Askia Muhammad I
~1443–1538 · Songhai (Gao, modern-day Mali) · Songhai Empire, Medieval West Africa
Known for: Greatest ruler of the Songhai Empire—expanded it into the largest state in African history
Askia Muhammad overthrew the Sonni dynasty and expanded the Songhai Empire into the largest state in African history, stretching from modern-day Guinea to Nigeria. He centralized government, promoted Islam, made the hajj to Mecca (bringing back scholars), and turned Timbuktu into a center of Islamic learning.
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