Biography: Sonni Ali

The West African monarch who ruled Songhai from 1464 to 1492. Sonni Ali expanded a small kingdom along the Niger River into one of medieval Africa's greatest empires.

There are two main sources of information about Sonni Ali. One is in the Islamic chronicles of the period, the other is through Songhai oral tradition. These sources reflect two different interpretations of Sonni Ali's role in the development of the Songhai Empire. Find out more...