West AfricaAfricaMajor empire

Songhai Empire

c. 1430 – 1591 CE · about 161 years approximate dates

The Songhai Empire expanded from Gao under Sunni Ali and Askia Muhammad to become one of the largest states in African history. Timbuktu and Djenné flourished as centres of trade and learning. A Moroccan Saadi army defeated it at Tondibi in 1591.

Key facts

Dates	c. 1430 – 1591 CE
Region	West Africa
Continent	Africa
Capital	Gao
Founder	Sunni Ali
Religion(s)	Sunni Islam
Peak extent	≈ 0.8 million km² (c. 1550 CE) – source

Before & after

Preceded by

Mali Empire

Followed by

Saadi Sultanate Kingdom of Kebbi Kaarta

Sources

Wikipedia – Songhai Empire
Wikipedia – List of largest empires

Dates follow widely used reference works; many ancient dates are approximate or debated. Neutral summary for general reference.