Top 5 Muslim empires of Africa

[Chaseyourdreamzz]

What do y’all think who do y’all rank in your top 5

 

[Mugi]

What do y’all think who do y’all rank in your top 5

I think he should have made a separate list for North Africa and sub-saharan Africa, as the sultanates of the Maghreb and Egypt were much more different than the ones south of the Sahara. My Top 5 sub-saharan African states that originated in Africa (excluding say European empires that controlled africa or the Omanis)
1. Mali Empire
2. Songhai Empire
3. Kilwa Sultanate
4. Adal Sultanate
5. Sokoto caliphate
Generally I think the two empires that were founded on the Niger River are probably the most influential sub-Saharan states. The Kilwa sultanate is generally underrated, at its peak Kilwa was the greatest of the Swahili city-states and controlled a territory from Pate in Kenya to southern Mozambique.

 

[Basra]

Why is Ajuran almost unknown today? Not to mention, nothing documented about their empires or history? How Did Somali go from Bantu looking Ajurans to today -Somali-co-causian looking somalis? Was there some sort of an ethnic genocide happening?

 

[niggaibnh]

I think he should have made a separate list for North Africa and sub-saharan Africa, as the sultanates of the Maghreb and Egypt were much more different than the ones south of the Sahara. My Top 5 sub-saharan African states that originated in Africa (excluding say European empires that controlled africa or the Omanis)
1. Mali Empire
2. Songhai Empire
3. Kilwa Sultanate
4. Adal Sultanate
5. Sokoto caliphate
Generally I think the two empires that were founded on the Niger River are probably the most influential sub-Saharan states. The Kilwa sultanate is generally underrated, at its peak Kilwa was the greatest of the Swahili city-states and controlled a territory from Pate in Kenya to southern Mozambique.

adal empire >mali empire tbh when it comes to strength but mali empire is more influence

 

[Chaseyourdreamzz]

I think he should have made a separate list for North Africa and sub-saharan Africa, as the sultanates of the Maghreb and Egypt were much more different than the ones south of the Sahara. My Top 5 sub-saharan African states that originated in Africa (excluding say European empires that controlled africa or the Omanis)
1. Mali Empire
2. Songhai Empire
3. Kilwa Sultanate
4. Adal Sultanate
5. Sokoto caliphate
Generally I think the two empires that were founded on the Niger River are probably the most influential sub-Saharan states. The Kilwa sultanate is generally underrated, at its peak Kilwa was the greatest of the Swahili city-states and controlled a territory from Pate in Kenya to southern Mozambique.

So ajuraan doesn’t make your top5 why explain ?

 

[Hamzza]

adal empire >mali empire tbh when it comes to strength but mali empire is more influence

You can't compare Adal Sultanate to Mali empire.
Adal Sultanate(not empire) was paying tribute to the Abyssinians before Axmed Gurey.

 

[niggaibnh]

You can't compare Adal Sultanate to Mali empire.
Adal Sultanate(not empire) was paying tribute to the Abyssinians before Axmed Gurey.

that was ifat sultanate until adal sultanate came and wiped out the Abyssinians

 

[Chaseyourdreamzz]

Sokoto caliphate was impressive Fulani have great history

 

[Mugi]

So ajuraan doesn’t make your top5 why explain ?

Well the ajuraan were very impressive and the strongest power that existed in South Somalia. At their peak the Ajuraan defeated all clans south of Galmadug and made everyone their tributaries, but they were not a centralized state but more of a confedration with the sons of Balcad (known as Ajuraan) and their Jambeele Hawiye brothers at the top, under them allied clans like the Sicilis (Hawiye sub clan) and at the bottom clans that had to pay tribute to them. For example, the ajuraan did not directly rule Lamajidle/Afgooyo, there was no Ajuraan "governor" like say in provinces of the Mali empire, but it was the Sicilis that ruled the area for them and the Geledi and Wacdaan there were forced to pay tribute to the Sicilis until they were overthrown. The Gobroon dynasty of the Geledi was similar, both of them used control over river and well sites, important alliances and brute force to carve out an area of influence but that area got bigger or shrunk over the years as some clans may have rebelled or some joined the alliance and was not really a centralized state per se.
I would recommend reading: The Shaping of Somali Society by Lee V. Cassanelli, he explains this very well.

 

[Basra]

Well the ajuraan were very impressive and the strongest power that existed in South Somalia. At their peak the Ajuraan defeated all clans south of Galmadug and made everyone their tributaries, but they were not a centralized state but more of a confedration with the sons of Balcad (known as Ajuraan) and their Jambeele Hawiye brothers at the top, under them allied clans like the Sicilis (Hawiye sub clan) and at the bottom clans that had to pay tribute to them. For example, the ajuraan did not directly rule Lamajidle/Afgooyo, there was no Ajuraan "governor" like say in provinces of the Mali empire, but it was the Sicilis that ruled the area for them and the Geledi and Wacdaan there were forced to pay tribute to the Sicilis until they were overthrown. The Gobroon dynasty of the Geledi was similar, both of them used control over river and well sites, important alliances and brute force to carve out an area of influence but that area got bigger or shrunk over the years as some clans may have rebelled or some joined the alliance and was not really a centralized state per se.
I would recommend reading: The Shaping of Somali Society by Lee V. Cassanelli, he explains this very well.

R u Bantu?

 

[Mugi]

R u Bantu?


View attachment 240274

No, I'm Tunni, part of the Digil clan.

 

[Woosh]

You can't compare Adal Sultanate to Mali empire.
Adal Sultanate(not empire) was paying tribute to the Abyssinians before Axmed Gurey.

Stop the cap Adal was an Empire and controlled many ethnicities and was a powerhouse that defeated Ethiopia

 

[Mount23]

Stop the cap Adal was an Empire and controlled many ethnicities and was a powerhouse that defeated Ethiopia

What ethnicities?? Didnt even control most Somali tribes

 

[Basra]

No, I'm Tunni, part of the Digil clan.

Wow, that is a mouthful. I need a dictionary for that

 

[Al hashimi]

Did the Somalis have power over the Swahili coast at one point @Factz

 

[Garaad diinle]

Well the ajuraan were very impressive and the strongest power that existed in South Somalia. At their peak the Ajuraan defeated all clans south of Galmadug and made everyone their tributaries, but they were not a centralized state but more of a confedration with the sons of Balcad (known as Ajuraan) and their Jambeele Hawiye brothers at the top, under them allied clans like the Sicilis (Hawiye sub clan) and at the bottom clans that had to pay tribute to them. For example, the ajuraan did not directly rule Lamajidle/Afgooyo, there was no Ajuraan "governor" like say in provinces of the Mali empire, but it was the Sicilis that ruled the area for them and the Geledi and Wacdaan there were forced to pay tribute to the Sicilis until they were overthrown. The Gobroon dynasty of the Geledi was similar, both of them used control over river and well sites, important alliances and brute force to carve out an area of influence but that area got bigger or shrunk over the years as some clans may have rebelled or some joined the alliance and was not really a centralized state per se.
I would recommend reading: The Shaping of Somali Society by Lee V. Cassanelli, he explains this very well.

Well said, couldn't have said it any other way. The ajuraan had a good run and they were established before the adal but ultimately they weren't centralised enough to be called an empire.

 

[killerxsmoke]

I think he should have made a separate list for North Africa and sub-saharan Africa, as the sultanates of the Maghreb and Egypt were much more different than the ones south of the Sahara. My Top 5 sub-saharan African states that originated in Africa (excluding say European empires that controlled africa or the Omanis)
1. Mali Empire
2. Songhai Empire
3. Kilwa Sultanate
4. Adal Sultanate
5. Sokoto caliphate
Generally I think the two empires that were founded on the Niger River are probably the most influential sub-Saharan states. The Kilwa sultanate is generally underrated, at its peak Kilwa was the greatest of the Swahili city-states and controlled a territory from Pate in Kenya to southern Mozambique.

Songhai wasnt all that, Morocco defeated their whole empire in one battle with only 2,000 of them. While songhai was using cows in their battles , which they ended up running away when they heard the guns

 

[Mugi]

Songhai wasnt all that, Morocco defeated their whole empire in one battle with only 2,000 of them. While songhai was using cows in their battles , which they ended up running away when they heard the guns

Saxib, this was at the end of their empire when they were weak and divided and they had several civil wars and contenders on the throne, is the ottoman empire not great because it was the sick man of europe in the 1900s, was the western roman empire never great because it was conquered by some petty germanic tribes? I don't know how their demise is an argument against what I said

 

[killerxsmoke]

Saxib, this was at the end of their empire when they were weak and divided and they had several civil wars and contenders on the throne, is the ottoman empire not great because it was the sick man of europe in the 1900s, was the western roman empire never great because it was conquered by some petty germanic tribes? I don't know how their demise is an argument against what I said

Reason why songhai is so big is because they were facing with weak people but when they faced with 4000 moroccans while they were over 20,000 were easily defeated and their empire destroyed. If you read about the battle there tactics weren't even good enough, so please tell me how can this empire be that great in sub saharan africa and I also dont know why Ethiopia did not make the list

 

[Mugi]

Reason why songhai is so big is because they were facing with weak people but when they faced with 4000 moroccans while they were over 20,000 were easily defeated and their empire destroyed. If you read about the battle there tactics weren't even good enough, so please tell me how can this empire be that great in sub saharan africa and I also dont know why Ethiopia did not make the list

Why do you think the people they were facing were weak? The people they fought were very powerful, The Songhai literally defeated the Mali empire for example. You should read more on them, I am gonna send you some books. Also ethiopia no, because this is about muslim empires read the title of the thread.