God has his mysteries which none can fathom. You, perhaps, will be a king. You can do nothing about it. You, on the other hand, will be unlucky, but you can do nothing about that either. Each man finds his way already marked out for him and he can change nothing of it.
The Start of the Mali Empire
Phrases such as Mansa, Timbuktu, and Djenne, may not mean much to a lot of people today, but there is a time when these phrases carried weight and great pride. Between 1240AD and 1645AD stood one of the most famous ancient African Empires – The Kingdom of Mali.
The match that ignited the empire was lit in 1235 when Sundiata of the Keita clan went up against Sumanguru Kante, the King of Sosso. The battle was to be known as the batte of Kirina or siege of Karina.
Sundiata was born around 1217 to Nare Fa (the king of Niani) and Sogolon Kédjou. Sogolon was Nare’s second wife and their son’s name was taken from it’s mother’s first name (Sogolon) and the Father’s surname (Djata). Combined in the rapidly spoken language of the Mandinka, the names formed Sondjata, Sundjata or Sundiata Keita. The anglicized version of this name, Sundiata, is also popular.
Despite having an older son (Dankaran Touman) with his first wife, Nare has wished for Sundiata to rule, however after his death Dankaran was crowned instead. To further cement his authority, Dankaran sent Sundiata into exile, along with his mother and two sisters.
Unfortunately Dankaran’s rule did not last as he was forced to flee into exile himself when King of Soso, King Soumaoro set his eyes on Niani.
Battle of Kirina
While in exile, Sundiata was visited by delegation from Niani and convinced to return and battle Sosso. Eventually he agreed, and set to gather support from several groups who had grown in opposition to the Sosso Kingdom.
The combined army which consisted of Mema, Wagadou, and the other rebellious Mandika city-states started the revolt in 1234, and by 1235 the Sosso army had been defeated.
Sundiata was declared “King of Kings” and given the title “Mansa”, which translates to Emperor at the age of 18. He had gained dominion over 12 kingdoms in an alliance know as the Manden Kurufa and crowned under the throne name Mari Djata.
The victory of Sundiata is often cited as a the beginning of the Mali Emprie, a kingdom that would control west Africa for the next 200 years.
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