The Forgotten Siege of Timbuktu 1591

In 1591, a Moroccan army of 4,000 men armed with arquebuses crossed the Sahara to conquer Timbuktu. But the real story isn't the battle—it's what came after. This episode explores the long, grinding Arma occupation: how a small Moroccan garrison ruled the Niger Bend for 200 years, intermarried with the local population, and created a unique caste that still exists today. We look at Judar Pasha's initial assault, the brutal tax regime under the Arma, the decline of the Sankore scholarly network, and how the city's intellectual center never fully recovered. Also: the role of the Tuareg raiders, the rise of the Kunta sheikhs, and why Timbuktu's 'golden age' ended with a whimper, not a bang. #Timbuktu #Arma #JudarPasha #SonghaiEmpire #SaadianMorocco #NigerBend #Sankore #AhmadBaba #Tuareg #Kunta #TarikhAlSudan #BattleOfTondibi #WestAfrica #History #FexingoHistory #SaharanHistory #Mali #16thCentury Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo