Africanus Report

Leo Africanus was a captured slave given to Pope Leo X after the reconquest of Spain by Ferdinand and Isabella. He was baptized in 1519 and sent to Africa in order to observe and report back to the pope what he saw. In 1526, Africanus traveled through Timbuktu, a large city in the Songhai Empire in Western Sudan, a region consisting of the Sahel and surrounding grasslands from the east Atlantic coast through the western Lake Chad. His account shows that the society had a booming economy, citizens who held their culture very close to them, a very well coordinated political organization, and even though Africanus downplays the importance of Islam in the empire, his account still provides good insight for historians hoping to learn about the society.
Africanus described the city of Timbuktu in a way that indicates it held a booming economy and its inhabitants had lavish lifestyles. He stated that “the inhabitants are very rich” and “instead of coined money, pure gold nuggets are used” (Africanus).
It highlights the importance of trans-Saharan trade to the city, something that made Western Sudan what it was (Department of the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas). It shows that trade enabled the city’s economy to boom in a way that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.
In sum, Leo Africanus’ account of his travel through Timbuktu shows that it encompassed a very rich economy, happy citizens who embraced their culture, and a very well coordinated political organization. Even though he gives little weight to the importance of Islam in their society, his account still proves useful for historians hoping to learn more about this society during this time. Additionally, historians can use this account to see how trans-Saharan trade affected society in the sixteenth century, and how it paved the way for later trade on the Atlantic coast of West