | | |
|governed the country with| | | |