1591 AD
Battle of Tondibi
Moroccan forces defeated Songhai at Tondibi, paving the way for imperial collapse.
- Time period
- 1591 AD
- Region
- Songhai Empire
- Theme
- Military
- Civilization
- Songhai Empire
On 13 March 1591, Morocco's Saadi army confronted the Songhai Empire near Tondibi, north of Gao. Led by Judar Pasha, the invaders used arquebuses and cannons to defeat the larger army of Askia Ishaq II. The victory opened the way for attacks on major Songhai cities and hastened the empire's fragmentation.