Sonni Dynasty


The Sonni Dynasty or Sunni Dynasty was a dynasty of rulers of the Songhai Empire of medieval West Africa. The first ruler of the dynasty, Sunni Ali Kulun probably reigned at the end of the fourteenth century. The last ruler, Sonni Baru, ruled until 1493 when the throne was usurped by the Askiya Muhammad I, the founder of the Askiya Dynasty.

Rulers according to the ''Tarikh al-Sudan''

The names with their diacritics listed below are those given in the translation of the Tarikh al-Sudan from Arabic into English by John Hunwick. The surviving Arabic manuscripts differ both in the spelling and the vocalization of the names. This may be partly due to the difficulty of representing Songhay sounds in Arabic and perhaps also due to different Songhay dialects. Not all the names are listed in all the surviving manuscripts.
  1. Sunni ʿAlī Kulun
  2. Sunni Silman Nāri
  3. Sunni Ibrāhīm Kabay
  4. Sunni ʿUthmān Kanafa
  5. Sunni Bār Kayna Ankabī
  6. Sunni Mūsā
  7. Sunni Bukar Zunku
  8. Sunni Bukar Dala Buyunbu
  9. Sunni Mār Kiray
  10. Sunni Muḥammad Dao
  11. Sunni Muḥammad Kūkiyā
  12. Sunni Muḥammad Fār
  13. Sunni K.r.bīf
  14. Sunni Mār Fī Kuli Jim
  15. Sunni Mār Ar Kayna
  16. Sunni Mār Aranda
  17. Sunni Sulaymān
  18. Sunni ʿAlī
  19. Sunni Bāru or Bukar Dāo

    Rulers according to the ''Tarikh al-fattash''

The names with their diacritics listed below are those given in the translation of Tarikh al-fattash from the Arabic into French by Octave Houdas.
  1. Sunni Ali-Golom
  2. Sunni Silman-Nâri
  3. Sunni Ibrâhîm-Kabayao
  4. Sunni Ousmân-Guifo
  5. Sunni Mâkara-Komsoû
  6. Sunni Boubakar-Katiya
  7. Sunni Ankada Doukourou
  8. Sunni Kimi-Yankoï-Moûssa
  9. Sunni Bâro-Dal-Yomho
  10. Sunni Mâdao
  11. Sunni Mohammed Koûkiya
  12. Sunni Mohammed-Fâri
  13. Sunni Balam
  14. Sunni Souleïmân-Dâma
  15. Sunni Ali
  16. Sunni Bâro