The Sultanate of Agadez (also known as Tenere Sultanate of Aïr,
Sultanate of Aïr, or Asben
["]) was a
Berber kingdom centered in the city of
Agadez
Agadez ( Air Tamajeq: ⴰⴶⴰⴷⴰⵣ, ''Agadaz''), formerly spelled Agadès, is the fifth largest city in Niger, with a population of 110,497 based on the 2012 census. The capital of Agadez Region, it lies in the Sahara desert, and is also ...
in the
Aïr Mountains
The Aïr Mountains or Aïr Massif ( tmh, Ayăr; Hausa: Eastern ''Azbin'', Western ''Abzin'') is a triangular massif, located in northern Niger, within the Sahara. Part of the West Saharan montane xeric woodlands ecoregion, the ...
, located at the southern edge of the
Sahara
, photo = Sahara real color.jpg
, photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972
, map =
, map_image =
, location =
, country =
, country1 =
, ...
desert in north-central
Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languages[Tuareg
The Tuareg people (; also spelled Twareg or Touareg; endonym: ''Imuhaɣ/Imušaɣ/Imašeɣăn/Imajeɣăn'') are a large Berber ethnic group that principally inhabit the Sahara in a vast area stretching from far southwestern Libya to southern A ...](_blank)
and
Hausa people
The Hausa ( autonyms for singular: Bahaushe ( m), Bahaushiya ( f); plural: Hausawa and general: Hausa; exonyms: Ausa; Ajami: ) are the largest native ethnic group in Africa. They speak the Hausa language, which is the second most spoken language ...
as a trading post. The Agadez Sultanate was later conquered by 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 ...
in 1500.
After the defeat of the Songhai kingdom in 1591, the Agadez Sultanate regained its independence. It experienced a steep decline in population and economic activity during the 17th century. The kingdom was later conquered by the
French in 1900.
References
Further reading
*Decalo, Samuel. ''Historical Dictionary of Niger'', 3rd ed., pp. 24–27. Scarecrow Press (Boston), 1997. .
*Hudgens, Jim & al. ''Rough Guide to West Africa'', 4th ed., p. 983. Rough Guide, 2003. .
External links
Louis Werner, ''Agadez: Sultanate of the Sahara'', 2003, Saudi Aramco World
Sultanate Of Agadez
The Sultanate of Agadez (also known as Tenere Sultanate of Aïr, Sultanate of Aïr, or Asben") was a Berber kingdom centered in the city of Agadez in the Aïr Mountains, located at the southern edge of the Sahara desert in north-central Niger. It ...
History of Niger
History of the Sahara
Countries in precolonial Africa
Berber dynasties
Former sultanates
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ca:Aïr