Islam was particularly influential in urban centres of both the Mali and Songhai Kingdoms. The Berbers introduced the leaders of Mali and Songhai to Islam through trans-Saharan trade, and in order to protect their empires from Muslim attacks, they converted (Mckay). This eventually led to a growth in acceptance and practice of Islam all across West Africa, allowing aspects of the religion to seep into daily life. Under the rule of Mansa Musa, the ruler of Mali as well as a devout Muslim, Timbuktu became a centre for scholarship and learning. He opened a university with a capacity of about 25,000 students, leading to the introduction of written word and diminished illiteracy rates. (Road to Timbuktu). Timbuktu remained of the same educational
