Which empire was led by Sunni Ali and later Askia Mohammed?

• A. Songhai
• B. Ghana
• C. Mali
• D. Axum

Answer: (A)

The empire led by Sunni Ali and later Askia Mohammed is the Songhai Empire. Sunni Ali built and expanded Songhai in the 15th century, seizing control of the Niger River trade routes from his capital at Gao and forging a powerful military to unify the region. His reign established a strong, centralized state. Askia Mohammed I followed, strengthening the administration, promoting Islam, and expanding the empire through trans-Saharan trade, which helped Songhai become one of West Africa’s largest empires. The other options refer to different powers in the region or era—Ghana and Mali are separate West African empires with different rulers, and Axum is an ancient kingdom in the Horn of Africa.