What economic advantage did Songhai gain by expanding its territory to the north?

What economic advantage did Songhai gain by expanding its territory to the north?

What economic advantage did Songhai gain by expanding its territory to the north? Songhai gained control of some salt production areas.

What was the economy of the Songhai Empire?

Economic Structure Primary to the economic foundation of the Songhai Empire were the gold fields of the Niger River. These gold fields, which were often independently operated, provided a steady supply of gold that could be purchased and bartered for salt.

How did Songhai gain its power and wealth?

The Songhai Empire grew very wealthy thanks to its control of trading posts along the Trans-Saharan Trade Route, including Jenne and Timbuktu. This trade route connected North Africa to South and West Africa. Across these routes, a variety of goods, including foodstuffs, cloth, cowrie shells, and kola nuts flowed.

What made the Songhai Empire successful?

In 1493, Askia Muhammad became the leader of the Songhai. He brought the Songhai Empire to its height of power and founded the Askia Dynasty. Under his rule, Islam became an important part of the empire. He conquered much of the surrounding lands and took control of the gold and salt trade from the Mali Empire.

What did the Songhai Empire eat?

The Songhai Empire’s diet was very traditional. The main staple food was millet which was consumed in three ways.

What did Songhai trade?

Songhai encouraged trading with Muslims, such as the Berbers of the north. Great market places thrived in major cities where kola nuts, gold, ivory, slaves, spices, palm oil and precious woods were traded in exchange for salt, cloth, arms, horses and copper.

What resources did Songhai need?

The important natural resources of the Songhai Empire were gold and salt. Golf fields were abundant throughout the empire.

How was the Songhai Empire able to dominate North Western Africa?

Travel and trade in Songhai Trade significantly influenced the course of history in West Africa. The wealth made through trade was used to build larger kingdoms and empires. To protect their trade interests, these kingdoms built strong armies.

Why did the Ashanti trade slaves?

The slave trade was originally focused north with captives going to Mande and Hausa traders who exchanged them for goods from North Africa and indirectly from Europe. By 1800, the trade had shifted to the south as the Ashanti sought to meet the growing demand of the British, Dutch, and French for captives.

What did the Songhai Empire trade?

It was a great cosmopolitan market place where kola nuts, gold, ivory, slaves, spices, palm oil and precious woods were traded in exchange for salt, cloth, arms, horses and copper. Islam had been introduced to the royal court of Songhai in 1019, but most people remained faithful to their traditional religion.

How did the Songhai Empire gain control of the trade routes?

In 1590, al-Mansur took advantage of the recent civil strife in the empire and sent an army under the command of Judar Pasha to conquer the Songhai and to gain control of the Trans-Saharan trade routes.

What were the major goods traded by the merchants of Songhai which of these are still in use today and what for?

What was the main economic activity of Songhai?

 Songhai’s main economic specializations were farming, fishing, mining, the craft of blacksmith, trading, witch-doctors, and they also had a fairly strong military. They farmed many crops and animals such as beans, sheep, onions, millet, papaya, and many others.

Where is the Songhai Empire located today?

Songhai empire. Songhai empire, also spelled Songhay, great trading state of West Africa (fl. 15th–16th century), centred on the middle reaches of the Niger River in what is now central Mali and eventually extending west to the Atlantic coast and east into Niger and Nigeria.

Where is Songhay located in Africa?

Songhai empire, also spelled Songhay, great trading state of West Africa (fl. 15th–16th century), centred on the middle reaches of the Niger River in what is now central Mali and eventually extending west to the Atlantic coast and east into Niger and Nigeria.

Why did Morocco invade Songhai?

Islamic world: Trans-Saharan Islam …Muslim kingdom of the Sudan, Songhai, was expanding northward, and its growing control of major trade routes into Morocco provoked Moroccan interference. Invaded in 1591, Songhai was ruled as a Moroccan vassal for 40 years, during which time Morocco itself was experiencing political confusion and instability.