Askia Mohammad I

Askia Muhammad I (b. 1443 – d. 1538), born Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr al-Turi or Muhammad Ture, was the first ruler of the Askia dynasty of the Songhai Empire, reigning from 1493 to 1528. He is also known as Askia the Great, and his name in modern Songhai is Mamar Kassey. Askia Muhammad strengthened his empire and made it the largest empire in West Africa's history. At its peak under his reign, the Songhai Empire encompassed the Hausa states as far as Kano (in present-day Northern Nigeria) and much of the territory that had belonged to the Songhai empire in the east. His policies resulted in a rapid expansion of trade with Europe and Asia, the creation of many schools, and the establishment of Islam as an integral part of the empire.

Muhammad was a prominent general under the Songhai ruler Sunni Ali. When Sunni Ali was succeeded by his son, Sunni Baru, in 1492, Muhammad challenged the succession on the grounds that the new ruler was not a faithful Muslim. He defeated Baru and ascended to the throne in 1493.Biographical information on historical African figures
from globaled.org

Ture subsequently orchestrated a program of expansion and consolidation which extended the empire from Taghaza in the North to the borders of Yatenga in the South; and from Air in the Northeast to Futa Djallon in Guinea. Instead of organizing the empire along Islamic lines, he tempered and improved on the traditional model by instituting a system of bureaucratic government unparalleled in Western Africa. In addition, Askia established standardized trade measures and regulations, initiated the policing of trade routes and also established an organized tax system. He was overthrown by his son, Askia Musa, in 1528.

Name and title

The ''Tarikh al-Sudan'' gives Askia Muhammad's name as Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr al-Turi or al-Sillanki. The ''Tarikh al-Fattash'' gives his name as Abu Abdallah Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr. Al-Turi and al-Sillanki have been interpreted as the Soninke clan names Ture and Sila by most historians. However, Stephan Bühnen has argued that they should be interpreted as ''nisba''s referring to ancestry from Futa Toro or Silla in the Senegal valley, and favors the possibility that his ancestors originally came from Futa Toro.

The title Askia ( ar, اسكيا) is of unknown origin, and had been in use since the early 13th century, if not earlier. The original pronunciation of the title is not known; in modern Songhai, it is pronounced ''siciya''. Moroccan sources spelled the title Sukyā or Sikyā, Leo Africanus spelled it Ischia, and a contemporary Portuguese source spelled it Azquya. The ''Tarikh al-Sudan'' provides a folk etymology for the title, claiming that Askia Muhammad invented the title based on the lament of Sonni Ali's daughters when they had learned he had seized power: "''a si Kiya''", meaning "it is not his" or "he shall not be it".

After going on the ''hajj'' in 1497–1498, he also became known as Askia al-Hajj Muhammad.

In modern Songhai, he is known as Mamar Kassey. Mamar is a form of the name Muhammad, and Kassey is a matronymic.

Early life

Askia Muhammad was born in Gao. His father, Baru Lum, was of Toucouleur or Soninke ancestry, with ancestors hailing from the Senegal River valley. His mother was named Kassey and is said in oral tradition to have been the sister of Sonni Ali.

Legacy

Askia encouraged learning and literacy, ensuring that Songhai's universities produced the most distinguished scholars, many of whom published significant books and one of which was his nephew and friend Mahmud Kati. To secure the legitimacy of his usurpation of the Sonni dynasty, Askia Muhammad allied himself with the scholars of Timbuktu, ushering in a golden age in the city for scientific and Muslim scholarship. The eminent scholar Ahmed Baba, for example, produced books on Islamic law which are still in use today. Muhammad Kati published ''Tarikh al-fattash'' and Abdul-Rahman as-Sadi published ''Tarikh al-Sudan'' (''Chronicle of The Black Land''), two history books which are indispensable to present-day scholars reconstructing African history in the Middle Ages.
The king's supposed tomb, the Tomb of Askia, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In popular culture

* The Nigerien musical group Mamar Kassey is named after Askia Muhammad.
* In the turn-based strategy game ''Sid Meier's Civilization V'', Askia Muhammad is depicted as the leader of the Songhai civilization, one of the playable factions.

See also

* Legends of Africa

Footnotes

References

Primary sources

*, translated in

Other sources

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

External links

''Kingdoms of the Medieval Sudan'' - Xavier UniversityAncient African Legends

{{DEFAULTSORT:Askia Muhammad I
1440s births
1538 deaths
16th-century monarchs in Africa
15th-century monarchs in Africa
People of the Songhai Empire
History of Mali
History of Niger
16th-century Muslims
Year of birth uncertain