Latest / Timbuktu: Africa's Forgotten Center of Knowledge — Fexingo History
The Timbuktu Scholar Who Refused to Teach the Sultan
In late 16th-century Timbuktu, the city's most respected scholar, Ahmad Baba al-Timbukti, made a dangerous choice: he refused to teach the Songhai sultan's son. When Sultan Askia Ishaq II demanded that Ahmad Baba tutor his child, the scholar declined on principle—arguing that the sultan's wealth and power did not entitle him to special access to knowledge. The sultan responded by banishing Ahmad Baba from Sankore mosque. This episode explores the clash between religious authority and political power in Songhai, drawing on accounts from the Tarikh al-Sudan and Tarikh al-Fattash…
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