THE WORLD CIVILIZATIONS AND INDIA , PART-7

SONGHAI EMPIRE OF GAO ( 6TH TO 16TH CENTURY ) After GHANA EMPIRE we must study about the SONGHAI EMPIRE OF GAO which existed around 6th to 16th century . The SONGHAI EMPIRE existed about 150 KM in the east of the GHANA EMPIRE . The DIYA TRIBAL DYNESTY started ruling over GAO in about 690 AD . GAO was once the biggest salt trading center of AFRICA . Apart from that GAO also used to export rice , Millett and fish to the other parts of AFRICA . TIRASA and MADASA were two important cities of the then GAO . And it is said that these cities were major centres of trade and commerce of AFRICA . When in 1474 , a great politician , scholar and conquistador SONANI became Ruler of GAO , he brought about innovative changes in the governance of his country . He divided the entire country into various provinces and each provinces into various districts . He appointed Governors in each province and tax collectors in each district . He did a lots of welfare works in his empire . He ordered to dug wells and canals in his empire . Due to intellectual bent of his minds he used to invite scholars in his court . The state of GHANA was annexed in GAO in the 15th century and state of MORRACO in the 16th century . But in 1591 AD the Kingdom of GAO was disintegrated .

MOSI EMPIRE ( 11TH TO 20TH CENTURY ) THE MOSI EMPIRE was located in the south of GAO . It was established in the 11th century AD and remained till 20TH century AD . It lasted long simply because the Empire was surrounded by the dense forest. So , even ARAB invaders could not disturb this great Empire . Apart from that its tribal social system , one religion and similar origin of the entire tribe were a few factors which prevented its disintegration for long . Moreover , in the 17th century AD the FRENCH appointed , by alluring , lakhs of MOSIES in their army and deputed them in their Factories located in SAGAON and IVORY COASTS . In 11th and 12th century AD the entire Empire of MOSI was devided into three big states and Kings of all these three states were elected from among the tribal community and were called MORHONBBO . The first of the three states was BAGDUG . It was further divided into five provinces and each under a Governor . The King had 16 Ministers . The King used to hold meetings with his Ministers in the morning and in the evening he used to deliver justice sitting in his court . The King was elected from among the elected ruling class of the people . He used to rule the country with the help of HOGRAN , NABBAS and the Council of Warriors . The chief priest of the state was called HOGRAN . The chief Ruler of the Council was called NABBAS . The second MOSI state was YATENGA and the third state was GURUMANCHE . The state of GURUMANCHE was a big state and was divided into altogether 18 Provinces each under a Governor . But administrative systems of all these three states were almost similar types of . MOSI was a trading hub of AFRICA . All the manufactured substances of MOSI were preferred and sold in SUDAN in large quantities . Almost all buildings in the cities were either built of stones or of briks which showed how affluent people of cities of MOSI EMPIRE were . Similarly , the rural areas were centres of cultivation of agricultural products and rearing of animals of different kinds .

MALI EMPIRE ( 11TH TO 17TH CENTURY ) THE MALI EMPIRE was one of the most popular and powerful Empire of AFRICA . It was established in the 11th century AD and remained till the 17th century AD . It was even larger than the GAO Empire of AFRICA in many respects . To ARAB historian IBN KHATOON , the first King of the MALI Empire accepted ISLAM in 1050 AD but the majority of the tribal population continued to obey their traditional tribal religion as such . SUN DIYATA TITA , the great Emperor of MALI ( 1230-1255 AD ) organized a big Army and annexed the provinces of GHANA , DIYARA and SOSO . He also established his new capital at MALI . His Empire was quite affluent as he promoted the cultivation of Maize , Millett , Ground nuts and Cotton in his Empire by cleansing the Barren lands of his Empire as such . His Generals were so powerful and competent that they captured the Gold mines of BUMBUK and extended their Empire up to BOLOF . In 1307 AD , a famous Emperor named as KUNKAN MUSA ruled the Empire of MALI . He went on pilgrimage of the pious city of MUCCA in 1324 AD with at least 12 thousands pilgrims all adorned with silk clothes as such . The great historian IBN BATUTA had visited MALI in 1352 AD who had written that the entire population of MALI was Black and peace prevailed in all over the Empire . Availability of consumer goods like Milk , Rice , Flour and vegetables of different types were in ample amounts and everywhere . He further wrote that the Black Ruler was quite honest and justice loving . That’s why trade and commerce in MALI was at peak . And this affluency of the Empire continued for more than two hundred years and at last the Empire was dissolved by continuous invasion of the Kings of GAO in 1670 .