markellion's video: The dominating white Moors and Tuaregs

Allot of the things should be taken with a grain of salt. The author of the bellow book has allot to do with the obsession with white Moors (The term moor is being used to divide people) and Tuaregs devastating Sudanese towns and overemphasis of Islam replacing native culture. This is mostly colonial propaganda. Allot of Afrocentric studies has been tainted by this sort of 19th century propaganda Ironically what is quoted bellow shows that these relations were not one sided. Timbuctoo the mysterious By Félix Dubois http://books.google.com/books?id=OYELAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA114 =onepage&q=&f=false Having thus reduced the west, Askia turned his attention to the east, and reorganised that portion of his empire lying in the neighbourhood of Lake Chad (1514-1519). Agades had asserted its independence at the instigation of the Berbers, and he was obliged to reconquer it, as Sunni Ali had formerly subdued Jenne. He also subjugated the kingdoms of Katsina, Kano, Zegzey, and Sanfara. His empire now extended from the salt-mines of Thegazza in the north to Bandouk, or the country of Bammaku, in the south, and from Lake Chad in the east to the shores of the Atlantic in the west. ' It was a six-months' journey to cross this formidable empire,' says a contemporary. And yet the reign of Askia the Great is not so remarkable for its conquests as for the wise method of government he established in the country, and the pains he took to closely incorporate the new territories with the Songhoi empire. Unlike Sunni Ali, he was not content with simply demanding tribute, but destroyed all the old systems, and reconstructed them, giving their administration into the hands of his own functionaries. Thus the empire was not merely temporarily but actually enlarged, and that for a prolonged period. It is said will his will was as well carried out in the furthest extremities of his kingdom as in Songhois, or even in the royal palace itself. Four viceroys were created, who controlled the governors of the provinces, military chiefs, judges, and the collection of taxes. The first was the viceroyalty of Dandi (with a capital of the same name), which commanded Lake Chad; the second, that of Bankou, governed the country between Timbuctoo and Gao in the north; the third was the viceroyalty of Bal or Balma, and administered the whole of the north-west from Timbuctoo and Gambara to Thegazza, and included the control of the king of the Touaregs; whilst the fourth and most important was that of Kourmina (capital Tindirma) and comprised the government of Baghena (Mali), Barra (capital Sa), Dirma (capital Dira), and Massina. Sunni Ali had completely disorganized the Songhois by compelling all the available population to prosecute his wars. Askia, on the other hand, ' divided his people into subjects and soldiers.' It was this trained soldiery that made the conquest of the improvised and inexperienced bands of his enemies so easy. He formed a large body of cavalry, armed with spears and mounted on powerful horses brought from barbarous states. The bellicose Touaregs were also formed into auxiliary squadrons. http://books.google.com/books?id=OYELAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA237 =onepage&q=&f=false More than a century of tranquillity now lies before her, the century of Askia the Great. Owing to his wise creation of a standing army, his great era of war had no disturbing influence upon the Sudan. The well-regulated and powerful organization which, with their viceroys and governors, he bestowed upon the conquered territories, soon brought them under control. The immense kingdom of the Songhois now extended over the desert from Thegazza to Agailes, and the conquered Touaregs renounced their brigandage to become docile auxiliaries in the hands of Askia. The routes of the desert were perfectly secure, and the caravans came and went with an activity hitherto unknown. This security, spreading north and south of Timbuctoo, was not the only element of her prosperity, but was seconded by the organization and inspection of her markets, the unification of weights and measures, and the stern suppression of all falsifications. Timbuctoo, more than any other town in the Sudan, profited by the measures and victories of Askia the Great.