The Tinbuktu Scholar Who Wrote a History of Songhai

In this episode, Lucas and Luna focus on Mahmud Kati, the 16th-century scholar who compiled the Tarikh al-Fattash, one of the most vital chronicles of the Songhai Empire. Lucas explains how Kati, born in 1468, served as a qadi and secretary under the Askia dynasty, gathering manuscripts and oral traditions for decades. They discuss the controversy around Kati's authorship—some scholars argue the text was later expanded by his grandson—and the unique perspective Kati brought as an insider in the Songhai court. Lucas describes how the Tarikh al-Fattash details the reigns of Askia Muhammad and his successors, including military campaigns, administrative reforms, and the role of Islam in state-building. They also touch on the manuscript's rediscovery in the 20th century and its journey from a private Timbuktu library to a published edition. Luna asks about the challenges of relying on a single chronicle, and Lucas reflects on how Kati's work, alongside al-Sa'di's Tarikh al-Sudan, gives us a multi-faceted view of the Sahel's golden age. #MahmudKati #TarikhAlFattash #SonghaiEmpire #Timbuktu #WestAfricanHistory #AskiaMuhammad #SankoreUniversity #16thCentury #IslamicHistoriography #MaliEmpire #Sahel #Manuscripts #OralTradition #Qadi #AskiaDynasty #FexingoHistory #History #AfricanHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo