Download Askia Muhammad Toure

Empire of Songhai: Askia Muhammad Toure (? - 1538)
The Songhai people were one of the groups in the empire of Mali. In the 1460s, the great warrior Sunni Ali
became the ruler of the Songhai people. He built a powerful army that enabled the Songhai to break away from
the empire of Mali and eventually conquer it. Sonni Ali built the largest kingdom to exist in West Africa. He
brought trade routes and wealthy cities, such as Timbuktu, under his control.
The early rulers of Songhai did not practice Islam very seriously. In the 1490s, Muslims in Songhai rebelled.
Askia Muhammad Toure, a devout Muslim, seized the throne. He founded a Muslim dynasty that was to rule
Songhai for the next hundred years. Below is a biography of Askia Muhammad. As you read, think about these
questions: What was his primary goal? What actions did he take to achieve that goal?
Historians do not know much about Askia Muhammad's early life. They believe he was born in Gao, a town on
the Niger River at the southern end of the Sahara Desert. He probably came from a devout Muslim family. He
became well known in 1492, when he seized control of Songhai. Sunni Ali's son became emperor after his
father's death. Shortly afterward, Muhammad led a Muslim rebellion against him. Although Muhammad had a
smaller army, he defeated the emperor and claimed the throne himself. It was then that he took the name Askia.
Askia became the name of the dynasty and the name of all its leaders.
Muhammad's primary goal was to create a strong Islamic empire. He set out to achieve this goal in several ways.
One way was to expand his empire. He led a series of wars to convert non-Muslims to Islam. Under his rule, the
Songhai empire grew until it covered as much territory as western Europe.
Muhammad also wanted a well-organized empire with a strong government. He believed that this would make it
easier to administer his newly conquered territories. He made Gao his capitol. He set up a bureaucracy with
separate departments and appointed directors of finance, justice, agriculture, waters, and forests. Then he
divided his empire into provinces and placed each province under a governor. He created a permanent army of
paid soldiers. He also set up a system for collecting taxes.
Muhammad also took strict religious control of his empire. Like Mansa Musa, he made a pilgrimage to Mecca
that led to increased ties with the Muslim world. He made Islam the official religion. Muhammad built mosques
and opened schools for the study of the Qu’ran. Scholars and poets from Muslim lands flocked to Gao.
Muhammad founded a dynasty that was to continue for a hundred years, but his reign did not end well. Even
before his death, his children began fighting over the empire. In 1528, Musa, his eldest son, seized the throne
and soon after West Africa splintered into many small kingdoms.
1. Who were the Songhai and how did they become an empire?
2. What are the accomplishments of Sonni Ali
Investigating Biographies
Evaluate Askia Muhammad's performance as a ruler. Give a letter grade (A+, A, A-, B+, and so on) and a written
explanation for each topic.
REPORT CARD
Topic
Performance as a military
leader:
Performance as an
administrator:
Performance as a religious
leader:
Overall performance as a
ruler:
Grade
Explanation of Grade