Songia The Great Essay

Askia the Great – Prosperity of the Songhai Empire Songhai Empire, located in West Africa, reached its peak under the leadership of Askia the Great, an authoritative military leader. He not only expanded the border of the empire but also encouraged education for its citizens. In addition, Askia augmented trade with foreign countries and set up regulations on measurements and customs. He also unified and controlled the nation efficiently by centralizing the government. Under his reign, Songhai reached its apex, both economically and culturally. Ever since the 7th century Gao, the capital city of Songhai, has been a crucial spot in the trans-Saharan trade route, which allowed the city’s economy to thrive (The Empires of the Western Sudan: Songhai Empire). In 1464, Sunni Ali established the Songhai Empire and controlled the region near the Niger River (Muhammed Toure / Askia Muhammad I). The Niger River flooded annually and provided irrigation for the local agricultural industry. People all around the world came here to trade for products such as gold and spices. Thus, the city’s …show more content…
The efficient tax collection allowed the government to have the enough funds to support its military expense and to conquer more regions. Besides, the strong military force allowed Songhai Empire to succeed in trade by controlling more resources (Walker, Robin, and Siaf Millar). Slave trade was also a crucial part of the economy since the slaves usually did the tiresome work. The gold mining industry in West Africa and agriculture required lots of labor; therefore, the Songhai Empire came in contact with the Portuguese, who colonized many areas in the world. The two countries exchanged and supplied each other with products, such as gold and sugar. Also, other European countries transacted with the empire. Consequently, overseas trade flourished (Askia Mohammed I (Askia the