Final answer:
Leo Africanus observed that while Songhai's rulers were extremely wealthy, there was a significant poverty among the majority of the population. He noted the empire's vast wealth, centralized political system, and the stark economic disparity during his visit.
Step-by-step explanation:
As he visited the Kingdom of Songhai, Leo Africanus, an educated and well-traveled Arab historian, observed a stark contrast between the lavish affluence of the ruling class and the palpable poverty of the lower classes. Africanus detailed the wealth of Songhai's rulers with descriptions of local governors possessing abundant gold and maintaining lavish courts. Despite the evident wealth among the elites, he noted that the majority of citizens lived in considerable poverty. During his travels in the early sixteenth century, Africanus was struck by the economic disparity within the thriving empire that had become one of Africa's largest historical empires, known for its military success, centralized political structure, and as a hub of Islamic learning and trade.