Judar Pasha facts for kids

Judar Pasha (Arabic: جؤذر باشا) was a brave military leader from Spain who worked for the Moroccan Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur in the late 1500s. He became famous for leading the Moroccan army to conquer the powerful Songhai Empire in West Africa.

Judar was born as Diego de Guevara in a place called Cuevas del Almanzora in Castile, Spain. When he was a young boy, he was captured by slave-raiders. Later, he joined the service of Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur in Morocco. The Sultan had many officers like Judar. People often described Judar by mentioning his blue eyes.

A New Leader: Judar Pasha

In 1590, Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur gave Judar an important title: "Pasha." This meant he was a high-ranking military leader. The Sultan then put Judar in charge of a special army. Their mission was to invade the Songhai Empire, which is now part of Mali.

The March to Songhai

In October 1590, Judar and his army left Marrakesh, a city in Morocco. His force included about 1,500 light cavalry (soldiers on horseback) and 2,500 arquebusiers (soldiers with early types of guns) and light infantry (foot soldiers). Some of these soldiers were from Spain, and others were "Renegats," likely Christians from Southern Europe who had joined the Moroccan army.

Judar's army also brought eight English cannons with them. These were very powerful weapons for the time. He also had eighty Christian bodyguards to protect him personally.

Crossing the Sahara Desert

The journey was very difficult. Judar's army had to cross the huge Sahara desert. After this tough trip, they reached the desert salt mines of Taghaza. They destroyed these mines and then moved towards Gao, the capital city of the Songhai Empire.

The Battle of Tondibi

The Songhai ruler, Askia Ishaq II, gathered a huge army of over 40,000 men. He moved north to meet the Moroccan forces. The two armies met at a place called Tondibi in March 1591.

Moroccan Victory

Even though Judar's army was much smaller, they had a big advantage: gunpowder weapons. Their arquebuses and cannons were far more powerful than the Songhai weapons. The Moroccan army easily won the battle, causing the Songhai troops to scatter. Askia Ishaq II offered Judar slaves and gold if he would leave, but Judar refused.

Capturing Key Cities

After the victory at Tondibi, Judar's army took control of Gao. Then, they moved on to other important trading cities: Djenné and Timbuktu. Judar reached Timbuktu in April 1591. He carried a letter from Sultan al-Mansur, asking the people of Timbuktu to cooperate with the Moroccan army.

After the Conquest

The Moroccans took control of the Songhai Empire. To stop people from fighting back in Timbuktu, they sent important scholars to Marrakesh as prisoners. The Moroccans also took a lot of wealth from Timbuktu, Gao, and Djenné. Huge amounts of gold dust were sent across the desert back to Morocco. When Judar Pasha returned to Morocco in 1599, his caravan carried a lot of gold.

Judar's Later Life

Judar was later made a governor, but he was demoted from his top military role. This happened because he wanted to make Timbuktu the new capital of the conquered lands, but Sultan al-Mansur wanted Gao to be the capital. Even after Judar's big victory, there were still small battles with the Songhai army. Because of these ongoing fights, Judar was replaced as the army leader a few years after his initial success.

Judar Pasha's Death

Judar Pasha died in December 1606. He was executed by order of Mulay Abdallah, who was a son of Mullay al-Shaykh. This happened during a time when different people were fighting for control of the Moroccan throne.

See also

In Spanish: Yuder Pachá para niños

• Tarikh al-fattash, a West African history book from the late 1600s