Timbuktu and the Aftermath of the Songhai Empire

Timeline

1. 1561–1565Timbuktu · TimbuktuIn the early 1560s, Islamic scholarly centers such as the University of Sankore in Timbuktu continued to attract West and North African scholars, while salt-gold trade along the Niger River and Sahara routes remained active. Askia Daoud consolidated imperial control over the city's taxation and judiciary through administrative reforms.
2. 1566–1570Sahara trade routes and the Moroccan frontier · SaharaIn the later 1560s, Tuareg raids on northern trade routes and the Moroccan Saadian dynasty's expansion into Tafilalt and salt-mine interests challenged Songhai control of the Timbuktu–Morocco trade line. The empire appeared strong on the surface, but frontier instability already posed a long-term hidden danger.