Askia Muhammad and the Pilgrimage That Changed West Africa

In 1496, the greatest emperor of the Songhai Empire, Askia Muhammad, set out on a pilgrimage to Mecca that would reshape his kingdom. This episode follows his two-year journey across the Sahara, through Egypt, and into Arabia, where he secured the title of 'Caliph of the Sudan' and brought back scholars, architects, and new bureaucratic methods. We explore his meeting with the scholar Al-Maghili, whose legal rulings on governance would influence Songhai for generations. The episode also touches on the politics of the hajj in the 15th century, the dangers of the Saharan route, and the diplomatic missions that followed—including an embassy to the Ottoman sultan. Through Askia Muhammad's journey, we see how Songhai connected to the wider Islamic world and how faith and power intertwined in West Africa's golden age. Specific details include the cost of the caravan, the scholars he recruited, and the mosques he built upon his return. #AskiaMuhammad #SonghaiEmpire #Hajj #Mecca #WestAfrica #Sahara #AlMaghili #CaliphOfTheSudan #Gao #Timbuktu #SankoreMadrasa #IslamicHistory #15thCentury #Pilgrimage #NigerRiver #TransSaharanTrade #AfricanHistory #FexingoHistory #SunniAli #SankoreMosque Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo