XVᵉ siècle – XVIᵉ siècle
Hausaland and the western central Sudan
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
A historiographical controversy concerns the alleged conquest of Hausaland by Askiya Muhammad of Songhay between 1492 and 1515. Earlier historians accepted a broad Songhay occupation, but the passage argues that the campaign probably never occurred because Hausa and Timbuktu chronicles do not corroborate Leo Africanus’s account. A minor expedition against Katsina in 1514 is mentioned instead.
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Le récit
Until recently, many historians believed that Askiya Muhammad, ruler of the Songhay empire from 1492 to 1528, conquered all Hausaland during the opening years of the sixteenth century. The alleged occupation included Kano, Katsina, Gobir, Zamfara, and Zazzau. Under this interpretation, Hausaland became a theatre of prolonged competition between Songhay and Bornu.
The principal evidence for the alleged invasion came from Leo Africanus, a Moroccan Arab traveller who claimed to have visited parts of the western Sudan in 1510 and 1513. His account vividly described the fate of Hausa rulers, heavy tributes, and marriage alliances. Yet the Kano Chronicle is silent about an event that would have been central to Hausa political history, despite recording defeats suffered by Kano from less powerful states.
The Timbuktu chronicles, which present events from the Songhay perspective, also fail to mention a victorious campaign by Askiya Muhammad. They refer only briefly to a minor expedition against Katsina in 1514, shortly after Leo Africanus’s visit. On this basis, the passage concludes that the Songhay conquest of Hausaland probably never took place and that the Hausa states did not come under Songhay domination.
XVᵉ siècle – XVIᵉ siècle
Hausaland and the western central Sudan
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
A historiographical controversy concerns the alleged conquest of Hausaland by Askiya Muhammad of Songhay between 1492 and 1515. Earlier historians accepted a broad Songhay occupation, but the passage argues that the campaign probably never occurred because Hausa and Timbuktu chronicles do not corroborate Leo Africanus’s account. A minor expedition against Katsina in 1514 is mentioned instead.
Poursuivre l’exploration
Le récit
Until recently, many historians believed that Askiya Muhammad, ruler of the Songhay empire from 1492 to 1528, conquered all Hausaland during the opening years of the sixteenth century. The alleged occupation included Kano, Katsina, Gobir, Zamfara, and Zazzau. Under this interpretation, Hausaland became a theatre of prolonged competition between Songhay and Bornu.
The principal evidence for the alleged invasion came from Leo Africanus, a Moroccan Arab traveller who claimed to have visited parts of the western Sudan in 1510 and 1513. His account vividly described the fate of Hausa rulers, heavy tributes, and marriage alliances. Yet the Kano Chronicle is silent about an event that would have been central to Hausa political history, despite recording defeats suffered by Kano from less powerful states.
The Timbuktu chronicles, which present events from the Songhay perspective, also fail to mention a victorious campaign by Askiya Muhammad. They refer only briefly to a minor expedition against Katsina in 1514, shortly after Leo Africanus’s visit. On this basis, the passage concludes that the Songhay conquest of Hausaland probably never took place and that the Hausa states did not come under Songhay domination.
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