Songhai Empire's backbone was Niger river and trade in west africa aws going along this river bank. read more
Songhai Empire's backbone was Niger river and trade in west africa aws going along this river bank. So, I guess, willingness to control trade in west africa made Songhai people to be independent from Mali and once they did conquere Timbuktu, they became stronger and went on capturing cities after cities along the Niger river and eventually became a large empire concentrated on Niger river. read more
When Mali began to wane in power, one of its trade centers, Songhai, established its independence and soon rose to power in its place, becoming the largest kingdom in medieval West Africa, according to Annenberg Learner. read more
The African trade in gold and salt caused the Ghana Empire to rise to prominence, and the disruption of that trade led to its decline. During its time, Ghana was one of the richest polities in Africa. read more