Mila

Mila

Period: Mar 29, 1200 to Mar 29, 1600

Life of Mari Djata I

Mar 29, 1217

Also called Sundiata Keita. Was the hero of the Mandinka people. Was the founder of the Mali Empire.

Rise of Sundiata Keita

Mar 29, 1235

Founded the first known Empire in West Africa. The empire later became known in Europe and Arabia as the Ghana Empire. At its height, the empire could field an army of 200,000 soldiers.

Mansa Musa’s reign

Mar 29, 1312

Under Mansa Musa, the empire was broken into provinces, each ruled by a governor. Each village had a mayor. This allowed for controlled but swift management of local problems.

Pilgrimage of Mansa Musa

Mar 29, 1324

Brought thousands of followers and hundreds of camels carrying gold to Mecca. Mansa Musa was the great-great-grandson of Sunjata, who was the founder of the empire of Mali. Tuat attracted traders from as far as Majorca and Egypt and its traders included Jews as well as Muslims.

Height of Mali

Mar 29, 1350

Confederation of 3 states: Mali, Memo, Wagadou and twelve garrisoned provinces. The Mali Empire or Mandingo Empire or Manden Kurufa was a West African empire of the Mandinka from c. 1230 to c. 1600. The empire was founded by Sundiata Keita and became renowned for the wealth of its rulers, especially Mansa Musa I.

Empire Split

Mar 29, 1359

After Mansa Sulayman died, the empire was split in half because of a civil war. The empire still remained though. It was split from East to Wast.

Mansa of Mari Djata II

Mar 29, 1360

Son of Mansa Maghan. He assumed the throne following the brief 1360 reign of Mansa Kankan Musa I's nephew Kassa. He increasing the tax burden on his people to finance.

Rebellion in Gao

Mar 29, 1465

The once vassal state to Mali conquered Mema- three years later they took Timbuktu and Taureg. Gao is a town in eastern Mali on the River Niger lying 320 km (200 mi) ESE of Timbuktu. For much of its history Gao was an important commercial centre involved in the trans-Saharan trade.

Songhai

Mar 29, 1502

Songhai forces under Askia Muhammad took control of virtually all of Mali’s eastern possession. Songhai Empire which dominated the western Sahel in the 15th and 16th century. The name Songhai is historically neither an ethnic nor a linguistic designation, but a name for the ruling caste of the Songhay Empire.

End of Mali

Mar 29, 1545

Songhai army routed the Malian’s and their emperor from their capital, Niani. In the 15th century it had lost its ability to dominate the affairs of the Western Sudan for it had shrunk into the tiny principality of Kangabal. It was not until the 17th century did Mali completely lose its political identity as it had broken up into a number of small independent chiefdoms.