Which state succeeded Mali and dominated the middle reaches of the Niger valley, with its capital at Gao?

• A. Songhai
• B. Mali
• C. Ghana
• D. Kanem-Bornu

Answer: (A)

After Mali’s decline, a new power rose to control the middle Niger valley, using its strategic location along the river and the Saharan trade routes. The Songhai state built a vast empire with Gao as its capital, and under leaders like Sonni Ali and Askia Muhammad it expanded to include key cities such as Timbuktu and Jenne, dominating the region. This combination of centralized authority in Gao and dominance over the Niger River trade explains why Songhai is the state that followed Mali in controlling the middle reaches of the Niger valley. Ghana and Mali are earlier West African powers with different capitals, while Kanem-Bornu lay farther east near Lake Chad and did not govern this stretch of the Niger with Gao as its seat.