Askia Mohammed Toure (1493-1528)
Legend tells us that Askia Mohammed Toure overthrew Sonni Ali's successor, his non-Muslim son. Even more surprising is that he had no 'right' to the throne; he was not of royal blood, did not have the sacred symbols of a leader, and may not have even been of the Songhai people. Under Askia Toure, the Songhai empire would experience a golden age filled with physical, cultural, and economic expansion. His main goal was to spread Islam in Western Africa, although Islam was already being practiced by many Africans. The primary way to do this was through expansion, allowing Islam to reach more people than before. The empire surpassed the size of western Europe during his reign. Although the Songhai empire was primed to continue successfully for hundreds of years because of Toure's work, conflicts between his children weakened the empire and contributed to its fall.