Songhai Kingdom

In 1493, Askia Muhammad became the leader of the Songhai

The Songhai Empire was divided into five provinces each led by a governor

The emperor had total power, but he also had ministers who ran different aspects of the empire for him

The Songhai culture became a blend of traditional West African beliefs and the religion of Islam

The Songhai Empire was located in Western Africa south of the Sahara Desert and along the Niger River. At its peak, it stretched well over 1,000 miles from the current modern day country of Niger to the Atlantic Ocean

The capital city of the Songhai was the city of Gao which was located in modern day Mali on the banks of the Niger River.

Slaves were used to help transport goods across the Sahara Desert to Morocco and the Middle East

Slaves were also sold to Europeans to work in Europe and the Americas. Slaves were usually captives of war captured during raids on nearby regions

Daily life was often ruled by traditions and local customs, but the law of the land was based on Islam.

The slave trade became an important part of the Songhai Empire