Askia Ishaq I

Askia Ishaq I, also known as Ishaq Ber (Ishaq the Great), was the ruler of the Songhai Empire from 1539 to 1549, elected Askia following the death of Askia Isma'il. He was the fifth ruler of the Askiya dynasty.

Rise to Power Ishaq was born the son of Askia Mohammad I and a Tuareg concubine from Dirma Kulthūm Barda.

When Askia Isma'il died on campaign, the leading men in the empire peacefully agreed that Ishaq would be the next ruler.

Reign Askia Ishaq was a ruthless and paranoid ruler, inspiring fear and anxiety among the Songhai people. Despite being a devout Muslim, he sent agents to Timbuktu on a regular basis to demand enormous sums of money from the merchants, which is against Islamic law.

After a request from the Moroccan sultan Mohammed al-Shaykh, to cede the salt mines of Taghaza, Ishaq I sent a group of 2000 mounted men to raid a market town in the Dara valley of southern Morocco with instructions to avoid killing anyone. This was intended as a show of strength.

Askiya Ishaq I died in the town of Kukiya and was buried there. He was succeeded by his brother Askiya Dawud.