Islamic Empire Vs Songhay Empire

The Safavid Empire was another Turkic Islamic state that emerged from a Sufi religious order founded by Safi al-Din. *The Safavid Empire was significant for its efforts to convert their state to a Shia version of Islam by force. Since then, the Sunni and Shia divide deepened the hostility in the Islamic world.
The Songhay Empire was an Islamic state that rose in the West African savannas. The limitation of Islam to urban elites created a cultural divide within the empire. *The Songhay empire was the largest state to operate at a vital part of the trans-Saharan trade routes, in which their income flourished from collecting taxes from that commerce. Songhay also became a major center of Islamic learning and commerce.