Background Information
- Sundiata Keita was born in 1217 CE and his mother, Sogolon, was the second wife of King Maghan of Mali
- His father was Nare Maghan, the ruler of Kangaba. They were very close and he died when hundiata was 3 years old.
- The King's first wife, Sassouma was jealous of the clos relationship that Sundiata and his father had. She wanted her son, Touman to become king
- When Sundiata was three years old, the king died and Sundiata's step-brother became King. Touman treated Sundiata poorly because he was cripple d weak.
Achievements and Legacy
- The people of Mali were under the control of the Soso people and they were putting high taxes on the people of Mali.
- Sundiata formed a army and defeated the Soso's. This battle is known as the Battle of Kirina.
- Afterwards, he established the Mali Empire and conquered most of the Empire of Ghana.
- Sundiata also established the imperial system (similar to the system of units used in America).
- He ruled from 1235 to 1255, and throughout those years he kept the peace in Mali and expanded the empire.
Involvement in Politicial, Economic, and Cultural Aspects
- Politically: Sundiata was the founder of the Mali Empire. He conquered much of the Empire of Ghana and he established the city, Niani as the capital of the Mali Empire.
- Economically: Sundiata took control of the gold and salt trade, and this helped Mali to become rich and powerful.
- Culturally/Socially: Sundiata's life/story influenced the Disney film, The Lion King.
Geography:
The Kingdom of Kangaba is the empire that Sundiata's father ruled when he was alive. The Mali empire is where he was most active, which is located on the west coast of Africa. The majority of west Africa is where Sundiata established the Imperial System.l
Bibliography:
- "African American Registry- Sundiata Keita Hero of the Mali Empire," 2000-2013, http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/sundiata-keita-hero-mali-empire.
- Nelson, Ken. " Biography: Sundiata Keita of Mali ." Ducksters. Technological Solutions, Inc. (TSI), Apr. 2017. Web. 10 Apr. 2017. < http://www.ducksters.com/history/africa/sundiata_keita.php >.
- The Editors of Encyclopedia Brittanica. "Encyclopedia Brittanica- Sundiata Keita"3November2016.https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sundiata-Keita