The Demise Of An Emperor Before The Atlantic Slave Trade. Robert Harris
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CHAPTER I-The New Birth Of Mali
The sound of thunder rumbled through the hard clay streets as thousands of bare feet and wooden sandals clap the ground. The monarchs approached on their Arabian horses with relentless rumble of defeat smothering their minds.
Mandingo (Mandinka) warriors built strong in the stature of six feet and five inches tall and their bodies the width of a hundred-year-old oak tree. Their muscles stood on their bodies like a mortared log cabin. Spears, Javelins and swords choked by twelve-inch hands to subdue and conquer.
Surprised, and weakened Ghana enriched with their gold mines, salt and copper mines carelessly took their security for granted as they lived in the luxury of their comfort zone in the eighth century to the eleventh century. After the king of Ghana fought alongside with King Sumanguru Kante of Sosso to overthrow the ruler of Kangaba, Nare Maghan Konate Keita, he remained relaxed from celebrations. Leisured as they were, the fat-out of-shape King never expected, nor had a clue that his kingdom were in danger. Under protection of King Sumanguru, he repetitiously made trade deals with the Arabs from across the Saharan Desert. A few Arabian traders remained in Ghana to convert their religion to Islam, but the King held onto his own traditional religion from the indigenous gods.
The exiled Keita family and the Mandingo warriors traveled from the Upper Niger between the Black Volta seeking a land of their own. They grew in number until Sundiata Keita felt the strength of his army, which accumulated from conquered villages. The conquered villages were unpleased with the kings of Ghana and Sosso high taxes. Sundiata trained his army day and night until they crafted the skills of war. Sundiata was set and determined to revenge his father’s death, Nare Maghan Konate Keita. Dreams would subdue Sundiata through the night with the heaviness of sweat weighing like blood across his forehead down to the crevice of his neck onto the clear mirror-glaze of his chest.
The opportunity of living with their backs against the Ocean and their front on the Niger River overwhelmed their greatest desire of visualization of the preeminent of their minds. Subduing everyone that resisted until the whole kingdom including the King Sumanguru of Sosso was subjugated to the Keita family and its Mandingo warriors. Although King Sumanguru (Soumaoro) was classified as a valiant warrior and true champion, Sundiata and his warlords challenged him. The battle was so great that it is known today as The Battle of Karina. Sundiata made a special poison arrow design just for King Sumanguru to avenge his father’s death. During the battle at Karina, Sundiata found that opening he needed to drive that poison arrow in the center of Sumanguru heart. And after this great victory, the people named Sundiata Keita the ‘Lion King’ for his great courage and tenacity.
Now that Ghana were conquered, the Keita family agreed to keep a portion of Ghana and changed the biggest portion to Mali. But Sundiata loved Niani and made it his residing Capital of Mali. The fat-out-of-shape king was made a slave to work in the salt mines. After a long period, his decrepit body decreased, and it became comparatively to a veteran slave.
Sundiata thought he had destroyed all the former allies of Sumanguru, until he sent his men to buy some horses from the state of Jolof with a caravan of gold, but they were harassed and overthrown by the king of Jolof. The king of Jolof, who was from the Serer tribe took the gold and the horses and made such a horrific scene, that it was called the ‘rubbery of the horses.’
Then king of Jolof sent back a message saying, “Tell Diata, king of Jolof took his gold and his horses, and sends him a skin to make shoes out of it, because he is not worthy to hunt nor mount a horse as a king.”
Sundiata was enraged with anger and later found out that the king of Jolof road alongside of King Sumanguru in the ‘Battle of Karina,’ and was an occult to their traditional religion and hated Islam. Sundiata ordered a revenge attack on the king of Jolof, and sent his best warlords and first general Tiramakhan Traore to assassinate him. After the king’s annihilation by Tiramakhan, the state was reduced to a vassal state, and Sundiata gave charge over the state to Tiramakhan, to maintain and to keep order.
Although General Tiramakhan had become governor of Jolof, he still gave his full submission to King Sundiata. Whereas Tiramakhan and the warlords ventured deep into the present-day Senegal, the Gambia and the Guinea Bissau and conquered them. They conquered the Senegambia and killed King Kikkor and took over Bainuk and annexed his state and renamed it Kaabu. Then Sundiata and his men conquered Diafunu and Kita.
The foundation of a new Malian Empire has now been laid. Sundiata Keita reigned from 1235 to 1255 and were known to many as the ‘Lion King.’ He created a royal dynasty for the Keita family as were prophesied by his father, Nare Maghan Konate. He was the first of the Royal Mandingo Kings labeled Mansa (King of Kings), (Emperor of Emperors). He merged his authority among the Mandinka people and established a strong centralized monarchy. He expanded the state by incorporating the Ghana Empire and controlling the West African gold mines, salt mines and copper mines. He trained more warriors and established more ironsmiths for the weaponry and farming tools for the farmers, other metal items, even jewelry. A strong army were a major factor on Mansa Sundiata radar. And without the most valiant and faithful warlords and generals, this great conquest and success of the Imperial Mali couldn’t have been possible.
Djeli(storyteller) were at his side to tell in history everything that was done. Sundiata great warriors or warlords that road by his side were Tabon Wana, Kamadia Kamara, Faony Conde, Siara Kuman Konate and his general Tiramakhan Traore. After incorporating some of the nearby cities, Tiramakhan was given to be king over Kaabu. Through these great noblemen and warlords, they established their own government. The Gbara or Great Assembly and the Fouroukan Fouga were divided into four major parts. They were the voice of government that consisted of thirty-two members in the Manden Federation.
“We didn’t come this far to be conquered again. Our fathers and families were massacred. Therefore, I vow this day that strong absolute security is very much necessary. We are voting today on this declaration I’m citing to you. The first is ‘Military,’ this group are called Djon-Tan-Nor-Woro, and it is responsible for leading our army and governing the other provinces and counties. The second is ‘Political,’ and this group will be known as the Princes Clan. They ascend directly to the throne. The third is ‘Nyamakala Clan,’ and they are responsible for the power and energy flow in Smithing, Agriculture, and Chronicler(djeli). The fourth is ‘Religious Clan,’ and it will provide marabouts or Islamic guides to nobility through diviners to interpret omens and other happenings,” Sundiata declared.
The Gbara and the Kouroukan Fouga agreed and voted simultaneously to the outline of how things will operate and the establishing of laws in which the people will live by. Sundiata was a Muslim with syncretism practices. He complied with followers of the traditional religion to gain favor and loyalty.
Sundiata went on to develop a mechanism for agriculture to introduce cotton and weaving. He believed in allowing the people to express their gifts and thoughts on improvement. The grounds were very rich during them times but years later became very arid through a prophecy spoken to Mansa Musa. They grew a variety of products such as rice, millet, sorghum, papaya, gourds, cotton, and peanuts. They also had abundant of cattle, sheep, goats and poultry.
By extending the boundaries of his empire as far as Walata, the most influential trade center of the area, along with the popular goldfields of Wangara that lured profits from the gold trade. Sundiata brought tranquility through his leadership that prevailed and attracted merchants and traders and caused Niani to become a key commercial center in Sudan. During Sundiata’s reign he established the territorial base of the Empire and laid the foundation of its future prosperity and political unity during the 12th century to the 13th century.
Unfortunately, an untimely accident claimed his life as he was journeying on the Sankarani River to the other side of Mali joining the Niger River. The tides were raging, and the currents were furious with the winds blowing thirty to forty mph. Sundiata was hysterical assisting his servants and captains to maintain the steadiness of the boat when it capsized in the deep waters of the Sankarani River. Gasping for air, Sundiata’s captain was losing his grips as they both were swallowed by the raging rapids. Sundiata born 1217, died 1255 and his son Wali became Mansa after him.
Mansa Wali Keita was his Arab name, even though