Sunni Ali, also known as Si Ali, Sunni Ali Ber (Ber meaning "the Great"), was born in Ali Kolon. He reigned from about 1464 to 1492. Sunni Ali was the first king of the

Songhai Empire The Songhai Empire (also transliterated as Songhay) was a state that dominated the western Sahel/Sudan in the 15th and 16th century. At its peak, it was one of the largest states in African history. The state is known by its historiographical ...

, located in Africa and the 15th ruler of the Sunni dynasty. Under Sunni Ali's command, many cities were captured and then fortified, such as Timbuktu (captured in 1468) and

Djenné Djenné ( Bambara: ߘߖߋߣߣߋ tr. Djenne; also known as Djénné, Jenné and Jenne) is a Songhai people town and an urban commune in the Inland Niger Delta region of central Mali. The town is the administrative centre of the Djenné Cercle, on ...

(captured in 1475). Sunni conducted a repressive policy against the scholars of Timbuktu, especially those of the Sankore region who were associated with the Tuareg whom Ali expelled to gain control of the town. Sunni Ali organized a fleet to the Niger river. During his reign, Songhai surpassed the height of the

Mali Empire The Mali Empire ( Manding: ''Mandé''Ki-Zerbo, Joseph: ''UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. IV, Abridged Edition: Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century'', p. 57. University of California Press, 1997. or Manden; ar, مالي, Māl ...

, engulfing areas under the Mali Empire (and the Ghana Empire before it). His death, on November 6, 1492, is a matter of conjecture. According to the '' Tarikh al-Sudan'', Ali drowned while crossing the Niger River. Oral tradition believes he was killed by his sister's son, Askia Muhammad Ture. He was succeeded by his son, Sunni Baru, who was challenged by Askia because Baru was not seen as a faithful Muslim. Askia succeeded to the throne. According to the ''Tarikh al-Sudan'' it is believed that this action caused Sonni Ali's daughters to shout out "A si kiya!" a more modern phrasing would be “A si tiya” or (he shall not be it), at the news of this take over. Sunni Ali ruled over both urban Muslims and rural non-Muslims at a time when the traditional co-existence of different beliefs was being challenged. His adherence to African animism while also professing Islam leads some writers to describe him as ''outwardly'' or '' nominally'' Muslim.

References

External links

''Kingdoms of the Medieval Sudan'' - Xavier University

Ancient African Legends

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ali, Sunni Year of birth missing 1492 deaths People of the Songhai Empire 15th-century Muslims History of Mali Deaths by horse-riding accident 15th-century monarchs in Africa