Griot sundiata keita biography
Griot sundiata keita biography wikipedia
King sundiata keita...
Sundiata Keita
Sundiata Keita was the first ruler of the Mali Empire from 1235 C.E. to 1255 C.E. Sundiata Keita, whose name means Lion Prince, was born early in the 13th century to a noble family within the Malinke people.
The Malinke kingdom, Kangaba, was part of the Ghana empire of West Africa. Oral stories about Keita say that he was a sickly child or suffered from some sort of physical impairment.
Griot sundiata keita biography
This explains why, when his brothers were killed by the rulers of Ghana, he was spared. Eventually, he became a local leader of the kingdom of Kangaba.
When the Ghana Empire tried to impose trade restrictions on the Malinke, Keita began a revolt.
He managed to unite several peoples of West Africa to fight against Ghana's king, Sumanguru; he defeated Sumanguru at the battle of Kirina in 1235 C.E. After that, Keita’s generals began to conquer other territories in West Africa.
He called his new kingdom the Mali Empire, which would become one of the richest empires in the world.
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