Askia Muhammad, << AS kee ah moo HAM uhd >> (1441?-1538), also called Askia I or Askia the Great, ruled the Songhai Empire in western Africa during its height. He was the first of several Songhai kings named Askia. Askia became king in 1493 when he overthrew Bakori Da’a, the son of Sunni Ali. Askia seized large territories from the Mali Empire, conquered the Hausa states, and turned Saharan Berber towns into Songhai colonies. He encouraged the spread of Islam in West Africa and modeled his empire’s laws on those of Islam. His eldest son, Askia Musa, overthrew him in 1528.
Askia Muhammad died on March 2, 1538, in Gao, the Songhai capital. Many people visit his huge tomb in Gao, in present-day Mali.
See also Songhai Empire.
