Emperor of Songhay in West Africa (1493–1528). Originally named Muhammad Turé, he was Sonni Ali’s best general. He usurped Songhay from Ali’s son in 1493, thus founding a new dynasty, and took the title Askia. He was a convert to Islam, but tolerant towards pagans, and made the pilgrimage to Mecca, meeting many notable men, especially the great Muslim teacher al‐Maghili. He had close political and commercial relationships with Morocco and Egypt, organized an efficient administration and an army and a navy on the River Niger, and made Timbuktu the capital of the Songhay empire, developing it as an intellectual and religious centre.