Question #797b3
1 Answer
One of the hardest hit African societies was the West African Kingdom of Songhai.
Explanation:
The Kingdom of Songhai was invaded and destroyed by the Islamic slave traders of Morocco. The Kingdom of Songhai had traded slaves and gold for salt and manufactured goods from the Islamic empires north of the Sahara. This was a continuation of the trade started by the Kingdoms of Ghana and Mali.
The leaders of Songhai were attempting to strengthen traditional African animistic religions. This was perceived as a threat to the dominance of the Islamic religion which had been firmly established under the rulers of the Mali kingdom.
The Moroccans decided to invade and take over the slave trade under their direct control. The Moroccans were successful in their invasion. The Kingdom of Songhai was destroyed and Islam was imposed as the only religion in the area. The traditional African culture was subjectaged to the Islamic culture by the slave traders.
The slave trade resulted in the destruction of the Songhai Kingdom and the traditional African cultures in the area that had flourished in West Africa.
