The Songhai Empire's Water Engineers of the Niger

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Songhai Empire's sophisticated water management systems along the Niger River. They discuss the fari-mondio, the empire's royal hydraulic engineers, who designed irrigation canals, wells, and flood-control systems that sustained agriculture and urban life in the Sahel. The conversation covers the engineering techniques used to harness the Niger's annual floods, the role of the Sorko riverine communities in maintaining these systems, and how water infrastructure supported the empire's economic and political power. Lucas explains the construction of reservoirs and qanat-like underground channels, and touches on the decline of these systems after the Saadian invasion. The episode also examines the connection between water management and social hierarchy, with slaves often tasked with maintenance. This topic builds on previous episodes about Songhai's economy and urban life, offering a fresh perspective on the empire's technological achievements. #SonghaiEmpire #NigerRiver #WaterEngineering #FariMondio #Sorko #Sahel #Irrigation #FloodControl #AfricanHistory #HydraulicEngineering #AskiaMuhammad #Timbuktu #Gao #Djenne #Qanat #MedievalAfrica #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo