![Songhai Empire (orthographic projection)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Songhai_Empire_%28orthographic_projection%29.svg)
Askia Daoud (also Askia Dāwūd, Askiya Dawud) was the ruler of the
Songhai Empire
The Songhai Empire (also transliterated as Songhay) was a state that dominated the western Sahel/Sudan in the 15th and 16th century. At its peak, it was one of the largest states in African history. The state is known by its historiographical ...
from 1549 to 1582. Daoud came to power unopposed following the death of his brother
Askia Ishaq I
Askia Ishaq I was the ruler of the Songhai Empire from 1539 to 1549, elected Askia following the death of Askia Isma'il. He was the fifth ruler of the Askiya dynasty which had the town of Gao as its capital.
Ascension to the throne
When Askia ...
in 1549. The Empire continued to expand under Daoud's peaceful rule, and saw little internal strife, until the invasion and interference of the Moroccan forces,
["Songhai empire." ''Britannica Academic'', Encyclopædia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2019. academic-eb-com.queens.ezproxy.cuny.edu/levels/collegiate/article/Songhai-empire/68696. Accessed 30 Nov. 2019.] which led to the empire's downfall in 1591.
Early life and influences
Once located in West Africa, the flourishing Songhai Empire was stretched across the regions of Gao, Senegal, Gambia, NIgeria, Timbuktu and Djenne.
Under his father
Askia Muhmmad's rule, the Songhai Empire experienced a thriving economy with Askia Muhmmad's idea of developing an Islamized society, through development of trade with neighboring regions and prioritizing education and literacy.
[Root, Mario. "Songhay Empire." ''Encyclopedia of Black Studies'', edited by Molefi Kete Asante and Ama Mazama, SAGE Reference, 2005, pp. 435-436. ''Gale eBooks'', https://link-gale-com.queens.ezproxy.cuny.edu/apps/doc/CX3439300238/GVRL?u=cuny_queens&sid=GVRL&xid=63133779 Accessed 29 Nov. 2019.] By institutionalizing Islamic teachings and practices into the schools and economy, the Songhai Empire's Muslim population sought an exponential increase and prosperity flowed on all members of society. Muslim men became traders in gold and other valuables, various schools were built around the Islamic faith which increased literacy, and a centralized bureaucracy encouraged stability and strengthen the Empire.
This period was known as "the Golden Age". Gaining from his fathers creation, Askia Daoud experienced great prosperity even during his rule over the empire, however, slowly afterwards the death of his father there was a gradual decline in sovereignty and the power of the empire.
Stability
Stability, security and religion were some of the main focuses in the Askia family rulership. He, his brother, and his father had all organized a series of military campaigns against tributary territories of their large empire. The Songhai forces were known for their successes. Showing the importance of stability within the empire, both Askia Daoud and his brother, Askiya Al-Hajj Muhammad I, married the daughters of the empires southern people, the Saharan nomads to show their loyalty and desire for unity. Along with regional stability, religious unity was also a main concern, by marrying off his daughters to both the commercial estates and religious estates, the Empire was secured with connecting ties all around. By marrying off his daughters into thees religious estates, the Islamic faith was secured throughout following generations and so was the status of the future ones to come. However, after the death of Askia Muhammad, the peace was gradually starting to decrease in the empire during the reign of Askia Daoud when the Songhai Empire was attacked.
Songhai Empire's Decline
In 1556–1557 troops of
Mulay Muhammad al-Shaykh, the sultan of
Marrakesh, captured the
salt mines
Salt mining extracts natural salt deposits from underground. The mined salt is usually in the form of halite (commonly known as rock salt), and extracted from evaporite formations.
History
Before the advent of the modern internal combustio ...
of
Taghaza
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but then withdrew. Soon after his accession in 1578
Sultan Ahmad I al-Mansur
Ahmad al-Mansur ( ar, أبو العباس أحمد المنصور, Ahmad Abu al-Abbas al-Mansur, also al-Mansur al-Dahabbi (the Golden), ar, أحمد المنصور الذهبي; and Ahmed al-Mansour; 1549 in Fes – 25 August 1603, Fes) was the ...
of
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
demanded the tax revenues from the salt mines. Askia Daoud responded by sending a large quantity of gold as a gift.With the invasion of the Morocco ruler,
Ahmad al-Mansūr, over the dispute of the
Taghaza's salt mines, the Songhai Empire started to face its gradual decline.
The salt and gold mines were the main trading forces led by the Muslim population within the empire. The fight over who controlled these mines continued between the Songhai Empire and the Moroccans. However, throughout these numerous raids, the Moroccan army began modernizing their fighting tactics with the use of firearms, while the Songhai army failed to modernize and relied on spears, arrows
and guerrilla warfare instead.
With the failure to modernize, in 1591 the empire was finally defeated by the Moroccan forces.
["Fabled Land of Ancient Glories." ''allAfrica.com'', 13 Sept. 2010. ''Gale OneFile: Economics and Theory'', https://link-gale-com.queens.ezproxy.cuny.edu/apps/doc/A236981894/PPBE?u=cuny_queens&sid=PPBE&xid=d2100c0e. Accessed 30 Nov. 2019.] With the fall of the Songhai Empire the Moroccan powers continued to rule over the land for 100 years until the colonization of the French power arrived in West Africa.
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Daoud, Askia
1582 deaths
People of the Songhai Empire
16th-century monarchs in Africa
Year of birth unknown