African Art

governor taken from the Sarakolle family of Diarrisso who,
towards the end of the 11th century, did the same as the
Niakhate governor of Diara at the same epoch and made him-
self independent. A century afterwards, about 1180, another
Sarakolle family, the Kannte, belonging, it is said, to the black-
smith caste, overturned the dynasty of the Diarisso and installed
itself in the latter’s place. Under the direction of Sumanguru
Kannte, who passed for being a skilful general and a no less
skilful sorcerer, the kingdom of Soso took on a considerable
expansion. In 1203, Sumanguru captured Ghana and reduced
the descendants of the former suzerains of Soso to the state of
vassal. This important achievement has been reported by Ibn
Khaldoun, whose text, incorrectly interpreted, for a long time
led to the belief in the legend of the destruction of Ghana by
the Soso or Susu of Guinea; a legend which was only an error
based on a simple and fortuitous homonym. The same prince
then turned his arms towards the south against the Mandinka or
Mali, whom he annexed around the same moment that the
emigrant Muslims of Ghana founded Walata, or breathed new
life into it, around 1224. But this annexation proved to be only
momentary and sounded the death knell of the power and even
the life of Sumanguru. Soon after, to be sure, a young and
active king, the famous Sundiata, succeeded his feeble brothers
at Manding and, around 1235, fought and killed Sumanguru
not far from Koulikoro and in turn annexed to his State that of
the Soso and pushed on as far as Ghana, which he completely
destroyed in 1240.

The necessity of following out the destinies of the State of Ghana
and the results of Islamisation due to the Almoravides has led us
rather far and now we must turn back six centuries to take up the
history of the Empire of Songhoy or Gao.

TThhee BBeeggi innnni innggs s oof f tthhee SSoonngghhooyy EEmmp pi irree

In the 7thcentury CE, while one of the princes of the white race
still reigned over the already ancient kingdom of Ghana, another
State was founded on the western stretch of the Niger which was
also called upon to exercise, although very much later, the
hegemony of the larger part of Sudan. The Berbers, it is believed,
who were perhaps Christians, made themselves recognised as
chiefs of a small population of fishermen residing in Gunguia or
Kukia, on the island of Bentia or opposite to this island, at some
150 kilometres downstream from Gao. Their dynasty, called the
Dia or Za, remained in power from 690 to 1335. Nearing the
year 1000, they transferred their capital from Gunguia to Gao,
which already existed at that time for several hundred years, and
their kingdom took the name of Songhoy or Songhai, which was
also, it seems, that of the inhabitants. At this epoch, the kingdom
was strictly limited to the borders and islands of the Niger, from

Bamba in the north as far as the northern limits of Nupe in the

south, and to a strip of territory situated to the east of the river. It

was about the same date that the Dia, then reigning in Kossoi, or

Kossai, was converted to Islam.

Little by little the influence of the Songhoy was felt as far as the

region of Timbuktu, the founding of which, as a city, goes back

to the 12th century. Their influence was also felt as far as the

zone of the lakes and the inundations of the Niger and even to

Walata. However, a powerful rival rose up in the west, on the

western stretch of the Niger: the empire of the Mandinka or

Mali. In 1325, the troops of the Mandinka emperor Gongo-

Mussa or Kankan-Mussa captured Gao and the Songhoy

became vassals of the Mandinka. Ten years later, the dynasty of

the Dia was replaced by that of the Sonni, Soun, Sarn, or Chi,

who belonged, moreover, to the same family and whose first act

was to break the lines of vassalage which attached the Songhoy

to the Mandinka; at any rate, Timbuktu and Walata remained in

the power of the latter State, as did the region of the lakes, the

Massina, and Djenné. A century afterwards, in 1433, the

Tuareg chief Akil succeeded in driving the Mandinka garrison

from Timbuktu and in making himself master of the city; then, on

30 January 1468, the Sonni Ali, called the Great, captured the

famous city from the Tuareg and around 1473 made himself

master of the Djenné and of the Massina, after annexing the

region of the lakes and Walata to his kingdom, thus for the first

time giving Songhoy an extension which made of it a

redoubtable competitor for Mandinka.

However, while Ali, drunk with his conquests, passed his time in

debauchery and in persecuting the Muslims – though he was Muslim

himself, he left a reputation for impiety among his correligionists – the

king of the Mossi of Yatenga came to ravage the Massina (1477)

and advanced as far as Walata, which he pillaged (1480). This

hardy incursion across his kingdom made the Sonni Ali reflect, and

he found nothing better to enable him in the future to relieve Walata

rapidly, than to connect this city with Timbuktu by a canal starting

from Ras-el-ma which was to measure nearly 250 kilometres in

length. While he was beginning to have it excavated, he was

Bust, 14thcentury.

Interior delta of Niger, Mali.

Musée Dapper, Paris.