Under the Songhai empire, Dendi had been the easternmost province, governed by the prestigious Dendi-fari. Askia Ishaq IIfled to here after he was defeated by the invading Saadi dynasty of Morocco at the Battle of Tondibi and at another battle seven months later. In Dendi, he was deposed by his brother Muhammad Gao, who was in turn murdered on the order of the Moroccan pasha. The Moroccans then appointed Sulayman as puppet king ruling the Niger between Djenné and Gao. South of Tillaberi the Songhai resistance against Morocco continued under Askia Nuh, a son of Askia Dawud. He established his capital at the yet unlocalized town of Lulami.
Conflict with the Saadi dynasty
After the Moroccans had Askia Sulayman appointed as their puppet the pasha, Mahmud ibn Zarqun, attempted to conquer Dendi. Askia Nuh resisted the invasion by a costly guerilla warfare lasting two years. In 1594 Mahmud was forced to discontinue the war and retreated, just to be killed in the same year by Dogon, with whom Nuh was probably allied. The new pasha called Mansur continued the war against Dendi and again Nuh resorted to guerilla warfare. This situation lasted until 1599, when Nuh's followers became tired of the war and deposed him in favor of his brother Harun. In 1609, the city of Djenné revolted against the Saadi pashas with Dendi support. The Saadi were eventually able to regain the city, but with a lack of support from their homeland, they soon abandoned the area, leaving it to Tuareg and Fulbenomads. In 1612, Askiya al-Amin came to power in Dendi. His short reign of six years was followed by the rule of Askiya Dawud. Dawud killed many people during his reign including relatives and members of the military. His brother, Isma'il, fled to Timbuktu and sought Saadi support to overthrow al-Amin. Isma'il returned in to Dendi and deposed his brother in 1639. Upon attempting to send the foreign army back, he was deposed and replaced by a ruler that the pashas felt would be easier to deal with. This ruler was eventually removed by the Songhai people.
Decline
Dendi existed for the next two and a half centuries witnessing increasingly unstable reigns, coups and counter-coups. When France entered the region, Dendi was defensively unprepared. In 1901, the French deposed the last askiya of the Dendi, ending Songhai's control of either Mali or Niger until independence.
