In Chapter 14, you learned about the spread of Islam in West Africa. You also learned about the beginning of the empire of Songhai (in present-day Mali). Remember, 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.

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. This is what happened. 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. He believed that this would make it easier to administer his newly conquered territories. He made Gao his capitol. He appointed directors of finance, justice, agriculture, waters, and forests using Songhai nobles, many of whom were related to him. Then he divided his empire into provinces and placed each province under a governor. He created a permanent army of paid soldiers. He set up a system for collecting taxes.

Muhammad also took strict religious control of his empire. He made Islam the official religion. He created regulations to make sure Islam was practiced properly. These changes made certain that Islam was practiced, but it also made it less popular.

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.

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	Grade	Explanation of Grade
Performance as a military leader:
Performance as an administrator:
Performance as a religious leader:
Overall performance as a ruler:

History Alive! The Medieval World and Beyond, Investigating Biographies