Askia the Great (ca. 1443 - 1538), born Muhammad Toure in Futa Tooro, later called Askia was an emperor, military commander, and political reformer of the Songhai Empire in th
…e late 15th century, the successor of Sunni Ali Ber. Askia Muhammad strengthened his country and made it the largest country in West Africa's history. At its peak under Muhammad, the Songhai Empire encompassed the Hausa states as far as Kano (in present-day Nigeria) and much of the territory that had belonged to the Sonnghai empire in the west. His policies resulted in a rapid expansion of trade with Europe and Asia, the creation of many schools, and made Islam an integral part of the empire. (MORE) 
