The Songhai Empire rises to power in the western Sahel
At its peak, it was one of the largest states in African history. The state is known by its historiographical name, derived from its leading ethnic group and ruling elite, the Songhai.
Sub-Saharan Africa
The Lebou people settle what is now Dakar in modern-day Senegal
The Cap-Vert peninsula was settled no later than the 15th century, by the Lebou people, an aquacultural ethnic group related to the neighboring Wolof and Serer. Dakar is now the capital and largest city of Senegal.
The Kingdom of Kongo comes to power in modern-day Angola
The Kingdom of Kongo was a kingdom located in central Africa in present-day northern Angola, the western portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo as well as the southernmost part of Gabon. From c. 1390 to 1859 it was mostly an independent state.
The Jolof Empire comes to power in modern-day Senegal
The Jolof Empire, also known as the Wolof or Wollof Empire, was a West African state that ruled parts of Senegal from 1350 to 1549.
The Tonga people settle in modern-day Zambia
In the 12th century, waves of Bantu-speaking immigrants arrived during the Bantu expansion. Among them, the Tonga people (also called Ba-Tonga, “Ba-” meaning “men”) were the first to settle in Zambia and are believed to have come from the east near the “big sea”.
The Mali Empire comes into power in West Africa
The empire began as a small Mandinka kingdom at the upper reaches of the Niger River, centred around the town of Niani (the empire’s namesake in Manding).
The Kingdom of Benin flourishes in modern-day Benin
The Benin Kingdom was “one of the oldest and most highly developed states in the coastal hinterland of West Africa, dating perhaps to the eleventh century CE”,[2] until it was annexed by the British Empire in 1897.
Timbuktu in modern-day Mali becomes a permanent settlement
Timbuktu started out as a seasonal settlement and became a permanent settlement early in the 12th century. After a shift in trading routes, Timbuktu flourished from the trade in salt, gold, ivory, and slaves.
Aja migrants found the Great Ardra kingdom in modern-day Benin
Great Ardra, also known by numerous variant spellings, was a coastal West African kingdom in what is now southern Benin. It was named for its capital, the modern Allada.
Dagomba culture emerges in modern-day northern Ghana
Dagomba are one of the ethnic groups with a sophisticated oral tradition. Most of their history, until quite recently, has been passed down via oral tradition with drummers as professional griots.