Battle of Tondibi
Tondibi, just north of Gao, Mali
What happened
A Moroccan army led by Judar Pasha for Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur fought the army of Askia Ishaq II, ruler of the Songhai Empire. The sultan of Morocco wanted the wealth he believed came from Songhai gold mines, and in 1590 he sent an army across the Sahara Desert, a march that took about four months. Near Tondibi, close to the Songhai capital of Gao, the Moroccan soldiers' guns and cannons faced a much larger Songhai army. The Songhai planned to drive a herd of cattle at the enemy, but the gunfire frightened the cattle, which turned back into the Songhai lines, and the Songhai army was defeated in about two hours.
Why it matters
Why it matters: Firearms gave Morocco a decisive advantage and ended the Songhai Empire as a great power. It was a turning point in how wars were fought in West Africa.
What came next
Moroccan forces looted Gao, Timbuktu and Djenné but could not control the vast region, which broke into smaller kingdoms. In 1594 the famous Timbuktu scholar Ahmad Baba was taken to Morocco, returning home in 1608.
Did you know?
Timbuktu's public library, which holds more than 18,000 old manuscripts, is named after the scholar Ahmad Baba.
Timeline
- October 1590The Moroccan army sets out across the Sahara.
- 13 March 1591Morocco defeats the Songhai at Tondibi.
- 1594Ahmad Baba is deported to Morocco.
- 1608Ahmad Baba returns to Timbuktu.