Askia Mūsā

Songhai ruler

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June 18, 2026

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Askia Musa was a Muslim ruler of the Songhai empire in West Africa, reigning from 1528 to 1531. He was the son of Muḥammad I Askia, the founder of the Askia dynasty, who had greatly expanded and strengthened the Songhai empire through military conquests. Muḥammad I Askia established an efficient administration, dividing the empire into provinces and creating various governmental positions.12

Askia Musa overthrew his father in 1528, taking the title Askia. However, his reign was short-lived, as he was assassinated by one of his brothers in 1531. The Songhai empire, centered in present-day Mali, flourished in the 15th and 16th centuries and extended to the Atlantic coast. The Askia dynasty ruled this extensive empire from 1493 to 1591.231

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Muḥammad I Askia
Fall from power and death of Muḥammad I Askia
…his father, taking the name Askia Mūsā. He kept this title for three years before being assassinated himself by one of his brothers. Now deposed, the old Askia Muḥammad was banished to an island in the river, a place “infested with mosquitoes and toads.” There, from 1528 to 1537, he…
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…his father, taking the name Askia Mūsā. He kept this title for three years before being assassinated himself by one of his brothers. Now deposed, the old Askia Muḥammad was banished to an island in the river, a place “infested with mosquitoes and toads.” There, from 1528 to 1537, he…
Read More