Sunni Ali, also known as Si Ali, Sunni Ali Ber, was born in Ali Kolon. He reigned from about 1464 to 1492. Sunni Ali was the first king of the Songhai Empire, located in Africa and the 15th ruler of the Sunni dynasty. Under Sunni Ali's command, many cities were captured and then fortified, such as Timbuktu and Djenné.

Was Sonni Ali a great leader?

Sunni Ali (died 1492) founded the Songhay empire of West Africa. Best known as a great military leader, he was called Ali Ber, or "Ali the Great." There is much controversy about his attitudes toward Islam. Madogo was a strong military leader, and he too taught Ali the techniques of magic. ...

What kind of a person was Sonni Ali?

Islamic Chronicles

They portray Sonni Ali as a capricious and cruel leader. In the 16th century chronicle of Abd ar Rahmen as-Sadi, a historian based in Timbuktu, Sonni Ali is described as an impious and unscrupulous tyrant. Sonni Ali is recorded as having massacred hundreds while plundering the city of Timbuktu.