Sonni Ali
Definition
Sonni Ali was the first king of the Songhai Empire, located in West Africa, and reigned from 1464 to 1492. He is known for his military tactics and expansion of the empire.
Analogy
Think of Sonni Ali as a successful football coach. Just like a coach who takes over a team and leads them to numerous victories through strategic plays, Sonni Ali expanded his "team" (the Songhai Empire) by conquering neighboring territories.
Related terms
Songhai Empire: A state that dominated the western Sahel in the 15th and 16th century. The Songhai became independent from the Mali Empire and expanded under rulers like Sonni Ali.
Mali Empire: An empire in West Africa from c.1230 to 1670. The Mali Empire later became part of the larger Songhai Empire.
West African Kingdoms: These are historical states such as Ghana, Mali, and Songhai that existed in West Africa during the Middle Ages.
"Sonni Ali" appears in:
Are you a college student?
Study guides for the entire semester
200k practice questions
Glossary of 50k key terms - memorize important vocab
Resources
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.