Songhai's Unlikely Alliance: The Tuareg and the Empire's Fall

In the aftermath of Songhai's collapse after the Battle of Tondibi in 1591, the once-mighty empire fractured into competing successor states. One of the most surprising and consequential players was the Tuareg, the nomadic Berber people of the Sahara. This episode explores how the Tuareg, long seen as pests by Songhai emperors like Askia Muhammad, seized their moment. We follow the rise of the Tuareg chief Hamma, who allied with the Saadian invaders and then turned on them, capturing Timbuktu in 1592. Lucas and Luna discuss the complex motivations behind these alliances, the role of the Tuareg in the trans-Saharan trade that Songhai had controlled, and how their involvement reshaped the Sahel for decades. We also touch on the Tuareg's use of the Taghaza salt mines and their ongoing legacy as a political force. The episode draws on the Tarikh al-Sudan and Tarikh al-Fattash to piece together this shadowy chapter. #SonghaiEmpire #Tuareg #SahelHistory #Timbuktu #TarikhAlSudan #Hamma #Saadian #BattleOfTondibi #WestAfrica #SaharaTrade #TaghazaSalt #AskiaMuhammad #TarikhAlFattash #Nomads #1591 #FexingoHistory #History #AfricanHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo