How did the Songhai Empire's location contribute to its economic power?

Here are the solutions to the questions: Part I: Multiple Choice 1. How did the Songhai Empire's location contribute to its economic power? D. Control of Trans-Saharan Trade routes The Songhai Empire's strategic location allowed it to control vital Trans-Saharan trade routes, which were crucial for the exchange of gold, salt, and other commodities, thus boosting its economic power. 2. Askia Muhammad's policies focused on C. promoting Islamic learning and trade. Askia Muhammad centralized administration, promoted Islam as the state religion, fostered Islamic scholarship in cities like Timbuktu, and expanded trade networks, particularly with North Africa. 3. The Songhai Empire's decline was hastened by A. all the below factors: The Songhai Empire's decline was a result of multiple factors including internal power struggles and succession crises, the shift of trade routes towards the Atlantic coast, and the devastating Moroccan invasion with firearms. 4. The Trans-Saharan Trade networks primarily involved exchange between: C. North Africa and West Africa. The Trans-Saharan Trade connected the resource-rich regions of West Africa (south of the Sahara) with North Africa, facilitating the exchange of goods like gold, salt, and slaves. 5. What was the common factor in the decline of both the Mali and Songhai Empire? C. Internal power struggles and succession crisis Both the Mali and Songhai Empires suffered from internal conflicts, including frequent succession disputes and power struggles among different factions, which weakened their central authority and led to instability. 6. Mansa Musa's stop to Cairo on his way to Mecca crashed the price of gold by 20%. This applied if the gram (g) of gold sold in Liberia cost US 150 at the rate of 180 crashed by 20% will be: Step 1: Calculate the new price of gold in US after a 20% crash. New price in US\ = Original price × (1 - Percentage crash) New price in US\ = \150 × (1 - 0.20) = \150 × 0.80 = \120 Step 2: Convert the new price from US to Liberian Dollars (LR) using the given rate of 1 US = 180 LR. New price in LR = New price in US\ × Exchange rate New price in LR = \120 × 180 = LR 21,600 The new price will be US 120 to LR 21,600. The correct option is C. US$ 120 to LR 21,600. Part II: Essay Questions 4. Examine the power struggle that led to the decline of the Songhai Empire. How did succession crisis contribute to its collapse? What lessons can contemporary African leaders draw from this historical example about maintaining stability and ensuring a smooth transition of power? The Songhai Empire's decline was significantly driven by internal power struggles and a series of succession crises following the reign of Askia Muhammad. Frequent disputes among his descendants and other powerful factions led to political instability, civil wars, and assassinations, weakening the central government. This internal disunity diverted resources and attention from effective governance and external threats, making the empire vulnerable to the Moroccan invasion in 1591. Contemporary African leaders can learn the critical importance of establishing clear and stable mechanisms for power transfer to prevent instability. Strong institutions that transcend individual leaders are essential to ensure continuity, maintain national unity, and foster development, thereby avoiding the pitfalls of internal divisions that plagued the Songhai Empire. Send me the next one 📸