Complex sentence: Timbuktu, an important Islamic center and famed for its ulama, was founded by Maghsharan Tuareg at the start of 12th century, and it grew under the protection and rule of a Tuareg confederation.
Split into simpler sentences: Timbuktu, an important Islamic center famed for its ulama, was established by Maghsharan Tuareg at the start of 12th century. It flourished under the protection and rule of a Tuareg confederation.