Chronicles of Songhay Empire's Askyas (Kings) 1493-1599
Outside Gao (Anfao, Anku’u)
Title
The Askias orders the drums to be beaten for war
Short description
The Shī (king/ruler) orders the drums to be beaten to gather his army.
Text on source
فارسلني اليه أي انا الفقير المحتاج الفع كعت وذهبت اليه ووجدته ببلد انفع وهي بقرب ݣاع وبلغته رسالة امير المومنين اسكي والنت له الكلام مبلغ جهدي كما امر امير المومنين اسكي الحاج محمد وتلطفت له رغبة في ان يهديه الله وانى وامتنع ونغيظ وامر بضرب الطبل ساعتئذ وشرع في الاستجاشة ورعد وبرق اراد تخويفي وتمثلت في نفسي بقول الشاعر وانصر
على اهل الصليب وعابديه اليوم اهلك ثم اجتمع جيشه
[...]
ثم رجعت وبلغته الخبر ثم تجزه امير المومينين اسكي الحاج محمد وامر بضرب الطبل واستجاش جيشه عليه في ساعتئذ وكلهم بايعوه على الموت [ص. ٥٤-٥٥]
English translation
Thus he sent to him me the poor humble alfaʿ Kaʿti and I went and found him in the village of Anfuʿ which is near Gao. I delivered to him the message of the Commander of the believers Askia and I addressed him striving to speak as kindly as possible like it was ordered by the Commander of the believers Askia al-Ḥājj Muḥammad. I used courtesy to him hoping that God would guide him. But he refused and was taken by passions. He ordered the drum [ṭabl] to be beaten at that time and began to assemble the troops. He raged and stormed willing to intimidate me, so I recited to myself the poet's saying: "I assure with my death the victory over the cross and its worshippers." Then, he gathered his army
Folios/Pages
105
Date
1493 circa
Observations on the events description
The description suggests that the sound of drums was conventionally used to coordinate the army, in line with the privilege to use drums given only to the highest ranks of the state, the "Lords of drums" (arbāb al-ṭubūl).
The dots on the map indicate the places where sound and music events were described. They don't represent travel stages.
Participants
Name
Role
Notes
Edit
Delete
Sunni, Bāru
Viewer
King
Ibn Abī Bakr Ture, Muḥammad
Viewer
King
Participants
How to quote
Pintimalli A., "The Askias orders the drums to be beaten for war" (Event description), Echos. Sound Ecosystems in Travelogues. Published 2024 09 05.doi: 10.25430/echos.travels.137
This work is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0 
