Page 74 - Empires of Medieval West Africa

t h e s onghay Empire

Al-Mansur chose as his commander Jawdar Pasha (pashal-Mansur chose as his commander Jawdar Pasha (pashal-Mansur chose as his commander Jawdar Pasha (
A A is a word
that denotes high rank or office). Jawdar was an Islamic convert of Span-
ish origin. The Moroccan army set out at the end of 1590 with about The Mithqal
4,000 fighting men, including some 2,000 foot soldiers with muskets (a In Damascus, Syria, at
type of light gun with a long barrel), 500 musketeers riding horses, 1,500 the end of the seventh
Arab spearmen, and 70 Christian slaves armed with arquebuses (an early century, the Islamic
world began to mint
portable big gun). Some of the Moroccan troops probably wore chain mail its own coins. In some
armor, which was introduced to the Western Sudan about the same time parts of the Middle East,
as firearms. units of money, then as
It took about 10,000 camels to carry all the invading army’s supplies. now, were referred to
These included four small canons and 10 mortars for shooting stone balls as dinars. When gold
coins were first minted in
into towns. They also had to carry large quantities of gunpowder, tents, West Africa, their value
and other supplies for the troops, and enough food and water to last them was based on the Syr-
for a journey of at least 40 days across the Sahara Desert. ian gold dinar, and the dinar, and the dinar
When the Songhay heard the Moroccans were coming, one of the coin became known as a
Askia’s commanders suggested they send soldiers to fill in the desert wells mithqal.
One authority gives
to deprive the invaders of water. Instead, Askia Ishaq II sent messengers to the official weight of the
ask Tuareg chiefs to fill in the wells. Not only did the Tuareg lack any loy- mithqal in 17th-century thqal in 17th-century thqal
mi mi
alty to Songhay, but the messengers could not even get through because Syria as 4.25 grams. But
they were attacked by bandits. Jawdar Pasha’s troops found the wounded the actual weight of the
mi mi
messengers in the desert still carrying the Askia’s message. mithqal varied greatly thqal varied greatly thqal
The Songhay leadership failed to act quickly. The Moroccans crossed in different times and
the Sahara and then took two weeks to recover from their exhausting places. In West Africa
during the Songhay
desert journey. The decisive battle took place on March 12, 1591, near Empire, for example, a
Tondibi, which is 30 miles north of Gao on the Niger River. The Songhay mithqal could be worth thqal could be worth thqal
mi mi
suffered heavy losses and retreated across the Niger River. They were the weight of 1,000
shielded by courageous troops who protected their rear and fought to the cowrie shells in one
death. place, and in another
place it could be valued
Askia Ishaq II then tried to buy off the Moroccan invaders. He offered according to the weight
Jawdar Pasha a tribute of 100,000 gold pieces and 1,000 slaves, hoping this of 24 seeds of the carob
would satisfy the Moroccans and that they would leave Songhay. By this tree. In later centuries,
time the Moroccan troops were exhausted and ill. Jawdar Pasha was pre- a mithqal signified vari-mithqal signified vari-mithqal
pared to accept the tribute and retreat back across the desert. ous fractions of ounces.
However, back in Marrakesh, al-Mansur decided he wanted Therefore, the best way
to describe the mithqal
to retain control of the newly conquered land below the desert. He in early West Africa
rejected Askia Ishaq II’s offer and replaced Jawdar with Mahmud Pasha. is a small but valuable
Mahmud had instructions to complete the conquest of Songhay. The measure of gold in the
Moroccans occupied and looted Timbuktu, Gao, and Jenne. They sent form of dust, nuggets, or
the wealth of these cities back to their capital of Marrakesh, where it coins.
was used to build fine palaces.

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