Encyclopedia of African American History

Toure, Askia Muhammad  115

his rule and plans for expanding the empire to surrounding

non-Muslim regions.

Th rough a series of wars with Songhai’s neighbors,

Askia Muhammad was able to conquer territory and cre-

ate tributary relationships as far away as the Saharan city

As a result, the two most important historical chronicles of
Timbuktu, Tarikh al-Fattah and Tarikh al-Sudan, portray
Sunni Ali as a ruthless tyrant and show nothing but adora-
tion for the enlightened Askia Muhammad. Th e support of
religious leadership further solidifi ed the legitimacy of both

Tomb of Askia Muhammad Toure, ruler of the Songhai Empire from 1493 to 1528 , at Gao in present-day Mali. (Werner Forman/Art Resource, NY)