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80-666: 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

160-472: A kafu (confederation) headed by a kafu-tigi . The Keita clan initially held the status of kafu-tigi before Sundiata 's expansion and the creation of the mansa (king/emperor). The Mandinka people have traditionally been a socially stratified society, as are many West African ethnic groups with castes . The Mandinka society, states Arnold Hughes, a professor of West African Studies and African Politics, has been "divided into three endogamous castes –

240-598: A marabout , who knows the protective formulas. In most cases, the people do not make important decisions without first consulting a marabout. Marabouts, who have Islamic training, write Qur'anic verses on slips of paper and sew them into leather pouches ( talisman ); these are worn as protective amulets. The conversion of the Mandinka to Islam took place over many centuries. According to Robert Wyndham Nicholls, Mandinka in Senegambia started converting to Islam as early as

320-526: A chief and group of elders. Mandinka has been an oral society , where mythologies, history and knowledge are verbally transmitted from one generation to the next. Their music and literary traditions are preserved by a caste of griots , known locally as jalolu (singular, jali ), as well as guilds and brotherhoods like the donso ( hunters ). Between the 16th and 19th centuries, many Muslim and non-Muslim Mandinka people, along with numerous other African ethnic groups, were captured, enslaved and shipped to

400-566: A contrasting account, and states that Traore himself had converted and married Muhammad 's granddaughter. The Traore's marriage with a Muhammad's granddaughter, states Toby Green, is fanciful, but these conflicting oral histories suggest that Islam had arrived well before the 13th century and had a complex interaction with the Mandinka people. Through a series of conflicts, primarily with the Fula -led jihads under Imamate of Futa Jallon , many Mandinka converted to Islam. In contemporary West Africa,

480-456: A council of upper-class elders and a chief who functions as a first among equals. In Mandinka society the lu (extended family) is the basic unit, and is led by a fa (family head) who manages relations with other fa . A dugu (village) is formed by a collection of lu , and the dugu is led by the fa of the most important lu , aided by the dugu-tigi ( village head or fa of the first lu that settled there). A group of dugu-tigi form

560-487: A cow's tendons). It is played to accompany a griot's singing or simply on its own. A Mandinka religious and cultural site under consideration for World Heritage status is located in Guinea at Gberedou/Hamana . The kora has become the hallmark of traditional Mandinka musicians ". The kora with its 21 strings is made from half a calabash, covered with cow's hide fastened on by decorative tacks. The kora has sound holes in

640-641: 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

720-485: A part of many fragmented kingdoms that formed after the collapse of Ghana empire in the 11th century. During the rule of Sundiata Keita , these kingdoms were consolidated, and the Mandinka expanded west from the Niger River basin under Sundiata's general Tiramakhan Traore . This expansion was a part of creating a region of conquest, according to the oral tradition of the Mandinka people. This migration began in

800-608: A professor of African American Religious History, Musa was highly influential in attracting North African and Middle Eastern Muslims to West Africa. The Mandinka people of Mali converted early, but those who migrated to the west did not convert and retained their traditional religious rites. One of the legends among the Mandingo of western Africa is that the general Tiramakhan Traore led the migration, because people in Mali had converted to Islam and he did not want to. Another legend gives

880-512: A rich oral history that is passed down through sung versions by griots . This passing down of oral history through music has made the practice of music one of the most distinctive traits of the Mandinka. They have long been known for their drumming and also for their unique musical instrument, the kora . The kora is a twenty-one-stringed West African harp made from a halved, dried, hollowed-out gourd covered with cow or goat skin. The strings are made of fishing line (these were traditionally made from

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960-463: A third group expanded with Fakoli Kourouma. With the migration, many gold artisans and metal working Mandinka smiths settled along the coast and in the hilly Fouta Djallon and plateau areas of West Africa. Their presence and products attracted Mandika merchants and brought trading caravans from north Africa and the eastern Sahel , states Toby Green – a professor of African History and Culture. It also brought conflicts with other ethnic groups, such as

1040-586: Is Bamako , the capital of Mali. The Mandinka are the descendants of the Mali Empire , which rose to power in the 13th century under the rule of king Sundiata Keita , who founded an empire that would go on to span a large part of West Africa. They migrated west from the Niger River in search of better agricultural lands and more opportunities for conquest. Nowadays, the Mandinka inhabit the West Sudanian savanna region extending from The Gambia and

1120-456: 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

1200-734: 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

1280-526: Is evidenced in the memoirs of the 14th century Moroccan traveller and Islamic historian Ibn Battuta . Slaves were part of the socially stratified Mandinka people, and several Mandinka language words, such as Jong or Jongo refer to slaves. There were fourteen Mandinke kingdoms along the Gambia River in the Senegambia region during the early 19th century, for example, where slaves were a part of

1360-479: Is made in the village or compound for the return of the children. A celebration marks the return of these new adults to their families. As a result of these traditional teachings, in marriage a woman's loyalty remains to her parents and her family; a man's to his. The women among the Mandinka people, like other ethnic groups near them, have traditionally practiced female genital mutilation (FGM), traditionally referred to as "female circumcision." According to UNICEF ,

1440-496: Is minimal; the literacy rate in Latin script among these Mandinka is quite low. But, more than half the adult population can read the local Arabic script (including Mandinka Ajami ). Small Qur'anic schools for children where this is taught are quite common. Mandinka children are given their name on the eighth day after their birth. The children are almost always named after a very important person in their family. The Mandinka have

1520-690: 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

1600-409: Is the predominant profession among the Mandinka, men also work as tailors, butchers, taxi drivers, woodworkers, metalworkers, soldiers, nurses, and extension workers for aid agencies. Today, most Mandinka people practice Islam . Some Mandinka syncretise Islam and traditional African religions . Among these syncretists, it is believed that spirits can be controlled mainly through the power of

1680-867: The Americas . They intermixed with slaves and workers of other ethnicities, creating a Creole culture. The Mandinka people significantly influenced the African heritage of descended peoples now found in Brazil , the Southern United States and, to a lesser extent, the Caribbean . The history of Mandinka, as with many Mandé peoples, begins with the Ghana Empire , also known as Wagadu. Mande hunters founded communities in Manden , which would become

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1760-536: The Casamance region in Senegal , Mali , Guinea and Guinea Bissau . Although widespread, the Mandinka constitute the largest ethnic group only in the countries of Mali, Guinea and The Gambia. Most Mandinka live in family-related compounds in traditional rural villages. Their traditional society has featured socially stratified castes. Mandinka communities have been fairly autonomous and self-ruled, being led by

1840-465: 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

1920-602: 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,

2000-515: The Wolof people , particularly the Jolof Empire . The caravan trade to North Africa and Middle East brought Islamic people into Mandinka people's original and expanded home region. The Muslim traders sought presence in the host Mandinka community, and this likely initiated proselytizing efforts to convert the Mandinka from their traditional religious beliefs into Islam. In Ghana , for example,

2080-602: The 13th century. The Mandinka castes are hereditary, and marriages outside the caste was forbidden. Their caste system is similar to those of other ethnic groups of the African Sahel region. These castes are also common across Mandinka communities such as those in The Gambia , Mali , Guinea , and other countries. The Mandinka practice a rite of passage, kuyangwoo , which marks the beginning of adulthood for their children. At an age between four and fourteen,

2160-478: The 16th and 19th centuries. The Portuguese considered slave sources in Guinea and Senegambia parts of Mandinka territory as belonging to them; their 16th to 18th-century slave trade-related documents refer to "our Guinea" and complain about slave traders from other European nations superseding them in the slave trade. Their slave exports from this region nearly doubled in the second half of the 18th century compared to

2240-558: The 17th century, and most of Mandinka leatherworkers there converted to Islam before the 19th century. Mandinka musicians, however, were last, converting to Islam mostly in the first half of the 20th century. As in other locales, these Muslims have continued some of their pre-Islamic religious practices as well, such as their annual rain ceremony and "sacrifice of the black bull" to their past deities. Most Mandinka live in family-related compounds in traditional rural villages. Mandinka villages are fairly autonomous and self-ruled, being led by

2320-672: The Almoravids had divided its capital into two parts by 1077, one part was Muslim and the other non-Muslim. The Muslim influence from North Africa had arrived in the Mandinka region before this, via Islamic trading diasporas. In 1324, Mansa Musa who ruled Mali , went on Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca with a caravan carrying gold. Shihab al-Umari , the Arabic historian, described his visit and stated that Musa built mosques in his kingdom, established Islamic prayers and took back Maliki school of Sunni jurists with him. According to Richard Turner –

2400-468: The Caribbean until the period between the mid-18th through to the 19th century. During these years, slave trade records show that nearly 33% of the slaves from Senegambia and Guinea-Bissau coasts were Mandinka people. Hawthorne suggests three causes of Mandinka people being taken captive as slaves during this era: small-scale jihads by Muslims against non-Muslim Mandinka, non-religious reasons such as

2480-702: 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

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2560-608: 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

2640-465: The Mandinka are predominantly Muslim, with a few regions where significant portions of the population are not Muslim, such as Guinea Bissau, where 35 percent of the Mandinka practice Islam, more than 20 percent are Christian, and 15 percent follow traditional beliefs. Slave raiding, capture and trading in the Mandinka regions may have existed in significant numbers before the European colonial era, as

2720-422: The Mandinka since pre-Islamic days. A Mandinka man is legally allowed to have up to four wives, as long as he is able to care for each of them equally. Mandinka believe the crowning glory of any woman is the ability to produce children, especially sons. The first wife has authority over any subsequent wives. The husband has complete control over his wives and is responsible for feeding and clothing them. He also helps

2800-522: 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

2880-633: The Portuguese, primarily from the Jolof people, along with some Mandinka, started in the 15th century, states Green, but the earliest evidence of a trade involving Mandinka slaves is from and after 1497 CE. In parallel with the start of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the institution of slavery and slave-trading of West Africans into the Mediterranean region and inside Africa continued as a historic normal practice. Slavery grew significantly between

2960-593: 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

3040-461: 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

3120-585: 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

3200-613: The centers of this slavery-perpetuating violence. Farim of Kaabu (the commander of Mandinka people in Kaabu) energetically hunted for slaves on a large scale. Martin Klein (a professor of African Studies) states that Kaabu was one of the early suppliers of African slaves to European merchants. The historian Walter Rodney states that Mandinka and other ethnic groups already held slaves who had inherited slavery by birth, and who could be sold. The Islamic armies from Sudan had long established

3280-403: 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

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3360-560: The economic greed of Islamic elites who wanted imports of goods and tools from the coast, and attacks by the Fula people on the Mandinka's Kaabu , with consequent cycle of violence. In the 21st century, the Mandinka continue as rural subsistence farmers who rely on peanuts , rice , millet , maize , and small-scale husbandry for their livelihood. During the wet season , men plant peanuts as their main cash crop. Men also grow millet. The women grow rice (traditionally, African rice ), tending

3440-595: 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

3520-399: The female genital mutilation practices. Marriages are traditionally arranged by family members rather than by either the bride or groom. This practice is particularly prevalent in the rural areas. The suitor's family formally sends Kola nuts, a bitter nut from a tree, to the male elders of the bride-to-be. If they accept the nuts, the courtship may begin. Polygamy has been practiced among

3600-540: The female genital mutilation prevalence rates among the Mandinka of The Gambia is the highest at over 96%, followed by FGM among the women of the Jola people at 91%, and Fula people at 88%. Among the Mandinka women of some other countries of West Africa, the FGM prevalence rates are lower, but still range between 40% and 90%. This cultural practice, locally called Niaka or Kuyungo or Musolula Karoola or Bondo , involves

3680-400: 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

3760-525: 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

3840-467: The first, and most of these slaves disembarked in Brazil. Scholars have offered several theories on the source of the transatlantic slave trade of Mandinka people. According to Boubacar Barry, a professor of History and African Studies, chronic violence between ethnic groups such as the Mandinka people and their neighbours, combined with weapons sold by slave traders and lucrative income from slave ships to

3920-539: 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

4000-441: The freeborn ( foro ), slaves ( jongo ), and artisans and praise singers ( nyamolo ). The freeborn castes are primarily farmers. The enslaved strata included labor providers to the farmers, as well as leather workers, pottery makers, metal smiths, griots , and others. The Mandinka Muslim clerics and scribes have traditionally been considered a separate occupational caste called Jakhanke , with their Islamic roots traceable to about

4080-472: 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

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4160-456: 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

4240-444: 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

4320-521: 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 Mandinka people Western Maninka , Eastern Maninka , Kita Maninka language , Mandinka The Mandinka or Malinke are a West African ethnic group primarily found in southern Mali , The Gambia , southern Senegal and eastern Guinea . Numbering about 11 million, they are

4400-502: 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

4480-564: 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

4560-512: 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,

4640-592: 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

4720-940: 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

4800-425: The largest subgroup of the Mandé peoples and one of the largest ethnolinguistic groups in Africa . They speak the Manding languages in the Mande language family, which are a lingua franca in much of West Africa. Virtually all of Mandinka people are adherent to Islam , mostly based on the Maliki jurisprudence. They are predominantly subsistence farmers and live in rural villages. Their largest urban center

4880-419: The later part of the 13th century. The beginnings of Mandinka We originated from Tumbuktu in the land of the Mandinka: the Arabs were our neighbours there... All the Mandinka came from Mali to Kaabu . — Mandinka de Bijini , Transl: Toby Green The oral traditions in Guinea-Bissau Another group of Mandinka people, under Faran Kamara – the son of the king of Tabou – expanded southeast of Mali, while

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4960-437: 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

5040-426: The partial or total removal of the clitoris, or alternatively, the partial or total removal of the labia minora with the clitoris. Some surveys, such as those by the Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices (GAMCOTRAP), estimate FGM is prevalent among 100% of the Mandinka in Gambia . In 2010, after community efforts of UNICEF and the local government bodies, several Mandinka women's organization pledged to abandon

5120-406: 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

5200-434: The plants by hand. This is extremely labour-intensive and physically demanding work. Only about 50% of the rice consumption needs are met by local planting; the rest is imported from Asia and the United States. The oldest male is the head of the family, and marriages are commonly arranged. Small mud houses with conical thatch or tin roofs make up their villages, which are organised on the basis of clan groups. While farming

5280-419: The political and cultural center of the Mandinka, but also in Bambuk and the Senegal river valley. The Mande diaspora from Ghana extended from the Atlantic Ocean to Gao . The mythical ancestors of the Malinké and the Bambara people are Kontron and Sanin, the founding "hunter brotherhood". Manden was famous for the large number of animals and game that it sheltered, as well as its dense vegetation, so

5360-464: The practice of slave raids and trade. Fula jihad from Futa Jallon plateau perpetuated and expanded this practice. These jihads captured the highest number of slaves to sell to Portuguese traders at the ports controlled by Mandinka people. The insecure ethnic groups, states Rodney, stopped working productively and tried to withdraw for security, which made their social and economic conditions more desperate. Though less powerful, such groups also joined

5440-406: The retaliatory cycle of slave raids and violence. Walter Hawthorne (a professor of African History) states that the Barry and Rodney explanation was not universally true for all of Senegambia and Guinea, where high concentrations of Mandinka people have traditionally lived. Hawthorne says that numerous Mandinka were not exported to the various European colonies in North America, South America and

5520-409: 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

5600-431: The slave sellers, fed the practice of groups raiding for captives, conducting manhunts, and taking slaves. The victimised ethnic group felt justified in retaliating. Slavery was already an accepted practice before the 15th century, when most enslaved people were taken on routes to North Africa and western Asia by Arab traders. As the demand grew, states Barry, Futa Jallon, led by an Islamic military theocracy, became one of

5680-410: The social strata in all these kingdoms. According to Toby Green, selling slaves along with gold was already a significant part of the trans-Saharan caravan trade across the Sahel between West Africa and the Middle East after the 13th century. With the arrival of Portuguese explorers in Africa as they looked for a sea route to India, the European purchase of slaves had begun. The shipment of slaves by

5760-465: 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

5840-517: 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

5920-412: The wives' parents when necessary. Wives are expected to live together in harmony , at least superficially. They share work responsibilities of the compound, such as cooking, laundry, and other tasks. Mandinka culture is rich in tradition, music, and spiritual ritual. The Mandinka continue a long oral history tradition through stories, songs, and proverbs. In rural areas, the influence of western education

6000-579: 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

6080-430: The youngsters have their genitalia ritually mutilated (see articles on male and female genital mutilation ), in separate groups according to their sex. In years past, the children spent up to a year in the bush, but that has been reduced now to coincide with their physical healing time, between three and four weeks. During this time, they learn about their adult social responsibilities and rules of behaviour. Preparation

6160-470: 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

6240-854: 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

6320-459: Was a very popular hunting ground. The Camara (or Kamara) are believed to be the oldest family to have lived in Manden, after having left Wagadou, due to drought. They founded the first village of Manding, Kiri, then Kirina, Siby , Kita . A very large number of families that make up the Mandinka community were born in Manden. Manding is the province from which the Mali Empire started, under the leadership of Sundiata Keita . The Manden were initially

6400-464: 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

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