The document provides information about the Songhai Empire that arose in West Africa after the decline of the Mali Empire. It discusses several important rulers including Sunni Ali who expanded the empire through conquest, and Askia Muhammad the Great who took the throne illegally but secured legitimacy through alliances with Timbuktu scholars. Askia standardized measures, organized tax systems, and encouraged learning and literacy. However, succession disputes later weakened the empire and it was eventually invaded and fragmented by the Sultanate of Morocco.