Sunni Ali reigned over the Songhai Empire from 1464 to 1492, the first ruler of the Sonni dynasty's imperial expansion. He established Gao as the empire's capital, annexed Timbuktu in 1468 and Djenne in 1473 after a seven-year siege, and expanded Songhai power until it surpassed the neighbouring Mali Empire in wealth and territory. He honoured the traditional religion of his Dendi mother rather than adopting the strict Islamic scholarship of Timbuktu's elite, which earned him a reputation as a tyrant among Muslim chroniclers of the period.
Facts
Disputed
Death DateThe date and manner of his death, said to be by drowning while crossing the Niger River, are described in sources as a matter of conjecture. Death PlaceNiger River, Songhai Empire (traditional account) 2 Traditional accounts hold that he drowned crossing the Niger River near the Songhai heartland; this is not certain. Role
Role (category) Role (category) RoleRuler of the Songhai Empire, reigned 1464 to 1492 1 Connections
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Songhai Empire
WikipediaSonni Ali section
After the death of Sulayman Dama, Sonni Ali reigned from 1464 to 1492. Unlike the previous Songhai kings, Ali sought to honour the traditional religion of his people, taught to him by his mother of the Dendi people. This earned him the reputation of a tyrant by Islamic scholars.
Infobox, emperor list
Emperor: 1464-1492 Sunni Ali
Lead section
Sonni Ali established Gao as the empire's capital, although a Songhai state had existed in and around Gao since the 11th century.
Sunni Ali: Gender
He established Gao as the empire's capital, annexed Timbuktu in 1468 and Djenne in 1473 after a seven-year siege, and expanded Songhai power until it surpassed the neighbouring Mali Empire in wealth and territory.
- Wikipedia biography, role/occupation stated in lead section (w-bbfill-history3-0927)
View the Source 2. Wikipedia: Sonni Ali
WikipediaDeath section
drowned in a boating accident while crossing the Niger River
lead section
Sonni Ali Ber
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