Here is a summary of the Songhai Empire’s conquest of the Mali Empire in the 15th-16th centuries:
The Mali Empire began declining in the late 14th century due to internal conflicts, rebellions, and attacks from neighboring states. This provided an opportunity for the Songhai Empire, previously a Mali vassal state based in Gao, to expand and assert its independence.
In the 1430s, the Songhai broke free of Mali’s control as Mali’s power waned. In 1464, Sonni Ali became king of the Songhai Empire and began a period of expansion through military conquest. He defeated the Mossi and Fulani states and captured the key Mali cities of Timbuktu in 1468 and Djenné in 1473[1][3]. This allowed the Songhai to take control of the lucrative trans-Saharan trade routes.
Under Sonni Ali and his successor Askia Muhammad, the Songhai Empire continued to seize territory from the weakened Mali Empire in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. In 1502, Askia Muhammad conquered Mali’s eastern provinces containing gold and copper mines[10]. By 1545, a Songhai army routed the Malians from their capital of Niani, effectively ending Mali’s status as a major power[10].
While the Songhai never fully conquered all of Mali’s former territory, their victories significantly diminished Mali’s strength[2]. The Songhai Empire became the dominant state in the region, reaching its peak under Askia Muhammad in the early 1500s[3][7]. Meanwhile, the rump Mali state limped along under weak leadership until finally disintegrating in the 17th century.
In summary, the Songhai took advantage of the Mali Empire’s decline starting in the mid-15th century to expand their own territory through a series of military victories. By defeating Mali forces and capturing key cities and trade routes, the Songhai replaced Mali as the preeminent power in West Africa by the early 1500s. Mali never recovered from the Songhai conquest.
Citations:
[1] https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Songhai-Empire/336888
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songhai_Empire
[3] https://www.worldhistory.org/Songhai_Empire/
[4] https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/songhai-african-empire-15-16th-century
[5] https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldcivilization/chapter/songhai/
[6] https://www.britannica.com/place/Songhai-empire
[7] https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/songhai-empire-ca-1375-1591/
[8] https://study.com/academy/lesson/songhai-empire-definition-location-history.html
[9] https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/article/section/african-history/the-mali-empire/
[10] https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/mali-empire-ca-1200/
[11] https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/mali-empire/
[12] https://www.studentsofhistory.com/the-songhai-empire
[13] https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2020/sahel-art-empire-sahara/exhibition-guide
[14] https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/k-12-standards-instruction/history-and-social-science/instructional-resources/history