After the collapse of Mali, the West African kingdom of Songhai

emerged. Songhai was the largestof the West African trading kingdoms.

Like previous West African kingdoms, theWest African kingdom of Songhaicontrolled Trans-Saharan trade.

North African salt

for

West Africangold

In 1464, the people of Songhai capturedTimbuktu. Do you remember that

Timbuktu was a great center of learningin the West African kingdom of Mali?

Afterwards, the people of Songhaitook control of the Trans-Saharan

trade routes.

The rulers of Songhai were Muslims.Islam entered West Africa along trade

routes.

North African nomadswere Muslims.

Through trade, Islamentered West Africa.

Trade increasedcultural diffusion or

the exchange of cultural ideas and

objects.

Though the West African kingdom ofSonghai was the largest of the West

African trading kingdoms, it fell in 1591.Moroccans with European guns invaded

and attacked.

The WestAfrican

Kingdomof Songhaionly lasted100 years.

The Trans-Saharan

trade greatlyincreased

culturaldiffusion.

Rulers built beautiful cities withthe wealth from trade.

They encouraged learning.

But the Europeaninvention of the

gun wouldtragically changeAfrican history.

The Big Five

• How did the West African kingdom of Songhai differ from the other West African kingdoms?

• How did cultural diffusion influence the rulers of Songhai?

• Describe the Trans-Saharan trade.• What led to the collapse of Songhai?• How did the European invention of the gun

tragically alter African history?