Askia Daoud facts for kids

Askia Daoud was a powerful ruler of the Songhai Empire in West Africa. He led the empire from 1549 to 1582. During his time, the Songhai Empire became very peaceful and rich. This happened after a period of disagreements over who should rule.

Becoming the Leader

Daoud was one of many sons of Askia Muhammad Ture. Askia Muhammad was the first ruler of the Askia dynasty. Under his father, the Songhai economy grew strong. Society became very focused on Islamic teachings. The government helped trade, education, and reading.

Daoud and his brothers received a good Islamic education. After his father was removed from power in 1528, the Songhai Empire faced many arguments about who would be the next ruler. This continued until his brother, Askia Ishaq I, was chosen peacefully in 1539.

Daoud was given a very important job called Kurmina-fari. This meant he ruled the western part of the empire. When Askia Ishaq I was dying in 1549, close friends called Daoud to Gao. They wanted him to be there for the moment of choosing the next leader. There was only one other person who wanted to be ruler.

His Time as Askia

Right after becoming the Askia, Daoud gave his sons important positions. This meant his half-brothers, who were sons of Askia Muhammad, had less power.

Growing the Empire

Daoud continued to make the empire bigger. However, he was not as aggressive as some rulers before him. He made changes to the army. He led at least 20 military campaigns, and most of them were successful. These campaigns showed Songhai's strength across the region. They also brought a lot of valuable goods and workers back to Gao.

Some of these attacks were against the Mossi in 1549 and again in 1561-62. He also fought against Borgu in 1558-59 and 1563. The Mali Empire was attacked in 1550 and 1558. The attack on Mali in 1558 ended with Daoud marrying the daughter of the Mansa (Mali's ruler). He also brought many skilled craftspeople from Mali to Gao.

Daoud's son, Mohammad Bonkana, and the palace leader, Yāsī, led fights against the Dogon people. These fights helped Songhai regain some control in the Bandiagara Escarpment. This area had become less controlled since Askia Muhammad's time.

The Songhai army under Daoud did not start using firearms. They continued to rely on spears, arrows, and clever fighting methods.

Rules at Home

Stability, safety, and religion were very important to Askia Daoud. He used smart marriages to encourage loyalty and unity. This was true for local chiefs, religious leaders, and merchants. He set up government money offices in different areas. He also created public libraries to help people learn to read and study Islam. He also fixed up many mosques, especially the three main mosques of the University of Timbuktu.

The use of many workers on large estates grew a lot under Askia Daoud. He personally owned many huge estates across the empire. These estates were managed by many people. These managers, while still part of the Askia's system, often became very rich and powerful themselves. His army changes also gave him more control over soldiers.

Dealing with Morocco

In 1556–1557, soldiers from Mulay Muhammad al-Shaykh, the ruler of Marrakesh, took control of the very valuable salt mines of Taghaza. But then they left. Later, in 1578, the new Sultan Ahmad I al-Mansur of Morocco demanded money from these salt mines. Askia Daoud sent a large amount of gold as a gift. This generosity surprised al-Mansur, and their relationship got better for a while. However, this gift also showed a bit of weakness.

Death and What Came Next

Askia Daoud died in Tondibi in 1582. This was one of his many estates. His body was taken by river to Gao for burial. After he died, his sons argued over who would rule next. These arguments made the empire much weaker. This weakness, along with the Songhai army not having modern weapons, led to the empire's downfall. In 1591, Moroccan forces finally conquered the Songhai Empire.

His Character

People described Daoud as a wise and generous leader. He was respected and also known for being a practical joker. He was famous for how devoted he was to Islam. He knew a lot about Islamic law and had memorized the Quran. He also respected and gave a lot of money to Islamic scholars in Timbuktu. However, older beliefs from before Islam were still important in Gao and other parts of the empire that were not fully Islamic.