<P> After taking the throne Muhammad is known as Askia the Great, even though he had no real right to be the king . Not only was he not in the royal family blood line, he did not hold the sacred symbols which entitled one to become a ruler . Furthermore, he was most likely a descendant of Soninke lineage rather than Songhai, which means that by Songhai standards his family background would have not allowed him to be King . But Askia managed to bypass that law and take the throne . </P> <P> He organized the territories that Sonni Ali had previously conquered and extended his power as far to the south and east . He was not as tactful as Ali in the means of the military, but he did find success in alliances . Because of these alliances he was able to capture and conquer more vastly . Unlike Ali, however, he was a devout Muslim . Askia opened religious schools, constructed mosques, and opened up his court to scholars and poets from throughout the Muslim world . He sent his children to an Islamic School and enforced Islamic practices . Yet he was tolerant of other religions and did not force Islam on his people . </P> <P> Like Mansa Musa, Askia also completed one of the five Pillars of Islam by taking a hajj to Mecca, and, also like the former, went with an overwhelming amount of gold . He donated some to charity and used the rest for lavish gifts to impress the people of Mecca with the wealth of the Songhai . Islam was so important to him that, upon his return, he recruited Muslim scholars from Egypt and Morocco to teach at the Sankore Mosque in Timbuktu as well as setting up many other learning centers throughout his empire . Among his great accomplishments was an interest in astronomical knowledge which led to a flourishing of astronomers and observatories in the capital . </P> <P> While not as renowned as his predecessor for his military tactics, he initiated many campaigns, notably declaring Jihad against the neighboring Mossi . Even after subduing them he did not force them to convert to Islam . His army consisted of war canoes, expert cavalry, protective armor, iron tipped weapons, and an organized militia . </P>

Why did the kingdoms of ghana mali and songhai collapse