Sonni Ali was the first great king (1464-1492) of the Songhai Empire, and the 15th ruler of the Sonni dynasty. He was not a Muslim, but a believer in Africananimism. Under Sonni Ali, Songhai extended to cover a great chunk of the Niger River area and gained control of crucial trading areas such as Timbuktu. Under Sonni Ali, Songhai surpassed the height of the Mali Empire.
Ali depended more upon the fear and respect which he commanded as a strong magician-king than upon the love and admiration of his subjects, as he was a cruel and short-tempered man. He occasionally ordered the execution of even a trusted member of his retinue, only to later regret his loss.
SonniAli, who reigned from about 1464 to 1492, was the first great king of the Songhai Empire, and the 15th ruler of the Sonni dynasty.
During SonniAli's reign, Songhai surpassed the height of the Mali Empire, engulfing areas under the Mali Empire (and the Ghana Empire before it).
SonniAli Ber knew he had to unite his Empire which was composed of Islamic people and those who kept their traditional African beliefs.
One of the generals of Soni Ali who is a devout Muslim by the name of Askia Mohammed could not tolerate the tragic treatment Soni inflicted on the Ulemas or scholars of Timbuktu.
SonniAli Ber was a planner, a fearless conqueror and he is cited in all the Tarikhs as the only Emperor who reigned 28 years, waged 32 wars, won 32 victories and was always the conqueror, never conquered.
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