The Sosso Empire , also written as Soso or Susu , or alternatively Kaniaga , was kingdom of West Africa that originated as a vassal of the Ghana Empire before breaking away and conquering their former overlords. Inhabited by the Soninke ancestors of the modern-day Sosso people , it was centered in the region south of Wagadou and north of Beledougou . The empire peaked under the reign of Soumaoro Kante , who was defeated by the rising Mali Empire of Sundiata Keita .
71-642: To the inhabitants of the Manding region , the term 'Kaniaga' referred to all the Soninke-inhabited lands, including Wagadou, Bakhounou, Kingui, Guidioume, Diafounou , Guidimakha and Gajaaga , stretching from the upper Senegal river to Mema . 'Kaniaga' is sometimes also used to refer to the Kingdom of Diarra , a state that was the vassal of Ghana, Sosso, and eventually the Mali Empire. The term 'Sosso' may come from
142-440: A century after the epic's events documented on paper some of the information, including dates and a genealogy. Conversely, the written sources left out other pieces of information that the oral tradition includes. The proper English spelling of Sundiata's name is Sunjata , pronounced soon-jah-ta , approaching the actual pronunciation in the original Mandinka . The name Sogolon derives from his mother and Jata means lion . It
213-624: A freedman of the court usurped the throne. In the same period, Mamoudou Diawara seized Diarra. Around 1400 Maghan III, brother of Moussa II becomes mansa. During this period the Songhai empire gained power and its king Sonni Ma Daou attacked Mali and ravaged its capital. Later the Mossi invaded the eastern part of the Malian empire (Lake Debo). In 1400 emerges the Peul kingdom of Macina with the arrival of Maghan Diallo. In
284-436: A great leader who was able to command the loyalties of his generals and army. It was during his reign that Mali first began to become an economic power, a trend continued by his successors and improved on thanks to the ground work set by Sundiata, who controlled the region's trade routes and gold fields. The social and political constitution of Mali were first being codified during the reign of Mansa Sundiata Keita. Known as
355-518: A ruler before Sundiata named Barmandana was the first ruler of Mali to convert to Islam. Some Muslim griots later added to the epic of Sundiata by claiming that Sundiata has "an ancestral origin among the companions of Muhammad in Mecca" (namely, Bilal Ibn Rabah ) and speaks of himself as a successor to Dhu al-Qarnayn , a conqueror and king mentioned in the Quran , commonly regarded as a reference to Alexander
426-451: Is called Sudanese. It is characterized by the alternation of seasons: a rainy season and a dry season. It is the domain of the savannah which is distinguished by shrub vegetation. This region is characterized by the presence of tall grasses and clusters of shrubs, often isolated. Karité, butter tree, néré, baobab, tamarinier, cheese are the main species of the Sudanese domain. Mande, one of
497-707: Is called the Kourakan Fouga charter. After that Soundiata unifies and divides the provinces of Mandé between the confederate clans: the Keita, the Konaté, the Camara and the Condé will remain the exclusive owners of Manding. According to tradition the king of the serene, Bassy Couloubaly Fall (others speak of Ndiadiane N'diaye), called Djolofin Mansa, stole the gold intended for the purchase of horses to
568-673: Is remembered in Mande oral histories as a cruel, harsh leader. Many Soninke people left the region to escape his rule, and religious persecution drove Muslim traders to abandon Koumbi Saleh for Djenne and Oualata . He beheaded Muslim kings who opposed him. At the Battle of Kirina (c. 1235) the Mandinka prince Sundiata Keita led a coalition of smaller states to soundly defeat the Sosso and kill Soumaoro. Sundiata marched on Sosso itself and destroyed it, marking
639-684: Is reported to have introduced cotton and weaving in Mali. Towards the end of his reign, "absolute security" is reported to have "prevailed throughout his dominion." From a global perspective, the Epic of Sundiata and the Mali Empire is taught in many schools, colleges and universities, not just in West Africa but in many parts of the World. Some scholars such as Ellen Snodgrass and others have observed similarities with
710-443: Is the traditional way of praising someone in some West African societies ( Gambia , Senegal , Mali and Guinea in particular). The name Sundiata praises him through his mother which means "the lion of Sogolon" or "Sogolon's lion" . The name Jata derives from Jara (lion). Jara and many of its variations such as jata , jala or jada are merely regional variations, from Gambia, Guinea or Mali, for instance. Sundiata's name
781-561: Is thus a derivation of his mother's name Sogolon ( Son or its variation Sun ) and Jata (lion). Some Bambaras and Mandinkas have proposed that the name Keita actually means inheritor ( heir-apparent ) in the Mandinka language , and that Sundiata's real surname is Konaté (French spelling in Mali ) or Konateh , variations: Konate, Conateh (English spelling in the Gambia where the Mandinkas make up
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#1732845408017852-589: The Gbara and the Kouroukan Fouga , although not written and even subject to alterations in retelling and when they were first recorded in written form, they were part of the social and political norms of Mali. Many of these laws have been incorporated into the constitution of modern-day Mali . "By unifying the military force of 12 states, Sundiata becomes an emperor known as the Lion King of Mali, who controls tribes from
923-461: The Mandinka and Bambaras hunter brotherhood. This country was famous for the many animals and game that it sheltered, as well as its dense vegetation. It was a very popular hunting ground. The Camara (or Kamara) are considered to be the oldest family to have lived in Manden, after having left, due to the drought, Ouallata, a region of Wagadou, in the south-east of present-day Mauritania . They founded
994-515: The Sankarani River , where a shrine that bears his name still remains today ( Sundiata-dun meaning Sundiata's deep water ). His three sons ( Mansa Wali Keita , Mansa Ouati Keita and Mansa Khalifa Keita ) went on to succeed him as Mansas of the Empire. The famous and notably ostentatious West African ruler Mansa Musa was Sundiata Keita's great-nephew. A strong army was a major contributor to
1065-592: The Soninke -inhabited southern provinces of Ghana and was father to Soumaoro Kante. This narrative has been repeated and enlarged upon by other historians since the early 20th century. It was, however, constructed by haphazardly mixing different oral traditions and inventing information to fill in gaps, and there is in fact no evidence that Diarra had any connection to Soumaoro Kante. Historian Stephen Bühnen has argued that Sosso, rather than being located in Kaniaga south of Wagadu,
1136-597: The Sosso nobility of Kaniaga captured what was left of the sacked Ghana Empire , and by 1180, Diara Kanté (var: Jara Kante ), Soumaoro's father gained control of Koumbi Saleh , dethroned a Muslim dynasty and continued the Diarisso Dynasty (variation: Jariso or Jarisso ) whose son (Soumaoro) went on to succeed him and launched an offensive against the Mandinkas. Delafosse's original work has been refuted and discarded by many scholars including Monteil, Cornevin, etc. There
1207-477: The Traditional African religion . According to Fyle, Soumaoro was the inventor of the balafon and the dan (a four-string guitar used by the hunters and griots). After his victory at Kirina, Sundiata took control of the former conquered states of the Sosso and appropriated privileges among those who participated in the defeat of Soumaoro. The former allies of Soumaoro were also later defeated, in particular
1278-452: The 13th to the late 14th century but began to decline as some vassal states threw away the yoke of Mali and regained their independence. Some of these former vassals went on to form empires of their own. The generally accepted death year of Mansa Sundiata Keita is c. 1255. However, there is very little information regarding his cause of death . Not only are there different versions, mainly modern, but Mandinka tradition forbids disclosing
1349-485: The 13th-century Epic of Sundiata to Walt Disney 's 1994 animated film The Lion King . Disney has maintained that the film was inspired by William Shakespeare 's Hamlet . The 1995 Burkinabe movie Keïta! l'Héritage du griot tells the legend of Sundiata Keita. The video game Age of Empires II HD: The African Kingdoms contains a five-chapter campaign depicting Sundjata. The 4X video game Civilization VI includes Sundiata Keita as an alternate leader for
1420-507: The Great . Claims such as these are referred to by scholars like G. Wesley Johnson as nothing more than "Islamic legitimacy" - in African countries where Islam is now the predominant religion such as Senegal, and where Muslim griots try to link historical African figures to Muhammad either through a line of descent or by claiming that the ancestor of the historical figure belonged to Muhammad's tribe or
1491-447: The King of Mema. The warlords of Mali at the time who were his age group included: Tabon Wana, Kamadia Kamara (or Kamadia Camara), Faony Condé, Siara Kuman Konaté and Tiramakhan Traore (many variations: "Trimaghan" or "Tiramaghan", the future conqueror of Kaabu ). It was on the plain of Siby (var: Sibi) where they formed a pact brotherhood in order to liberate their country and people from
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#17328454080171562-733: The Mandingo country and the Faleme valley. First fighting between the French troops and those of the almamy Samory Touré, in the eastern part of the Mandingo country. This is the beginning of a struggle that spans the next seventeen years. Samory's troops were dispersed in April 1883 by Borgnis-Desbordes along the Oyako, a few kilometres south of Bamako. The Manding region is colonized by France. Gallieni, who received in Nango
1633-594: The Mandingo country, to the troops of Samory. They took their revenge in January 1886, which led to the signing of the Treaty of Kéniéba-Koura, not ratified by Paris because of its imprecision. The former French Sudan receives the name, after a new administrative transformation, of «territory of Senegal and Niger». Kayes' delegate now reports to the Governor of West Africa, separate from the Governor of Senegal. New decree reorganizing
1704-512: The Niger River west to the Atlantic Ocean. Walt Disney Studios reprised the story of Sundiata in 1994 as an animated film, The Lion King , with animals substituting for the humans of Mali legend." Ellen Snodgrass Sundiata Keita was not merely a conqueror who was able to rule over a large empire with different tribes and languages, but also developed Mali's mechanisms for agriculture, and
1775-513: The Ocean twice but it was a failure. He reigns two years. Moussa Keita became king of Mali and between 1324 and 1325 he made his famous pilgrimage to Mecca. the empire of Mande was at its peak. Between 1337 and 1341 Maghan I becomes Mansa and the Mossi of the Yatenga loot and occupy Timbuktu. In 1352 Suleiman becomes mansa. At the death of the latter troubles affect the royal court. Ndiadiane N'diaye founds
1846-522: The Sosso Empire, and reflect a gradual process of emigration as the Ghana Empire expanded and warred rather than a single cataclysmic population shift. Manding region Manding , Manden or even Mandé is a region located in West Africa , a space between southern Mali and eastern Guinea . It is the historic home of the Mandinka community. The Malinke are at the origin of the foundation of
1917-457: The West, with him will come Mansa Waali (son of Soundiata), Djeli Sirimang (brother of Balla Fasseké), Yedali and Yamoussa Kanté (of the clan of Soumaoro). In 1255 Soundiata died under mysterious circumstances. Following the death of his father, Mansa Oulé, son of Soundiata became emperor. during his reign he subdued the Songhai of Gao and enlarged the territory of the empire. In the same period, one of
1988-574: The brief period of anarchy, Soundiata's nephew, Aboubakari Keita I becomes mansa. He died in 1285 and will be replaced by Sakoura freed slave that usurped the throne. Sakoura annexed the Kingdom of Diarra. Now Mali went from Manding to the Atlantic The reign of Sakoura lasted from 1285 to 1300. He will be replaced by Gaou who reigns for 5 years and will be replaced by Mansa Ko Mamadi who reigns for 5 years also. Abubakari Keita II becomes king and tries to cross
2059-401: The burial ground of their great kings. According to some, he died of drowning while trying to cross the Sankarani River , near Niani. If one is to believe Delafosse , he was "accidentally killed by an arrow during a ceremony." Others have maintained that he was assassinated at a public demonstration, also known as a Gitten . At present, the generally accepted cause of death is drowning in
2130-596: The century after Sundiata's death, and providing independent verification of his existence. The semi-historical but legendary Epic of Sundiata by the Malinké/Maninka people centers on his life. The epic poem is primarily known through oral tradition , transmitted by generations of Maninka griots ( djeli or jeliw ). The Manden Charter issued during his reign is listed by UNESCO as one of an intangible cultural heritage. The oral traditions relating to Sundiata Keita were passed down generation after generation by
2201-699: The claim that, the Jolofing Mansa sided with Sumaguru [or Soumaoro ] because "like him, he was hostile to Islam." He went on to state that: In his piece in the General History of Africa , Volume 4, p. 133, Djibril Tamsir Niane alludes to Sundiata being a Muslim. According to Fage , there is nothing in the original epos that supports the claim. Sundiata is regarded as a great hunter and magician whose subjects predominantly adhered to traditional beliefs , as did Sundiata. However, some of Sundiata's successors were Muslim, with Mansa Musa Keita being one of
Sosso Empire - Misplaced Pages Continue
2272-403: The clanic name of Konaté which means: to whom no one will say no. Dankaran Toumani Konaté son of Naré Maghan, inherits the throne of his father while a prophecy wants it to be his younger Diata takes the throne. Following the enthronement of Dankaran, Soundiata and his mother go into exile from Mande and leave for Mema. During this period the king of Sosso, Soumaoro Kanté, ravaged what remained of
2343-481: The death of Naré Maghann (the king and father of Sundiata). To escape persecution and threats on her son's life, Sogolon took her children, Sundiata and his sisters, into exile. This exile lasted for many years and took them to different countries within the Ghana Empire and eventually to Mema , where the king of Mema granted them asylum. Sundiata was admired by the King of Mema for his courage and tenacity. As such, he
2414-580: The empire of Ghana and plundered the Mande. Following the arrival of Soumaoro Kanté at Manding, Dankaran Toumani fled the country and moved to what would become Kissidougou. Following the escape of Dankaran Toumani, the Malinkés remembered the prophecy and went in search of Soundiata who lived in Mema and became a great hunter. Fakoli Doumbia or Kourouma, nephew of Soumaoro Kanté joined the Mandingues coalition following
2485-451: The first states of West Africa, according to the Mandinka tradition, is a country whose origins date back to the time of Sundiata Keïta (13th century). Manding is the province from which the Mali Empire started, under the leadership of Sundiata Keïta Hunters from Wagadou (or Ouagadou) founded Mandy, the Mandingo country, notably the mythical ancestors Kontron and Sanin, at the origin of
2556-515: The first village of Mandé, Kirikoroni, then Kirina, Siby , and Kita . The Mandé primitive was made up of twelve provinces and it seems to have been a confederation of the main Malinke tribes: Konaté, Condé, Traoré and Doumbia (also called Kourouma). Many of the families that make up the Mandinka community were born in Manding. The first kings of Mande were hunters, Hamama was the first king. Mamadi Kani
2627-529: The following period, the Bambaras de Ségou established themselves as the dominant power in the region. The founder of their kingdom, established in the central delta of Niger, is Kaladian Coulibaly whose son, Danfassari, created the capital of Segou Koro near present-day Segou7. The Scottish Mungo Park reaches the Bambara kingdom of Kaarta. He cannot enter Segou but goes as far as Bamako before returning to Gambia through
2698-468: The general government of French West Africa and restoring its former boundaries to French Sudan, renamed «Haut-Sénégal et Niger». A decree gives the colony of Upper Senegal and Niger its previous name of «French Sudan». The term comes from the term “Bilad es Sudan” of the Arabs, which referred to the “Black Country”. It is under this name that the future Mali will be designated until independence Proclamation of
2769-451: The generals of Soundiata, Moussa-Son-Koroma Sissoko, believing that Mansa Oulé did not make sufficient use of his services, settled in Koundian and founded the kingdom of Bambouk, vassal of Mali. Mansa Oulé is replaced by Ouri Keita who reigns between 1270 and 1274, who is replaced by Khalifa between 1274 and 1275. After Khalifa's death, a brief period of anarchy took place in Mali. Following
2840-444: The growth of the Sosso Empire, but only the name Soumaoro has been remembered, and so all the accomplishments are credited to him. Colonial-era historian Maurice Delafosse asserted that Diarisso dynasty ruled Kaniaga until 1180, when a series of weak-willed and quarrelous brothers brought the kingdom to its knees through civil war until they were overthrown by a mercenary general, Kemoko or Diarra Kante, who gradually came to dominate
2911-541: The horses". In a revenge attack, Sundiata sent his general to Jolof to assassinate the king. It is believed that, it was probably this king of Jolof (known as Mansa Jolofing or Jolofing Mansa) who sided with Soumaoro at The Battle of Kirina and possibly belongs to the Ngom Dynasty of Jolof, the predecessors of the Diaw and Ndiaye Dynasties of Jolof. At present, little is known about the Ngom Dynasty of Jolof. Niane has advanced
Sosso Empire - Misplaced Pages Continue
2982-493: The independence of Mali. The Manden will find itself entering the South of the former French Sudan which became Mali in reference to this same region and its empire Sundiata Keita Sundiata Keita ( Mandinka , Malinke : [sʊndʒæta keɪta] ; c. 1217 – c. 1255, N'Ko spelling: ߛߏ߲߬ߖߘߊ߬ ߞߋߕߊ߬ ; also known as Manding Diara , Lion of Mali , Sogolon Djata , son of Sogolon, Nare Maghan and Sogo Sogo Simbon Salaba )
3053-502: The intervention of a mercenary named Diarra, so weakened the state that it became easy prey for Soumaoro Kante, an event that Heinrich Barth dated to approximately 1203. He conquered Diarra and Gajaaga and subdued the Mandinka chieftaincies to the south, where the important goldfields of Bure were located. Dialonkadugu was also a Soso province. Besides the capital of Sosso, four major cities have been remembered in oral history: Kukuba, Bantamba, Nyemi-Nyemi, and Kambasiga. Kukuba
3124-551: The junction between the Mandingos of the West and the Mandingos of the East. In 1650 the Peuls of Macina and the Bambaras of Ségou ravaged what remained of the empire of Mali. The last Mandé ruler, Mama Maghan , besieged Ségou but had to give up and admit defeat in 1670. He retired to Kangaba, reduced to the rank of a simple local leader. At that time, the empire of Mali is only a memory. During
3195-491: The king of Jolof . Serer oral tradition speaks of a Serer king of Jolof, involved in the occult (just as Soumaoro), who was later defeated by Tiramakhan Traore (one of the generals of Sundiata) after Sundiata sent his men to buy horses in Jolof. It is reported that, when Sundiata sent his men to Jolof to buy horses in a caravan loaded with gold, the king of Jolof took all the gold and horses – known among some as "the robbery of
3266-508: The kingdom of Djolof which takes its independence aims towards Mali. Between 1360 and 1374 reign Mari Diata II, grandson of Moussa Keita. He will be replaced by Moussa who reigns for 6 years and is dismissed by Mari Diata. The reign of Mari Diata lasted 7 years because he will be killed during an expedition in Bornou. He will be replaced by Maghan II brother of Moussa. In this period Mema, Gao and Djenné regain their independence from Mali. Santigui,
3337-578: The kingdom's end. When the Soso empire collapsed, the entire Kaniaga region was incorporated into Sundiata's Mali Empire . The reuslting upheaval led to massive population movements, with the remains of the Sosso either moving west into Senegambia or south into the Futa Jallon , where they became the ancestors of the Susu and Yalunka peoples . The presence of some or all of these Mande peoples may, however, predate
3408-896: The largest empires in West Africa. Among the many groups linked to or originating from Manding, there are the Bambara , the Dyula , the Khassonke , the Konianké, the Mahou, Koyaka , the Dafing, the Bobo-Dioula and the Kuranko . According to Camara Laye, transcribing the words of griot Babou Condé, the name "Mandén" means "child of the hippopotamus" ("Man" meaning "hippopotamus" or "manatee" and "den" "child"). The climate of Mande
3479-400: The largest ethnic group). It is proposed that Sundiata Keita's father, Naré Maghann Konaté , took the real family name Konaté while his successors were "Keitas in waiting" (heirs to the throne). The name Keita is a clan name rather than a surname . Although in some West African societies a clan can be similar to the family name (see Joof family ), such similarities do not exist between
3550-459: The last great Bainuk king (King Kikikor ) and annexed his state. The great Kikikor was killed and his kingdom was renamed Kaabu. Sundiata was responsible for the conquest of Diafunu and Kita . Although the conquered states were answerable to the Mansa ( king ) of Mali, Sundiata was not an absolute monarch despite what the title implies. Though he probably wielded popular authority, the Mali Empire
3621-399: The local griots ( djeli or jeliw ), until eventually their stories were put into writing. Sundiata was the son of Naré Maghann Konaté (variation: Maghan Konfara ) and Sogolon Condé (variations: "Sogolon Kolonkan" or "Sogolon Kédjou", the daughter of the "buffalo woman" , so-called because of her ugliness and hunchback). Sundiata was crippled from childhood and his mother (Sogolon) was
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#17328454080173692-498: The messengers of Soundiata. This insolence was a casus-belli and is at the origin of the long campaign of Tiramaghan towards the West. After the affront of Djolofin Mansa, Soundiata sends Tiramakhan Traoré to a peaceful country. After his triumphant return to the Manding Tiramakhan received as reward all the lands of the Faleme to the sea, it allowed him to found the kingdom of Kaabu. Around 1240 Tiramakhan and his clan emigrated to
3763-522: The most prominent, he went on to conquer other states. The lands of the old Ghana Empire were conquered. The king of Jolof was defeated by Tiramakhan and his kingdom reduced to a vassal state. After defeating the former ally of Soumaoro, Tiramakhan ventured deep into present-day Senegal , the Gambia and Guinea Bissau and conquered them. Tiramakhan was responsible for the conquest of the Senegambia . In Kaabu (part of present-day Guinea Bissau), he defeated
3834-415: The most widely known. The explorer Ibn Battuta, who visited Mali during the reign of Sundiata's great-nephew Suleyman , claimed that Mansa Musa's grandfather was named Sariq Jata and had converted to Islam. This may be a reference to Sundiata, though if so Ibn Battuta was apparently mistaken about the genealogy, as Musa's grandfather was Sundiata's brother Mande Bory. Other medieval Arabic sources claim that
3905-407: The names Keita and Konaté . Both points of contention agree that Keita is not a real surname, but rather a royal name, in spite of the fact that Sundiata is referred to as Sundiata Keita in many scholarly works. At present, there is no consensus among the scholars regarding the name Sundiata Konaté. Delafosse previously proposed that, Soumaoro Kanté 's grandfather with the help of his army and
3976-465: The period between 1443 and 1464, the Mossi loot Oualatta. Around 1450 Moussa III then Oulé II became sovereign of Mali. During this period Sonni Ali ber led several expeditions in the former provinces of Mali. Peuls Denianke from Fouta Djallon invade Mali and Mamadou II (1481-1496) asks for help from the Portuguese Kaabu took advantage of the decline of Mali and gained its independence. This marked
4047-402: The powerful Sosso king. At The Battle of Kirina , Sundiata and his allies defeated the Sosso king, and he became the first Emperor of the Mali Empire . He was the first of the Mandinka line of kings to adopt the royal title Mansa ( king or emperor in the Mandinka language ). The Mandinka epic does not give us dates, but Arab and North African writers who visited the area about
4118-509: The royal bureaucracy and army, and serving as governors of provinces. Soumaoro was reputed to have been the head of all the royal slaves and a governor of a province in northern Beledougou. Oral histories collected in Sokolo and Goumbou claim that the Diarrisso family ruled Wagadu at the time. A civil war between two groups of half-brothers over the succession broke out. Repeated conflict, including
4189-522: The subject of ridicule among her co-wives. She was constantly teased and ridiculed openly for her son's disability. This significantly affected Sundiata and he was determined to do everything he possibly could in order to walk like his peers. Through this determination, he one day miraculously got up and walked. Among his peers, he became a leader. His paternal half-brother, Dankaran Touman , and Dankaran's mother, Sassouma Bereté , were cruel and resentful of Sundiata and his mother. Their cruelty escalated after
4260-400: The success of Imperial Mali during the reign of Mansa Sundiata Keita. Credit to Mali's conquests cannot all be attributed to Sundiata Keita but equally shared among his generals, and in this, Tiramakhan Traore stood out as one of the elite generals and warlords of Sundiata's Imperial Mali. However, in a wider perspective of 13th century West African military history , Sundiata stood out as
4331-413: The theft of his wife by the latter. During this period Soundiata and Soumaoro clashed at Kirina and Narena in Mande. Following these battles Soumaoro was defeated by Soundiata and he hid in the mountains of Koulikoro and disappeared. After this victory Soundiata, now Mansa, reunites his allies in Kaaba (Kangaba) for the Kourakan Fouga. Soundiata structured the Mandingo society and the hunters will create what
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#17328454080174402-406: The treaty signed on March 10 by Ahmadou, finds Borgnis-Desbordes in Kita. It then appears that, by playing with the Arabic translation, the treaty agreed to by Ahmadou falls far short of French requirements. The region between Sénégambie and Niger becomes the Haut-Fleuve region; its capital is Kayes. The French of Commander Combes must withdraw after the battle at Niagassola, in the north-west of
4473-458: The word for horse, as the kingdom had a monopoly on the horse trade vis-a-vis its southern neighbors. The capital was a town of that name still exists in Mali, near Boron in the Koulikoro Region . Oral histories, not to mention the Western written histories derived from them, can compress events and people from different periods into single narratives, obscuring the historical facts. There may have been multiple Kante kings who were responsible for
4544-470: Was Soumaoro Kante 's personal fortress from which he waged war on the Manding chiefdoms to the south. Today known as Koulouba, the site, on a cliff overlooking Bamako , holds the presidential palace of Mali . Bantamba, the site of Soumaoro's 'war medicine' and fire oracle, is possibly the city of Banamba . Nyemi-Nyemi may refer to the city of Niamina , near the important ritual center of Niamanko where young blacksmiths were trained and initiated. Soumaoro
4615-695: Was a king hunter like the first kings of Manding. It was Mamadi Kani who invented the Sïmbon or whistle of hunter, he entered in communication with the geniuses of the forest and the bush; these had no secrets for him, he was loved by Kondolon Ni Sané. Mamadi Kani was the kingdom until the Bouré and bequeathed it to his sons Kanyogo simbo, Kani Simbo, Kabala Simbo and Kabari Simbo. At Manding reign Moussa Balla Djigui Doumbia Karatabougou dit Allakoi; grandson of Hamama. Muslim devotee he made his pilgrimage to Mecca. He will be replaced by his son Naré Maghan Kon Fatta king of Dakadjalan. Faramanko keignou (the beautiful in Malinke), nickname of Naré Maghan Kon Fatta, will receive
4686-446: Was a prince and founder of the Mali Empire . He was also the great-uncle of the Malian ruler Mansa Musa , who is usually regarded as the wealthiest person of all time, although there are no reliable ways to accurately calculate his wealth. Written sources augment the Mande oral histories, with the Moroccan traveller Muhammad ibn Battúta (1304–1368) and the Tunisian historian ibn Khaldun (1332–1406) both having travelled to Mali in
4757-425: Was given a senior position within the kingdom. When King Soumaoro Kanté of Sosso conquered the Mandinka people, messengers were sent to go and look for Sogolon and her children, as Sundiata was destined to be a great leader according to prophecy. Upon finding him in Mema, they persuaded him to come back in order to liberate the Mandinkas and their homeland. On his return, he was accompanied by an army given to him by
4828-406: Was in fact centered in the Futa Jallon . This theory has not, however, been generally accepted by other Africanists, and is a minority position among griots , who have associated Sosso the empire with Sosso the village since the 1880s. The Sosso originated as a clan of slaves of the Kaya Magha of the Ghana Empire , part of the group of Kusa lineages, who gradually accumulated power, populating
4899-419: Was no Diara Kanté in the oral sources. That was an addition by Delafosee which was contrary to the original sources. The consensus is, in c. 1235, Sundiata who had survived one of Soumaoro's earlier raids went to war with the help of his allies against King Soumaoro of Sosso. Although a valiant warrior, Soumaoro was defeated at The Battle of Kirina (c. 1235). Soumaoro is regarded as one of the true champions of
4970-495: Was one of his followers (an attempt to distance them from their traditional African religious past). Although Sundiata was not a Muslim, it is clear that the original epic of Sundiata was later affected by what Ralph Austen calls "Islamicate" culture—that is, the integration of Islamic and Arab culture. After his victory at Kirina, Mansa Sundiata established his capital at Niani , near the present-day Malian border with Guinea . Assisted by his generals, Tiramakhan being one of
5041-425: Was reportedly run like a federation with each tribe having a chief representative at the court. The first tribes were Mandinka clans of Traore, Kamara, Koroma, Konde (or Conde ), and of course Keita. The Great Gbara Assembly was in charge of checking the Mansa's power, enforcing his edicts among their people, and selecting the successor (usually the Mansa's son, brother or sister's son). The Empire flourished from
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