Who is sundiata keita

Keita was the founder and ruler of the Mali Empire in West Africa. Keita was the son of Nare Maghan, the ruler of Kangaba, a small state located on an offshoot of the upper Niger River. Sundiata left Kangaba, but the reason is unknown: he may have gone into voluntary exile to avoid a jealous half-brother, or he may have been exiled by Sumanguru Kante, king of the Soso, who killed Keita's father and took over his kingdom.

Keita responded to the requests of his people to return to Kangaba to help them regain their independence. He assembled a coalition of Malinke chiefdom's and in led them to victory in the Battle of Kirina.

According to popular tradition, he triumphed because he was a stronger magician than his opponent. This victory marked the beginning of the Mali Empire. After defeating the Soso, Keita merged his authority among the Malinke people and established a strong centralized monarchy.

A version written into the Tarikh al-Sudan in the 16th century has Sumanguru Kante first conquering Sundiata's father and then killing 11 of the King's 12 sons, sparing only the handicapped Sundiata. Sundiata then went into exile, later to return as a liberator.

In either case, about Sundiata put together a rabble force in the far north and slowly advanced to the south, increasing his troop strength with successive victories over Susu provinces. By he was ready to take on the main Susu army, which he met and defeated in the epic battle of Kirina northeast of Kangaba. This victory is clearly the major event in his life, and it marks the beginning of the Mali empire. Before he retired from active leadership of his armies about , Sundiata and his generals expanded the new empire in all directions, even incorporating the formerly great Ghana empire and the previously unconquered gold fields of the Senegal River valley.

We know that Sundiata ruled for about 25 years, but little is known about his later life. He died about , apparently the victim of an accident in his capital. The Empire at the height of its power would stretch fifteen hundred miles from the Atlantic Ocean to the bend south of the Niger River. Thanks to the strong foundation set by Sundiata who died in , the Mali Empire became one of the most influential states in the African history.

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