Latest / The Songhai Empire: Africa's Powerful Forgotten Kingdom — Fexingo History
The Songhai Scribe Who Wrote History
In this episode, we explore the life and work of Ahmad Baba al-Massufi, the great Malian scholar who refused to leave Timbuktu when the Moroccan army invaded in 1591. While many of his contemporaries fled or were enslaved, Ahmad Baba chose imprisonment over exile, turning his captivity into a prolific writing career that produced over 600 manuscripts. We discuss how he used the Tarikh al-Sudan to preserve Songhai’s legacy, his legal battles against the Saadian dynasty’s claims, and why his refusal to legitimize foreign rule made him a symbol of intellectual resistance. Through his letters and…
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