Songhai's Cattle Tax That Fed the Empire

How did the Songhai Empire sustain its vast territory without a centralized currency system? In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the jangali — a cattle tax that became the backbone of Songhai's economy under Askia Muhammad and his successors. Drawing on the Tarikh al-Sudan and al-Sa'di's accounts, they trace how this levy on Fulani pastoralists fueled grain storage, military campaigns, and public works along the Niger River. Learn how the fari-mondio (provincial governors) and the Tyeddo (cattle-herding caste) negotiated a delicate balance between nomadic and sedentary life. The episode also examines the tax's role in the empire's resilience against drought and its eventual collapse under Saadian invasion. A fresh angle on the economic ingenuity that kept Songhai thriving for two centuries. #SonghaiEmpire #JangaliTax #CattleTax #AskiaMuhammad #TarikhAlSudan #AlSadi #Fulani #Tyeddo #FariMondio #NigerRiver #Sahel #Pastoralism #WestAfrica #MedievalAfrica #Taxation #History #FexingoHistory #EconomicHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo