Top 5 Scholars of Timbuktu

There's so many occasions on which we speak on the intellectual legacy of Africans, right? Like we speak on Africans and how their intellect influenced the world and how their scholars were essentially second to none. This is true especially when the legendary city of Timbuktu is mentioned. The problem is though that I see most people within the African diaspora especially can't seem to name one African scholar. Today we're going to change that. What up African world? It's your boy Home Team here. I'm back at it with another video of African history, culture, and worldview and today we're going to talk about the top five West African scholars of Timbuktu. Now every major African city you know had its scholars. Timbuktu just being world renowned and since it was so highly praised its scholars were as well. Timbuktu in all honesty is probably the most legendary city in all of Africa outshining Cairo and even other eastern African empires and cities. But before I get into the top five we must pay our respects to the legendary history of Timbuktu. Timbuktu is believed to have been founded around 1100 by a woman named Tin Abutu. She's believed to have possibly been a slave of the Tuareg. The Tuareg inhabited the region as a seasonal settlement and because Tin Abutu was essentially stationed at the well watching the goods of the Tuareg they called the region Timbuktu. Now Timbuktu did not become what it was today until African architects most likely from Djenne bringing their Mande style construction built Timbuktu. Soninka and Mandinka and other Mande merchants made it into the popular city it is today. Manza Musa took it to the next level as he invested in the city greatly. By the time of the Songhai empire Timbuktu was well established as a place for scholarship. Timbuktu became so prominent that Leo Africanus wrote about it. There are many judges doctors and clerics here all receiving good salaries from King Askiya Mohammed of the state of Songhai. He pays great respect to men of learning. There is a great demand for books and more profit is made from the trade in books than from any other line of business. Wow so yeah man there you have it an eyewitness account attesting to the culture of learning in the West African kingdom of Songhai. Like the Africans in this region legitimately had a thirst for knowledge and they contributed to world scholarship at the time. Some of the greatest minds in the world came straight out of Timbuktu. So without further ado let's get into the top five West African scholars of Timbuktu. Coming in at number five we have Sidi Abu. Now Sidi Abu as we will call him today was also known as Sheikh al-Islam Abu al-Barakat. He was a supreme judge of Timbuktu, imam and the dean of Sankore university. He's hailed as being firm, pious, humble, and modest. At number four we have Ahriman. Now Ahriman as we will call him today is believed to have been a Taurid scholar at Timbuktu. He was hailed as a well-learned professor possessing God's consciousness. Any man idolized as having quote God's consciousness must have been pretty intellectually savvy. Next at number three we have Modibo Muhammad al-Kaburi. Now Modibo was a Fulani man and scholar. He was a jurist and judge. Modibo was fortunate to be a companion to many righteous scholars of the famed Sankore university. Modibo is very important to West African scholarship because he was a scholar that developed the curriculum of Sankore university. A curriculum that would shape the intellectual foundation for West Africans generations to come. He was also known for his pious and devotional character. Coming in at number two we have the legendary Ahmed Baba. Ahmed Baba was descended from Umar ibn Muhammad Aqid the Taurid. He liked to be called Ahmed Baba the Black. Interestingly enough his insistence on calling himself Ahmed Baba the Black seems to allude that he was well aware of rivalry between North African Berbers and Africans further south. In other words he was extraordinarily conscious. At an early age he dedicated his time to learning until he surpassed all his peers and contemporaries. He was hailed as the matchless jurist. He was a scholar and imam of his time. His reputation spread all over Sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa. The jurists of Timbuktu sought his advice in matters pertaining to legal decisions. He was a storehouse of Islamic knowledge. He firmly stood on truth in the face of the Moroccans. He had a library of 1600 manuscripts that was plundered during the Moroccan invasion of Timbuktu. He was deported to Fez in 1593. He authored 60 books which is quite impressive for any time and he was often called and I quote the standard of standards by the Moroccans. Ahmed Baba throughout his life wrote excellent books on theology, grammar, history and jurisprudence and he's recognized in Timbuktu today because of it. Finally what you've all been waiting for coming in at number one the top scholar in all of Timbuktu was Mohamed Bagayogo. Dr. Bagayogo was the greatest scholar of Timbuktu. His ancestors were the Mande African scholars of the beloved city of Djenne which is further south of Timbuktu in modern-day Mali. He was a sheikh and professor of the legendary Ahmed Baba himself. Dr. Bagayogo was born in Timbuktu and he did all his studies in Timbuktu. He was one of the most eminent professors of both Sidi Yahya and Sankore universities. He was without a doubt a veritable doctor of Islamic sciences. This was confirmed when he stopped in Cairo on his way to Mecca. The scholars of Egypt conferred on him the title of doctor. He was a jurist well-versed in all branches of Islamic knowledge. He had a very busy schedule and loved imparting knowledge to people with great patience. It's said that he would loan his books to his students and friends and would not ask for them back. He was sincere in his intentions and actions. More importantly he loved people and people loved him. He was given the position of the supreme judge of Timbuktu which he kindly declined for fear of being unjust toward people. He lectured in all the universities of the city. He wrote his own personal copies of the Quran which are today with his descendant Baba Mahmood Hassi, the actual imam of Sidi Yahya. He possessed absolute mastery in the areas of jurisprudence, grammar, prophetic traditions, logic and much more. Dr. Bagayogo imparted knowledge to his students and he was also not afraid to receive knowledge from them. He was humble a humble master of knowledge and accepted truth in whatever form it came. So yeah guys the more you know if anybody comes up to you and says hey you know who were the West African scholars at the time you can say Modibo, Baba, Bagayogo just to name a few. But I'm all out guys if you guys have a thirst for knowledge like the West African scholars of the time and people in the region in general you can learn more at patreon.com support the home team banner just follow the link in the description box below and you can support monthly to gain full access to all home team videos and all African history courses. Know thyself, remember your ancestors, peace.