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Mali Empire

Historical empire, Western Africa (1235-1610)

The Mali Empire was a West African empire that lasted from about 1235 to 1610. It was founded by Sundiata Keita after the defeat of the Sosso king Soumaoro Kante and grew from a small Mandinka kingdom on the upper Niger River around the Manding region into the largest empire in West Africa, renowned for the wealth of its rulers. Its most famous ruler was Mansa Musa, whose pilgrimage to Mecca from 1324 to 1326 caused inflation in Egypt, and the traveller Ibn Battuta visited during the reign of Suleyman. From the early sixteenth century Songhai and other neighbours cut away its borders, and after a defeat outside Djenne in 1599 the empire disintegrated into independent chiefdoms.

Facts
Classification
Sovereignty Status
Historical or Dissolved State 1
Independence or Founding Year
1235 1
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Sources
1. Mali Empire (Wikipedia)
  • Lead
    The conquest of Sosso in c. 1235 marked the emergence of Mali as a major power
  • Lead (independence-year)
    The conquest of Sosso in c. 1235 marked the emergence of Mali as a major power
  • Lead (sovereignty-status)
    The Mali Empire was an empire in West Africa from c. 1235 to 1610
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