SONGHAY UNDER ASKIA THE GREAT 203 other distinguished scholars, letters received well-directed sympathy and encouragement.

After the siege of Aiwalatin in 1480, there began a gradual but steady flow of learning and cultivation from that decadent capital of Ghanata to Timbuctoo. The death of Sonni Ali and the accession of Mohammed gave confidence to this movement, which soon gathered force and volume, and we are enabled to reconstruct from the writings of Ahmed Baba, who was himself born during the reign of Askia Daouad, the fourth and last reigning son of the great Askia, some picture of the intellectual and literary revival of Timbuctoo.

The University of Sankore would seem to have been a very active centre of civilisation. It was attached to the mosque of the same name, and was in correspondence, both by letter and by the frequent visits of its professors, with the universities of North Africa and Egypt. It was already in existence under the rule of Melle, and at that time was in touch with the universities of Spain.

The latter source of knowledge was now, of course, cut off, by the cessation of intercourse between Spain and Africa. But, as the first result of the expulsion of the Moors was to drive the more learned Arabs of Spain into the recesses of the University of Fez, the full effect of the measure had not yet been felt. On the contrary, the life of Timbuctoo had probably received some stimulus from the influx of learning to Morocco. The historians of Timbuctoo distinctly state that civilisation and learning came to it from the West. In the middle of the sixteenth century there existed in the town, side by side with the luxury of the court and the frivolity of fashion, a large and learned society, living at ease, and busily occupied with the elucidation of intellectual and religious problems. The town swarmed also with Soudanese students, of whom we are optimistically told that they " were filled with ardour for knowledge and virtue." The more distinguished professors would seem to