Islam attained momentum during the 10th century in West Africa with the commencement of the Almoravid dynasty progress on the Senegal River and because the leaders and commanders embraced Islam. Islam then gradually spread in much of the region through trade and doctrine.
Systematic voyages began in 1419 along West Africa's shore under the support of Prince Henry the Navigator, with Bartolomeu Dias leading the Cape of Good Hope and also explored the Indian Ocean in 1488.
In 1590, al-Mansur took benefit of the public conflict in the empire and assigned an army which is the commanded by Judar Pasha to capture the Songhai and to obtain control of the Trans-Saharan trade routes. After the unfortunate downfall at the Battle of Tondibi (1591), the Songhai Empire collapsed.
The Empire of Mali was founded around 1235 CE. It started to lose its influence in the 1400s and completely collapsed in 1600 CE. The Empire of Mali was created when a ruler called Sundiata Keita joined the races of the Malinke peoples.
