Page 64 - Empires of Medieval West Africa

t h e s o n g h a y E m p i r e

Niger. This included the rich gold and salt trade that passed through
Timbuktu and Jenne.

Taking TiMBukTu and jenne
At the end of 1468, Sii Ali arrived with his Songhay army across the
river from Timbuktu’s port of Kabara. The richest and most powerful
Muslims of Timbuktu (religious officials, scholars, and wealthy mer-
chants) had been cooperating with the Tuareg people. They all wanted
to keep control of the city out of Sii Ali’s hands.
The Muslims were afraid that if Sii Ali succeeded, he would take
revenge on those who had sided with his enemies. So they prepared a
caravan of hundreds of camels for their escape. They fled to Walata, an
important commercial city in the Sahara Desert. In January 1469, Sii

In TheIr Own wOrds

Rough Trip, Big Disappointment did, it would be several months before
the next camel caravan left. He was afraid
By speaking arabic and pretending to be a grateful thanksgivings did I pour forth for if he stayed longer, his true identity as a
muslim traveling to Egypt, french explorer the protection which God had vouchsafed french christian would be discovered. He
réné caillié became the first European to to me, amidst obstacles and danger which reached tangier in september 1828, and
appeared insurmountable.
see timbuktu and live to tell the tale. He hid in the french vice consul’s house until
started from the west african coast in april This duty being ended, I looked around he could board a french ship and return
of 1827. after a miserable journey with and found that the sight before me home.
did not answer my expectations. I had
months of illness and suffering, he arrived formed a totally different idea of the Note that he refers to the region as
in timbuktu on april 20, 1828. this excerpt grandeur and wealth of Timbuctoo. The “the soudan.” the region below the
reveals caillé’s mixed emotions when he city presented, at first view, nothing western sahara is known in arabic as Bilad
first saw the fabled city. but a mass of ill-looking houses, built al-sudan (“land of the blacks”), and the
of earth. Nothing was to be seen in french called it soudan. in the colonial era,
At length, we arrived safely at Timbuctoo, all directions but immense plains of
just as the sun was touching the horizon. I quicksand of a yellowish white color. The it became known as french sudan. that
now saw this capital of the Soudan, which sky was a pale red as far as the horizon: area is now the republic of mali and parts
had so long been the object of my wishes. all nature wore a dreary aspect, and the of neighboring countries.
On entering this mysterious city, which is most profound silence prevailed; not In 1828 Réné Caillié’s host Sidi Ab-
an object of curiosity and research to the even the warbling of a bird was to be dallahi gave him free lodgings in this (source: caillié, réné. Travels Through Central
civilized nations of Europe, I experienced heard. house. When the French explorer Africa to Timbuktoo and Across the Great
an indescribable satisfaction. I never was not sightseeing in Timbuktu, he Desert to Morocco Performed in the Years
before felt a similar emotion and my caillié only stayed two weeks in spent his time here secretly writing 1824-1828. london: Henry colburn and
transport was extreme. . . . How many timbuktu. if he did not leave when he notes on what he saw. richard Bentle, 1830.)

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