Battle of Tondibi
| date | March 1591 |
|---|---|
| place | Tondibi |
| output | Victory of the Moroccans |
| consequences | The weakened Songhai empire is falling apart |
The battle of tondibi was the decisive confrontation between the resurgent Moroccan kingdom of Ahmad al-Mansur and weakened by inheritance disputes Songhai Empire . The Moroccan troops under Judar Pascha , armed with muskets , defeated the troops of Askia Ishaq II , who were 10 times superior in number . This defeat ushered in the decline of the Songhai Empire.
Course of the battle
In the early March of 1591, the two armies met at Tondibi , 50 km north of Gao . The cavalry of both armies lined up on the flanks fought skirmishes, the Songhai infantry moved towards the Moroccan center under the protection of a huge herd of cattle. The use of the Moroccan muskets frightened the animals, which turned against the Songhai infantry. The remnants of the Songhai infantry fled as well as their cavalry, Judar Pasha's cavalry reserve put down the rearguard of the Songhai, but did not pursue the remaining fleeing troops.
Consequences of the battle
After the victory, the Moroccans sacked Gao without getting hold of much wealth and then turned against the defenseless cities of Djenné and Timbuktu . The Moroccan invasion ended Songhai supremacy in the region without being able to establish effective Moroccan rule - the route across the Sahara was too arduous for troops to replenish and to maintain efficient communication .
swell
- Ki-Zerbo, Joseph: Histoire de l'Afrique Noire, Hatier, Paris 1978.
- Thornton, John K: Warfare in Atlantic Africa 1500-1800, Routledge, Abingdon 2003.
- Kaba, Lansiné: "Archers, Musketeers, and Mosquitoes: The Moroccan Invasion of the Sudan and the Songhay Resistance (1591-1612)". in: The Journal of African History. 22 (4): pp. 457-475, 1981.
Individual evidence
- ^ Thornton, John K: "Warfare in Atlantic Africa 1500-1800", Routledge, 1999, pp. 27/28.