Empire of Bambara

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Cities of Mali during the Bambara period

The empire of Bambara (also Ségou empire ) was a large kingdom whose seat was in Ségou and which is now in Mali . It was ruled by the Kulubali dynasty in 1652, introduced by Fa Sine , also known as Biton-Si-Nu, in 1652. The Bambara Empire existed as a centralized state from 1712 to 1861, when it perished with the invasion of the Tukulörischen El Hadj Omar Tall.

The Kulubali dynasty

In 1652 Fa Sine was named the third Fama (Mande for king) of a small kingdom with a Bambarian people. Although he had fought a number of successful wars of conquest against neighboring tribes and kingdoms, he failed to establish an essential administrative system, which is why the empire gradually dissolved after his death in 1660.

The Ségou Empire

In the early 18th century, Mamari Kulubali settled in Ségou and joined an egalitarian youth organization called tòn . He soon took over the leadership of this organization, took on the title bitòn and was able to convert the tòn into his private army, with whose help he could suppress rival chiefs. So he managed to gain control of Ségou, which he made the capital of a new Bambara empire.

The Kingdom of Biton

The capital Ségou was strengthened with the help of Songhai technology and Bitòn Kulubali raised an army of several thousand warriors, who even had war canoes, in order to gain dominance over the Niger region . With this army he also managed to lead successful campaigns against his neighbors, such as the Fulbe , the Soninke and the Mossi . He also attacked Timbuktu , but could only hold the city briefly. During this time he initiated the establishment of the city of Bla as an outpost and barracks.

Bambara archer

The end of the Kulubali dynasty

Mamari Kulubali was the last ruler with the title bitòn. All subsequent kings were simply called Fama. The first Fama after Mamari ruled only from 1710 to 1711. Fama De-Koro rose to Fama in 1712 and determined the fate of the empire until 1736. Then came three more kings with unstable four-year terms before the empire fell into anarchy in 1748.

The Ngolosi

In 1750 Ngolo Diarra , a freed slave, made it to the throne. He managed to stabilize the empire again and enable him to achieve relative wealth within his forty-year reign. His descendants, the Ngolosi, were able to continue rule until the fall of the empire. Ngolo's son Mansong Diarra succeeded his father on the throne after his death in 1787 and again began a series of successful conquests, including that of Timbuktu and the Massina region.

Economy and construction

The Bambara Empire was based on traditional Bambara institutions, such as the kòmò , which represented theological affairs in government. The kòmò often made use of religious sculptures, especially so-called boliw , large altars , the purpose of which was to consolidate political power.

The economy of the Bambara Empire flourished through a diverse trade, especially in slaves brought back as booty from the numerous campaigns. The demand for such slaves led to further campaigns with slave procurement as a goal, with which the Bambara Empire was in a constant state of war with its neighbors.

Mungo Park , who traveled through the capital Ségou in 1797, left the following quote about the wealth of the empire:

"The view of this large city, the numerous canoes on the river, the cramped conditions of the inhabitants and the cultivated condition of the surrounding landscape, together formed a sight of civilization and glory that I had hardly expected in the heart of Africa."

Jihad and Fall

In the Battle of Noukouna in 1818, the Bambara troops were defeated by Muslim fighters who had rallied because of the jihad of Sékou Amadou von Massina. The empire itself survived but never regained its old strength. Sékou Amadou's troops had decisively defeated the Bambara and took control of Djenné and much of the region around Mopti, which formed the Massina Empire. Timbuktu fell in 1845. The final end of the empire was sealed with the conquests of the Turku Al-Hajj Omar Tall, who traveled through West Africa from Fouta Djallon . The Muslims finally captured Ségou on March 10, 1861, forcing the population to convert to the Islamic faith.

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