Askiya

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The Askia (also: Askia ) are a dynasty of Songhai in West Africa .

The dynasty was founded in 1493 by General Mohammed Touré , soon to be known as Askia Mohammad I , when he deposed Sonni Barou , the legitimate heir to the throne of the Songhairian Empire , and set himself up as ruler. Sonni Barou's sisters are said to have shouted “A si kia” in their Songhai language in protest , which means “it will not happen”. This became the title of ruler Mohammed Tourés and the name of the Islamic dynasty that began with him . The Askiya ruled the Songhai Empire for almost 100 years and expanded it into the Aïr Mountains in the east and into other Sahara regions in the west. After eight Askiya rulers in a row, the Songhaire Empire collapsed in 1591 with the Battle of Tondibi against Morocco .

The Askiya dynasty and its followers fled to the southern province of Dendi , which today essentially belongs to Niger . There they were able to maintain their rule, which, however, gradually split up into a large number of small mansions, each with an Askiya at the head: Ayérou , Bangou Koirey , Bangou Tara , Dargol , Garbougna , Guériel , Karma , Kokorou , Kolmane , Kossogo , Namaro , Sansané Haoussa , Saya , Sikièye , Téra , Yonkoto and Zarakoira . The towns of Gaya in southern Niger and Karimama and Madékali in northern Benin also trace the ancestry of their traditional rulers back to the Askiya. The French who established themselves as rulers at the beginning of the 20th century integrated the local rulers into their administration. Even in Niger, which has been independent since 1960, the system of traditional rule (chefferie traditionnelle) has been preserved and developed.

literature

  • Boubou Hama : Histoire du Songhay . Présence Africaine, Paris 1968.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Abdourahmane Idrissa, Samuel Decalo: Historical Dictionary of Niger . 4th edition. Scarecrow, Plymouth 2012, ISBN 0-7864-0495-7 , pp. 71 .
  2. ↑ Edmond Séré de Rivières: Histoire du Niger . Berger-Levrault, Paris 1965, p. 74 and 80 .
  3. ↑ Olivier Walther: Sons of the Soil and Conquerors Who Came on Foot: The Historical Evolution of a West African Border Region . In: African Studies Quarterly . Vol. 13, No. 1 & 2 , 2012, p. 82 ( sites.clas.ufl.edu [PDF; accessed November 4, 2018]).