#Sosso Empire

[panafrocore]

The Mali Empire: A Historical Overview of West Africa's Influential Power

The Mali Empire, a majestic realm that left an indelible mark on the history of West Africa, stood as a symbol of power and prosperity from around 1226 to 1670. Founded by Sundiata Keita, the empire flourished under the rule of renowned leaders like Mansa Musa (Musa Keita), gaining widespread admiration for the opulence of its rulers and the far-reaching influence of its language, laws, and…

[whencyclopedia]

Ghana Empire

The Ghana Empire flourished in West Africa from at least the 6th to 13th century CE. Not connected geographically to the modern state of Ghana, the Ghana Empire was located in the western Sudan savannah region (modern southern Mauritania and Mali) sandwiched between the Sahara desert to the north and the rainforests to the south.

Trade in the Ghana Empire was facilitated by the abundance of iron, copper, gold, and ivory and easy access to the Niger and Senegal Rivers and their tributaries. The Ghana kings, residing in the capital at Koumbi Saleh, grew immensely rich, building up stockpiles of the gold nuggets only they were permitted to possess. Consequently, the reputation of Ghana spread to North Africa and Europe, where it was described as a fabulous land of gold. The Ghana Empire crumbled from the 12th century CE following drought, civil wars, the opening up of trade routes elsewhere, and the rise of the Sosso Kingdom (c. 1180-1235 CE) and then the Mali Empire (1240-1645 CE).

West Africa & the Sudan Region

The Sudan region of West Africa (not to be confused with the modern state of that name), where the Ghana Empire would develop, had been inhabited since the Neolithic period as is evidenced by Iron Age tumuli, megaliths and remains of abandoned villages. The Niger River regularly flooded parts of this dry grassland and savannah, which provided fertile land for agriculture beginning at least 3,500 years ago, an endeavour greatly helped by the region's adequate annual rainfall. Cereals such as red-skinned African rice and millet were grown with success, as were pulses, tuber and root crops, oil and fibre plants, and fruits. Fishing and the herding of cattle and goats were other important sources of food.

Local deposits of copper were exploited and used for trade, while metalworking in the region, as indicated by archaeological finds, dates back to at least the 6th century CE. There have been many finds, too, of fine pottery, some of which was traded across the region, as indicated by chemical analysis of the clay. Similarly, gold was probably locally mined or panned and then traded along the numerous waterways of the region, but concrete evidence from this early period is lacking. Indeed, the whole history of the region and the Ghana Empire before the 11th century CE remains vague due to a lack of written sources and the rather meagre results of archaeology. However, the latter has increased dramatically in the 21st century CE, and both the antiquity and extent of West African trade, in particular, are now considered to have been greater than previously thought.

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[kemetic-dreams]

How did the Ghana, Mali and Songhay empires differ from each other? Why were they able to coexist for a long time without any conflict between them?

The “Ghana” proper name Wagadu Empire, existed from around 300 CE to 1076 CE before it collapsed under pressure from environment, Sanhaja Berbers and internal breakaway vassal states.

The Mali Empire emerged over a century later in 1235 when Sundjata Keita led his army to defeat the Sosso in the Battle of Kirina and lasted well into the XVII century being during its apogee in the XIII and XIV centuries one of the wealthiest and rich empires in the world and a center of learning of pivotal importance worldwide stretching over the whole Upper Niger river.

But in the 1400′ a vassal state, the ancient city of Gao break away and came into a long struggle against the Mali Empire which by the end of the century came under rule of the even larger Songhai Empire.

This is an extremely concentrated summary about the relationship and conflicts concerning the Sudanic empires.

[heifercatmoon]

This orature legend of the birth of the Soninke bardic art chronicles the fall of Wagadou, the Soninke/Mande empire more popularly known as Ghana (not present day Ghana the country, which is named after this historical Mauritanian-Senegalese-Malian region empire).

Follow Gassire the warrior prince, who turns away from nobility to become his people's first diari (griot: bard).

Here is a song named for the Soninke

https://open.spotify.com/track/55YdtD6BbmJ7NsDW4Z1Dpo?si=2Ogi-U2QQkuHoSZef_-PXw

Wagadou rose between the 1st-3rd century and fell in the 13th century, after being conquered by Sosso and submitting to the later Malian empire. Wagadou was preceded by Dhar Tichitt (1600 BC) and Djenne-Djenno, the ruins of which can be seen today. It was followed by Mali and Songhay, 2 of the most powerful kingdoms in the old Sahel.

Ghana means "warrior chief," and Wagadou (the Soninke name) could be named for the Wague (name for the nobility of the region) or named after the Soninke goddess. Legend says that when the 2 sons of the Kaya Maghan (king of gold, 800 Dinga Cisse, princes Khine and Dyabe fought over who should take the throne. Khine was victorious, continuing the Cisse Tounkara dynasty. However, Dyabe in humiliation, made a deal with the seven headed snake Bida, who promised victory over his brother in exchange for sacrificing a beautiful virgin every year. It was believed that the prosperity and gold that granted that prosperity was a result of these sacrifices, and so they continued until the brave fiance Maadi of the beauty Sia Yatabere was the first to rebel, slaying the snake and cutting its heads. Bida cursed Wagadu to drought and ruin, and sure enough, Wagadou fell, and the Soninke had to migrate southwards to find fertile land.

The now rare film Sia, Le Réve du Python, is based on this legend.

The capital of Ghana/Wagadou is believed to be Koumbi-Saleh. Here is an ambient instrumental piece paying homage to this ancient city:

https://open.spotify.com/track/4SRL7gOHRxrSb4TyvrBnvq?si=sNF5NePgQYqGOIsCbsdSCg

Vintage video of Soninke girls singing and flute player

https://youtu.be/bQm2aIVHakw?si=Rf3oYrcOsGnEAXTS

Soninke traditional drum dance

https://youtu.be/8FmiE_kdda0?si=7PQPVdYE0gNAJ4et

[lboogie1906]

Sundiata Keita (Mandinka, Malinke (August 20, 1190 – c. 1255) (known as Manding Diara, Lion of Mali, Sogolon Djata, son of Sogolon, Nare Maghan, and Sogo Sogo Simbon Salaba) was a prince and founder of the Mali Empire.

The semi-historical but legendary Epic of Sundiata by the Malinké/Maninka people centers on his life. The Manden Charter issued during his reign is listed by UNESCO as one intangible cultural heritage.

He was the son of Naré Maghann Konaté and Sogolon Condé. He was crippled from childhood and his mother was the subject of ridicule among her co-wives. This affected him and he was determined to do everything he possibly could to walk like his peers. One day miraculously got up and walked. Among his peers, he became a leader. His paternal brother, Dankaran Touman, and Dankaran’s mother, Sassouma Bereté, were cruel and resentful of him and his mother. Their cruelty escalated after the death of Naré Maghan. To escape persecution and threats on her son’s life, Sogolon took her children, he and his sisters, into exile. This exile lasted for many years and took them to different countries within the Ghana Empire and to Mema, where the king of Mema granted them asylum. He was given a senior position within the kingdom. When King Soumaoro Kanté of Sosso conquered the Mandinka people, messengers were sent to go and look for Sogolon and her children, as he was destined to be a great leader according to prophecy. They persuaded him to come back to liberate the Mandinkas and their homeland. He was accompanied by an army given to him by the King of Mema. The warlords of Mali at the time who were his age group included: Tabon Wana, Kamadia Kamara, Faony Condé, Siara Kuman Konaté, and Tiramakhan Traore. It was on the plain of Siby where they formed a pact of brotherhood to liberate their country and people from the powerful Sosso king. At The Battle of Kirina, he and his allies defeated the Sosso king, and he became the first Emperor of the Mali Empire. He was the first of the Mandinka line of kings to adopt the royal title, Mansa. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[wikiuntamed]

On this day in Wikipedia: Saturday, 23rd September

Welcome, Bienvenida, नमस्ते, Velkommen 🤗 What does @Wikipedia say about 23rd September through the years 🏛️📜🗓️?

23rd September 2021 🗓️ : Death - John Elliott (businessman) John Elliott, Australian businessman (b. 1941) "John Dorman Elliott (3 October 1941 – 23 September 2021) was an Australian businessman and state and federal president of the Liberal Party. He had also been president of the Carlton Football Club. He frequently provoked controversy due to his political affiliations, his brushes with the law, and..."

23rd September 2018 🗓️ : Death - Jane Fortune Jane Fortune, American author, journalist, and philanthropist (b.1942) "Jane Fortune (August 7, 1942 – September 23, 2018) was an American author and journalist. Many of her publications and philanthropic activities were centered on the research, restoration, and exhibition of art by women in Florence, Italy. ..."

23rd September 2013 🗓️ : Death - Abdel Hamid al-Sarraj Abdel Hamid al-Sarraj, Syrian colonel and politician (b. 1925) "Abdel Hamid Sarraj (Arabic: عبد الحميد السراج, September 1925 – 23 September 2013) was a Syrian Army officer and politician. When the union between Egypt and Syria was declared, Sarraj, a staunch Arab nationalist and supporter of Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, played a key role in the..."

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23rd September 1973 🗓️ : Event - September 1973 Argentine presidential election Argentine general election: Juan Perón returns to power in Argentina. "The second Argentine general election of 1973 was held on 23 September...."

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23rd September 1923 🗓️ : Birth - Mohamed Hassanein Heikal Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, Egyptian journalist (d. 2016) "Mohamed Hassanein Heikal (Arabic: محمد حسنين هيكل‎; 23 September 1923 – 17 February 2016) was an Egyptian journalist. For 17 years (1957–1974), he was editor-in-chief of the Cairo newspaper Al-Ahram and was a commentator on Arab affairs for more than 50 years.Heikal articulated the thoughts of..."

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23rd September 1823 🗓️ : Birth - John Colton (politician) John Colton, English-Australian politician, 13th Premier of South Australia (d. 1902) "Sir John Blackler Colton, (23 September 1823 – 6 February 1902) was an Australian politician, Premier of South Australia and philanthropist. His middle name, Blackler, was used only rarely, as on the birth certificate of his first son. ..."

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23rd September 🗓️ : Holiday - Christian feast day: Sossius "Saint Sossius or Sosius (Italian: Sosso, Sossio or Sosio; 275 – 305 AD) was Deacon of Misenum, an important naval base of the Roman Empire in the Bay of Naples. He was martyred along with Saint Januarius at Pozzuoli during the Diocletian Persecutions. His feast day is September 23, the date, three..."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0? by Sailko

[queerpolariseacts]

Summary: Sundjata

The story begins with the birth of Sundjata, the son of the king of Kangaba, and his mother Sogolon, known for her mystical powers. Despite being born crippled, Sundjata possesses great intelligence and courage. However, due to the jealousy of his father's first wife and her sons, Sundjata and his family are forced into exile.

Sundjata and his mother eventually settle in the court of the king of Mema, where he grows up in a nurturing environment and befriends other exiled princes. Sundjata's exceptional physical and mental strength become apparent as he grows older, and he begins to dream of liberating his people from the tyrannical rule of the Sosso king, Sumanguru Kante.

With the support of his allies and the blessings of his mother, Sundjata embarks on a quest to gather an army and reclaim his homeland. Along the way, he faces numerous challenges, including battles with powerful sorcerers and overcoming personal doubts. Sundjata's determination and leadership ultimately lead to the famous Battle of Kirina, where he defeats Sumanguru and establishes himself as the ruler of the Mali Empire.

As the first Mansa of Mali, Sundjata governs with wisdom, fairness, and a deep commitment to his people. The empire flourishes under his rule, becoming a center of trade, culture, and learning. Sundjata's legacy as a great leader and visionary is celebrated throughout the land, and his story becomes an inspiration for future generations.

[lightdancer1]

The Mali Empire was the glory days of medieval Sahelian Islam

Ghana laid the foundation of Sahelian Islam. Mali took the foundations and created a civilization that endured in legend. It wrought Timbuktu into the Cairo of the West, established the foundation of the Malikite school. It built great cities, works of Islamic architecture, and in Sundiata Keita and Mansa Musa boasted not one but two of the most legend-encrusted African rulers whose stories were built on solid foundations of truth.

If any age of Sahelian Islam deserves to be considered the golden age, this is the one.

[hacighcg]

UN HÉROS AFRICAIN

Soundiata Keita, le lion mandingue

Né infirme en 1190, à Niani dans le petit Royaume du Mandingue (actuellement la haute Guinée), Soundiata Keita doit s'exiler à la mort de son père, le roi Naré Maghann Konaté. Il s'illustre ensuite dans la guerre contre le roi du Sosso, Soumaoro Kanté, et devient Mansa, roi des rois, à l'issue de la bataille de Kirina, en 1235. Il meurt en 1255, laissant un immense empire.

Plusieurs versions de son histoire

L'histoire de Soundiata Keita s'est transmise se mémoire en mémoire, par la tradition orale, et fait l'objet d'une épopée dont il existe plusieurs versions, qui ne sont pas toutes retranscrites à l'écrit.

• La légende dit que né infirme, Soundiata , voyant un jour sa mère humiliée, s'est mis à marcher par la seule force de sa volonté, pour la venger. « Ses premiers pas furent des pas de géants », conte le griot Mamadou Kouyaté, dans Soundiata ou l'épopée mandingue, ouvrage de référence de l'historien Djibril Tamsir Niane, paru en 1960 (éditions Présence Africaine).

Grand chasseur et habile guerrier, Soundiata a su unifier les royaumes d'Afrique de l'Ouest, morcelés depuis la chute de l'Empire du Ghana. Sa victoire la plus emblématique reste celle de Kirina, en 1235, face au Roi du Sosso Soumaoro Kanté, à l'issue de laquelle Soundiata devient le Mansa, le Roi des rois.

• À la tête de son empire, Soundiata se distingue par son ambition d'unir toutes les ethnies, organisant la société en clans sans rapports hiérarchiques entre eux. Il assigne des terres, des droits et des devoirs à chacun. On lui attribue également l'initiative de la Charte du Mandén ou Charte de Kouroukan Fouga, édictée en 1236 et considérée par certains comme le premier texte sur les droits de l'Homme en Afrique. Elle est inscrite au patrimoine culturel immatériel de l'humanité de l'UNESCO depuis 2009.

Des controverses autour de lui

Faute de traces écrites, les historiens s'en sont remis aux griots – souvent proches de la famille Keita – pour établir les grandes lignes de la vie de Soundiata . Or, ces récits omettent souvent les éventuels échecs et erreurs du « Lion » mandingue, en plus d'offrir différentes versions pour chaque fait d'arme de Soundiata . Il est également reproché aux récits des griots de concentrer sur un seul siècle et un seul personnage des faits qui se seraient déroulés sur des périodes bien plus larges, et de lui attribuer des réalisations qui sont le fruit du travail de ses ancêtres ou héritiers, de ses alliés ou disciples. La Charte de Kouroukan Fouga fait ainsi l'objet de nombreuses controverses parmi les historiens.

Copyright ©️ livresausenegal

[mmorgautomation]

Age of empires 2 the conquerors mega

Siege Tower Siege unit, capable of dropping off up to 10 units through single Stone Walls and palisades, available in the Castle Age at the Siege Workshop.Demolition Raft New ship available in the Feudal Age at the Dock.Fire Galley New ship available in the Feudal Age at the Dock.Genitour (50 food, 35 wood) Second unique unit of the Berbers, available at the Archery Range, common unit as a team bonus.Caravel (90 wood, 40 gold) Second unique unit of the Portuguese, available at the Dock.Shotel Warrior Castle unique unit of the Ethiopians, infantry unit.Camel Archer Castle unique unit of the Berbers, anti cavalry-archer ranged cavalry unit.Gbeto Castle unique unit of the Malians, ranged infantry unit.Organ Gun Castle unique unit of the Portuguese, siege unit.Use your newly acquired riches to advance your army with upgrades not mastered elsewhere in Europe and build incredible cities that will inspire generations for centuries to come. Portuguese: Set sail for the new world, discover new routes to unknown lands and expand your trade routes to the mighty African empires.Will your dynasty stand strong against internal conflicts or will your successor already be preparing your funeral. Launch military expeditions into the Arabian peninsula and far beyond to hold a firm grip on your trading partners. Ethiopians: Relive the glory of the once mighty Aksumite empire and rule over the Red Sea.Will you be able to keep the once hostile provinces united under your crown? Conquer surrounding kingdoms to expand your wealth and hold a firm grip on the trade routes that zigzag through the region. Malians: Follow in the footsteps of the great Mansa Musa and become the greatest king of Western Africa.Can you hold your ground against the scrambled kingdoms of Iberia who are slowly uniting against you? Set sail to war-torn Iberia to conquer new riches. Berbers: Unite the tribes of Northern Africa and prepare your naval vessels to escape the scorching heat of the Maghreb.This expansion also adds a new African Architecture set, used by the Malians and the Ethiopians. Unlike previous expansion packs, The African Kingdoms adds four civilizations instead of five. For centuries the story of Yodit’s vengeance would invoke fear in the hearts of all Ethiopians. Witness how exile shaped this fallen princess into a mighty queen. But when her jealous nephew accuses her of theft, Yodit is forced to flee her home country. Yodit ( Ethiopians): The beautiful princess Yodit has a promising future at the Aksumite court.Can you lead a Portuguese armada to the East and forge an empire that spans three continents and two oceans? A new world awaits! Now, daring explorers have returned from India and given Portugal hope of glories and wealth unachievable in the Old World. Francisco de Almeida ( Portuguese): On the fringes of Europe, the Portuguese manage a meager and unsure existence, hardened by centuries of war against the Moors and rival Christian kingdoms.Can Sundjata, the crippled prince of Mali, defy the odds, defeat Sumanguru, and become the most powerful ruler of West Africa? Said to possess a magical instrument that guarantees victory, he has led his Sosso warriors to conquer old Ghana and a small Mandinkan kingdom called Mali. Sumanguru, King of the Sosso, is poised to forge a new empire. Sundjata ( Malians): The once great Ghana empire has fallen and West Africa is in turmoil.Will their might be enough to defeat the fearsome infantry of the Visigoths and bring the banners of war to the powerful Merovingian kingdom lying beyond the Pyrenees? Their success–or failure–lies in your hands. Tariq ibn Ziyad ( Berbers): In the early 8th century, Tariq ibn Ziyad prepares to lead an army of Berbers and Arabs across the sea to Iberia, enthralling his troops with promises of wealth and glory.There are four new campaigns in The African Kingdoms, one for each of the new civilizations. All new campaigns in The African Kingdoms.

[nahasmaya]

Age of empires 2 hd free

Camel Archer Castle unique unit of the Berbers, anti cavalry-archer ranged cavalry unit.Gbeto Castle unique unit of the Malians, ranged infantry unit.Organ Gun Castle unique unit of the Portuguese, siege unit.Use your newly acquired riches to advance your army with upgrades not mastered elsewhere in Europe and build incredible cities that will inspire generations for centuries to come. Portuguese: Set sail for the new world, discover new routes to unknown lands and expand your trade routes to the mighty African empires.Will your dynasty stand strong against internal conflicts or will your successor already be preparing your funeral. Launch military expeditions into the Arabian peninsula and far beyond to hold a firm grip on your trading partners. Ethiopians: Relive the glory of the once mighty Aksumite empire and rule over the Red Sea.Will you be able to keep the once hostile provinces united under your crown? Conquer surrounding kingdoms to expand your wealth and hold a firm grip on the trade routes that zigzag through the region. Malians: Follow in the footsteps of the great Mansa Musa and become the greatest king of Western Africa.Can you hold your ground against the scrambled kingdoms of Iberia who are slowly uniting against you? Set sail to war-torn Iberia to conquer new riches. Berbers: Unite the tribes of Northern Africa and prepare your naval vessels to escape the scorching heat of the Maghreb.This expansion also adds a new African Architecture set, used by the Malians and the Ethiopians. Unlike previous expansion packs, The African Kingdoms adds four civilizations instead of five. For centuries the story of Yodit’s vengeance would invoke fear in the hearts of all Ethiopians. Witness how exile shaped this fallen princess into a mighty queen. But when her jealous nephew accuses her of theft, Yodit is forced to flee her home country. Yodit ( Ethiopians): The beautiful princess Yodit has a promising future at the Aksumite court.Can you lead a Portuguese armada to the East and forge an empire that spans three continents and two oceans? A new world awaits! Now, daring explorers have returned from India and given Portugal hope of glories and wealth unachievable in the Old World. Francisco de Almeida ( Portuguese): On the fringes of Europe, the Portuguese manage a meager and unsure existence, hardened by centuries of war against the Moors and rival Christian kingdoms.Can Sundjata, the crippled prince of Mali, defy the odds, defeat Sumanguru, and become the most powerful ruler of West Africa? Said to possess a magical instrument that guarantees victory, he has led his Sosso warriors to conquer old Ghana and a small Mandinkan kingdom called Mali. Sumanguru, King of the Sosso, is poised to forge a new empire. Sundjata ( Malians): The once great Ghana empire has fallen and West Africa is in turmoil.Will their might be enough to defeat the fearsome infantry of the Visigoths and bring the banners of war to the powerful Merovingian kingdom lying beyond the Pyrenees? Their success–or failure–lies in your hands. Tariq ibn Ziyad ( Berbers): In the early 8th century, Tariq ibn Ziyad prepares to lead an army of Berbers and Arabs across the sea to Iberia, enthralling his troops with promises of wealth and glory.There are four new campaigns in The African Kingdoms, one for each of the new civilizations. All new campaigns in The African Kingdoms.

[whencyclopedfr]

Soundiata Keïta

Soundiata Keïta (alias Sunjaata ou Sundjata, r. 1230-1255) fut le fondateur de l'Empire du Mali (1240-1645) en Afrique de l'Ouest. Prince de la tribu des Malinkés (ou Mandingues), Soundiata non seulement renversa les régents du royaume de Sosso (vers 1180-1235), le plus grand héritier de l'Empire du Ghana (6e-13e siècle), mais il conquit également les royaumes voisins, établit un gouvernement stable depuis sa capitale Niani et fit de son empire le plus grand et le plus riche jamais vu en Afrique de l'Ouest. Soundiata Keïta joua un rôle si fondamental dans la création de l'Empire du Mali et dans l'histoire des Malinkés que les anciennes traditions orales autochtones en ont fait un grand guerrier et un chasseur-magicien dont les exploits ont permis à ses descendants de régner sur la région pendant des siècles.

Lire la suite...

[ibilenews]

7 Influential African Empires

From ancient Sudan to medieval Zimbabwe, get the facts on seven African kingdoms that made their mark on history.

1. The Kingdom of Kush

Though often overshadowed by its Egyptian neighbors to the north, the Kingdom of Kush stood as a regional power in Africa for over a thousand years. This ancient Nubian empire reached its peak in the second millennium B.C., when it ruled over a vast swath of territory along the Nile River in what is now Sudan. Almost all that is known about Kush comes from Egyptian sources, which indicate that it was an economic center that operated a lucrative market in ivory, incense, iron and especially gold. The kingdom was both a trading partner and a military rival of Egypt—it even ruled Egypt as the 25th Dynasty—and it adopted many of its neighbor’s customs. The Kushites worshipped some of the Egyptian gods, mummified their dead and built their own types of pyramids. The area surrounding the ancient Kushite capital of Meroe is now home to the ruins of over 200 pyramids—more than in all of Egypt.

2. The Land of Punt

Few African civilizations are as mysterious as Punt. Historical accounts of the kingdom date to around 2500 B.C., when it appears in Egyptian records as a “Land of the Gods” rich in ebony, gold, myrrh and exotic animals such as apes and leopards. The Egyptians are known to have sent huge caravans and flotillas on trade missions to Punt—most notably during the 15th century B.C. reign of Queen Hatshepsut—yet they never identified where it was located. The site of the fabled kingdom is now a hotly debated topic among scholars. The Arabian Peninsula and the Levant have both been proposed as potential candidates, but most believe it existed somewhere on the Red Sea coast of East Africa. In 2010, a team of researchers tried to zero in on Punt by analyzing a mummified baboon that its rulers once gifted to the Egyptian pharaohs. While their results showed that the remains most closely matched animals found in modern day Ethiopia and Eritrea, the precise location of the Land of Punt has still yet to be confirmed.

3. Carthage

Best known as ancient Rome’s rival in the Punic Wars, Carthage was a North African commercial hub that flourished for over 500 years. The city-state began its life in the 8th or 9th century B.C. as a Phoenician settlement in what is now Tunisia, but it later grew into a sprawling seafaring empire that dominated trade in textiles, gold, silver and copper. At its peak, its capital city boasted nearly half a million inhabitants and included a protected harbor outfitted with docking bays for 220 ships. Carthage’s influence eventually extended from North Africa to Spain and parts of the Mediterranean, but its thirst for expansion led to increased friction with the burgeoning Roman Republic. Beginning in 264 B.C., the ancient superpowers clashed in the three bloody Punic Wars, the last of which ended in 146 B.C. with the near-total destruction of Carthage. Today, almost all that remains of the once-mighty empire is a series of ruins in the city of Tunis.

4. The Kingdom of Aksum

During the same period that the Roman Empire rose and fell, the influential Kingdom of Aksum held sway over parts of what are now Eritrea and northern Ethiopia. Surprisingly little is known about Aksum’s origins, but by the 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D. it was a trading juggernaut whose gold and ivory made it a vital link between ancient Europe and the Far East. The kingdom had a written script known as Ge’ez—one of the first to emerge in Africa—and it developed a distinctive architectural style that involved the building of massive stone obelisks, some of which stood over 100 feet tall. In the fourth century, Aksum became one of the first empires in the world to adopt Christianity, which led to a political and military alliance with the Byzantines. The empire later went into decline sometime around the 7th or 8th century, but its religious legacy still exists today in the form of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

5. The Mali Empire

The founding of the Mali Empire dates to the 1200s, when a ruler named Sundiata Keita—sometimes called the “Lion King”—led a revolt against a Sosso king and united his subjects into a new state. Under Keita and his successors, the empire tightened its grip over a large portion of West Africa and grew rich on trade. Its most important cities were Djenné and Timbuktu, both of which were renowned for their elaborate adobe mosques and Islamic schools. One such institution, Timbuktu’s Sankore University, included a library with an estimated 700,000 manuscripts. The Mali Empire eventually disintegrated in the 16th century, but at its peak it was one of the jewels of the African continent and was known the world over for its wealth and luxury. One legendary tale about the kingdom’s riches concerns the ruler Mansa Musa, who made a stopover in Egypt during a 14th century pilgrimage to Mecca. According to contemporary sources, Musa dished out so much gold during the visit that he caused its value to plummet in Egyptian markets for several years.

6. The Songhai Empire

For sheer size, few states in African history can compare to the Songhai Empire. Formed in the 15th century from some of the former regions of the Mali Empire, this West African kingdom was larger than Western Europe and comprised parts of a dozen modern day nations. The empire enjoyed a period of prosperity thanks to vigorous trade policies and a sophisticated bureaucratic system that separated its vast holdings into different provinces, each ruled by its own governor. It reached its zenith in the early 16th century under the rule of the devout King Muhammad I Askia, who conquered new lands, forged an alliance with Egypt’s Muslim Caliph and established hundreds of Islamic schools in Timbuktu. While the Songhai Empire was once among the most powerful states in the world, it later crumbled in the late 1500s after a period of civil war and internal strife left it open to an invasion by the Sultan of Morocco.

7. The Great Zimbabwe

One of the most impressive monuments in sub-Saharan Africa is the Great Zimbabwe, an imposing collection of stacked boulders, stone towers and defensive walls assembled from cut granite blocks. The rock citadel has long been the subject of myths and legends—it was once thought to be the residence of the Biblical Queen of Sheba—but historians now know it as the capital city of an indigenous empire that thrived in the region between the 13th and 15th centuries. This kingdom ruled over a large chunk of modern day Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It was particularly rich in cattle and precious metals, and stood astride a trade route that connected the region’s gold fields with ports on the Indian Ocean coast. Though little is known about its history, the remains of artifacts such as Chinese pottery, Arabian glass and European textiles indicate that it was once a well-connected mercantile center. The fortress city at the Great Zimbabwe was mysteriously abandoned sometime in the 15th century after the kingdom went into decline, but in its heyday it was home to an estimated 20,000 people.

[whencyclopedia]

GHANA EMPIRE: 

THE Ghana Empire flourished in West Africa from at least the 6th to 13th century CE. Not connected geographically to the modern state of Ghana, the Ghana Empire was located in the western Sudan savannah region (modern southern Mauritania and Mali) sandwiched between the Sahara desert to the north and the rainforests to the south.

Trade was facilitated by the abundance of iron, copper, gold, and ivory and easy access to the Niger and Senegal Rivers and their tributaries. The Ghana kings, residing in the capital at Koumbi Saleh, grew immensely rich, building up stockpiles of the gold nuggets only they were permitted to possess. Consequently, the reputation of Ghana spread to North Africa and Europe, where it was described as a fabulous land of gold. The Ghana Empire crumbled from the 12th century CE following drought, civil wars, the opening up of trade routes elsewhere, and the rise of the Sosso Kingdom (c. 1180-1235 CE) and then the Mali Empire (1240-1645 CE).

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[lboogie1906]

Sundiata Keita (Mandinka, Malinke: (August 20, 1190 – c. 1255) (known as Manding Diara, Lion of Mali, Sogolon Djata, son of Sogolon, Nare Maghan and Sogo Sogo Simbon Salaba) was a prince and founder of the Mali Empire. The semi-historical but legendary Epic of Sundiata by the Malinké/Maninka people centers on his life. The Manden Charter issued during his reign is listed by UNESCO as one intangible cultural heritage. He was the son of Naré Maghann Konaté and Sogolon Condé. He was crippled from childhood and his mother was the subject of ridicule among her co-wives. This affected him and he was determined to do everything he possibly could to walk like his peers. One day miraculously got up and walked. Among his peers, he became a leader. His paternal brother, Dankaran Touman, and Dankaran's mother, Sassouma Bereté, were cruel and resentful of him and his mother. Their cruelty escalated after the death of Naré Maghann. To escape persecution and threats on her son's life, Sogolon took her children, he and his sisters, into exile. This exile lasted for many years and took them to different countries within the Ghana Empire and to Mema, where the king of Mema granted them asylum. He was given a senior position within the kingdom. When King Soumaoro Kanté of Sosso conquered the Mandinka people, messengers were sent to go and look for Sogolon and her children, as he was destined to be a great leader according to prophecy. They persuaded him to come back to liberate the Mandinkas and their homeland. He was accompanied by an army given to him by the King of Mema. The warlords of Mali at the time who were his age group included: Tabon Wana, Kamadia Kamara, Faony Condé, Siara Kuman Konaté, and Tiramakhan Traore. It was on the plain of Siby where they formed a pact of brotherhood to liberate their country and people from the powerful Sosso king. At The Battle of Kirina, he and his allies defeated the Sosso king, and he became the first Emperor of the Mali Empire. He was the first of the Mandinka line of kings to adopt the royal title Mansa. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence https://www.instagram.com/p/ChetxD_One-ok34K0OWUf8GyLa4y4PkPhn1hqE0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[implexis]

13th Century, 1201 to 1300

1201  Around this time in the mountainous Andes region in South America, the Inca ruler, Manco Capac, oversees the construction of the city-state of Cuzco.

1201  King John of England grants the town of Cambridge a charter.

1201  Maori islanders have settled in what someday will be called New Zealand.

1202  Europeans are beginning to learn Arabic numerals – as opposed to Roman numerals – and the zero.

1202  The Fourth Crusade is underway, Pope Innocent III responding to the failure of the Third Crusade to recover Jerusalem.  Crusaders have attacked the Christian city of Zara, on the Dalmatian coast, with the Venetians, on whom they are dependent for transportation. The Pope excommunicates those crusaders who have attacked Zara.

1202  People called jesters begin to entertain in the courts of Europe's kings. They are impoverished or are of sub-normal intelligence. They are beginning an art form in Europe for people who enjoy watching people make fools of themselves.  

1203  In Western Africa, the empire of Ghana has lost control over the gold trade and has been in decline. One of Ghana's subject people, the Sosso, overrun Ghana's capital city, Kumbi.

1204  Another crusade fails to work out as planned. Constantinople has revolted against the presence of the Crusaders, and the Crusaders have retaliated, seizing the city in a three-day orgy of rape and the plundering of palaces and Eastern Orthodox convents and churches. Fire has destroyed much of the city. Constantinople's emperor has fled. Helping the Crusaders are the Venetians with whom the Crusaders have made an agreement to share the booty. Pope Innocent III is delighted by the news of the fall of Constantinople to Roman Christianity. When he hears of the atrocities that have attended the victory he is shocked, but he continues to approve of the conquest. Soon in Constantinople, Latin (Roman) prelates will replace Greek (Eastern Orthodox) prelates. The schism between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity is complete. Jerusalem continues to be in the hands of Muslims.

1204  On marshland at a dam on the Amstel River, people have started the village that will one day be Amsterdam.

1205  A Japanese, Eisai (1141-1215), has returned from China. He is a reformer, a Zen Buddhist, and has been driven from the city of Kyoto to Kamakura (later Tokyo). At Kamakura he has gained the patronage of the military government. In 1205 he completes the first temple, Kenninji, dedicated solely to Zen Buddhism. Zen is to become the choice of the practitioners of warfare – the samurai.

1206  Philip Augustus of France (Philip II) occupies the fiefs of Normandy and Anjou, expanding his family's territory from around Paris and Orléans (the Ile de France).

1206  Sedentary Turks, living in the Turfan depression (about 150 kilimeters southeast of what today is Urumqi, in China) are overrun by Mongols.

1212  Thousands of children with a few adults and clerics, fired up by preaching against heretics, start for Jerusalem to rescue the Holy Land from Muslims. They are deficient in money and organization but believe that as children they are favored by God and could work miracles that adults cannot. Before the year is over it ends in disaster. Many children die or are sold into slavery.  

1214  King John of England wanted his fiefs in Normandy and Anjou back. He allies himself with Emperor Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor. But Philip Augustus of France defeats them at the Battle of Bovines.

1214  Genghis Khan and his army overrun Beijing. They ravage the countryside, gathering information and booty. Then they pull back to northern frontier passes.

1215  Frustrated by the growing power of the kings of England, English nobles join together and force King John to sign a document they hope will protect them from imprisonment or loss of property without a trial by a jury of their peers.

1215  The Church's Fourth Lateran Council meets in Rome to enact legislation as to what is heresy and what is not. The Council decides that all Catholics are to confess their sins at least once a year, that clergy is to remain celibate, sober and to refrain from gambling, hunting, engaging in trade, going to taverns or wearing bright or ornate clothing. The Council decrees that marriage will be a Church affair and that Jews will wear a yellow label.

1217  The Fifth Crusade has begun. It was planned by Pope Innocent III, who died in 1226. Its purpose, to rescue Jerusalem from the Muslims. But it is not the popular movement that previous crusades were. It begins with small-scale military operations against powers that be in Syria. Muslim opposition to the new crusade is divided, giving the crusade a better chance of success.

1219  Genghis Khan wanted trade on his western frontier. Instead his envoys were killed. He is now moving his army westward and over-running prosperous cities such as Bukhara and Samarkand.

1219  The Fifth Crusade ends without success.

1223  Genghis Khan has pushed into Persia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, defeating Christian knights and capturing a Genoese trading fortress in the Crimea. He has invaded Russia, and on his way back home in 1223 he routes a Slavic army at the battle of Kalka River.

1223  Philip Augustus of France dies. He has greatly expanded his family's territory. The French monarchy has become a maritime and commercial power, and Paris has become a fortified city with a university that attracts students from various other lands.  

1225  The manufacture of cotton cloth has begun in Spain.

1227  Genghis Khan, at the age of 65, falls off his horse while fighting against the Tangut in northwestern China. And he dies. (August 18).

1227  A Japanese who has been studying in China brings back to Japan the Chuan school of Buddhism, to be known as Zen.

1228  The Sixth Crusade begins, led by the excommunicated Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, who is being ignored by Pope Gregory IX. Frederick wants control over Jerusalem, which he believes he has inherited through marriage.

1229  Frederick signs a ten-year truce and an alliance with the Sultan of Egypt, al-Kamil, who is struggling against Muslim opponents. Al-Kamil recognizes Frederick as King of Jerusalem and cedes to him Bethlehem and Nazareth, but Frederick is not allowed to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, destroyed by Saladin in 1187.

1229  Fearing confused responses to reading the Bible, church leaders at Toulouse forbid common people to read it.

1231  The institution known as the Inquisition begins. Pope Gregory IX is taking responsibility for orthodoxy away from bishops and putting inquisitors under jurisdiction of the papacy.

1232  The son of Ghenghis Khan, Ogedei, has sent an army into Korea to police defiance of an agreement with them, and the Koreans start a rebellion against Mongol rule.

1233  Coal is mined for the first time at a place in England called Newcastle.

1234  Ogedei completes this conquest of northern China.

1235  Paradise eludes at least a part of Africa. In western Africa the Sosso ruler, Sumaguru Kante, has been raiding and conquering people. Sundjata Keita, who survived one of Sumaguru's raids a decade earlier, is leading a guerrilla war against Sumaguru and defeats him. Sumaguru is dead. Sundjata takes control of all the Soninke people recently conquered by the Sosso.

1238  Ogedei's army, without Odogei, has pushed into Russia and overruns the cities of Vladimir, Kolmna and Moscow.

1240  Ogedei's army destroys Kiev, and deeper into Europe, at Liegnitz, although outnumbered, the Mongols destroy a German army of heavily armored knights.

1240  At the Neva River the prince of Novogrod defeats an invasion from Sweden. He acquires the name Alexander Nevsky (of the Neva).

1240  Sundjata Keita annexes Ghana. He takes control of the gold trade routes and rules a new empire: Mali.

1241  Ogedei's army, without Ogedei, reaches Vienna. It withdraws because Ogedei has died and they need to participate in choosing a new leader.

1242  While withdrawing to their stronghold in Russia, in the Crimea the Mongols set up trade with sea-going Italian merchants, exchanging many of their European war-captives for manufactured goods. It is the beginning of routine business between the Mongols and the Italians – from Venice and Genoa – and their selling of slaves to the Mamluk Sultan of Egypt, who has a slave army.  

1242  In Estonia, Alexander Nevsky defeats the Teutonic Knights, to be seen as stopping a Germanic drive into Russia.

1242  The city of Avignon is concerned about cleanliness. It is decreed that streets shall be widened, that people shall not discard into the street refuse, bath water, "dirt" and "human filth." It is decreed that Jews and whores are forbidden to touch bread or fruit for sale in market places.

1248  The Mexica people (Aztecs) settle onto an infertile hilly region named for grasshoppers today the Chapultapec region of Mexico City.

1250  A town on Africa's east coast, Mombasa, has become overwhelmingly Muslim, and a Muslim dynasty has been established at Kilwa, an offshore island. Kilwa controls trade, including at Sofala, a point of departure for gold, iron and slaves.

1250  The Mexica people, to be known also as Aztecs, have moved from northern to central Mexico.

1250  Egypt has white slaves who have converted to Islam. They were guards for Sultan as-Salih. These are the Mamluks. The sultan has died and the Mamluks have taken power. Their move is legitimized as their leader, Aybak, marries the deceased sultan's wife.

1252  Mongke makes official the worship of his grandfather, Genghis Khan, while people continue to be free to worship as they please. Under Mongke, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity flourish.

1253  Jews in England are forbidden to live in towns that do not already have a Jewish comununity.

1255  A boy chasing a ball falls and drowns in a Jewish cesspool. His body is found twenty-six days later. Some Christians believe that the boy was killed in Jewish ritual. One hundred Jews are executed.

1256  The Mongols are on their way to Baghdad. At a mountain stronghold near the Caspian Sea the Mongols force the surrender of the Imam of a Shia Muslim community, the Nizari Ismailis, to be known by Europeans as the Assassins. The Assassins believe their Imam was chosen by God and therefore infallible. They had spread their rule through terror from a chain of mountainous safe havens. But in the Mongols they meet a force they cannot intimidate, and it is the beginning of their end.

1258  An army that includes Christians and Shia, led by Mongke's brother, Hulegu, attacks Baghdad, the spiritual capital of the Sunni Muslims. The Abbasid caliphate there comes to an end.

1259  Hulegu's army enters Damascus, and Christians there greet the Mongol army with joy. Meanwhile, Mongke has led an army into China's Sichuan province, and there he dies in battle.

1260  A Mamluk army defeats the Mongols near Nazareth. Taking revenge on the Christian Crusaders for having allied themselves with the Mongols, the Mamluks destroy Crusader strongholds, leaving the Crusaders at Acre, Tyre and Tripoli.  

1260  Nicolo and his brother Maffeo, father and uncle of the now six-year-old Marco Polo, begin their first trip to the East, during which they will visit China.

1269  In the wars between the King of England and barons, Jews are considered instruments of the king's oppressions. Jewish communities are attacked and many inhabitants killed. The King of England has been borrowing money from Jews, but he has switched to Italian bankers, reducing his dependence on Jews. And now the king restricts Jews from holding land and Jewish children from inheriting their parents' money. When a Jew dies his money is to be confiscated by the royal government.

1273  Count Rudolf, a wealthy German noble, is elected by German princes to be Holy Roman Emperor. As Rudolf I, he gives a new prominence to the Habsburg family. They elect him because he doesn't appear ambitious or a threat. He is a mediocrity.  

1274  Another grandson of Genghis Khan, to be known as Kubilai Khan, is conquering in the Far East. He has sent a force from Korea to Japan, but a typhoon makes his stay there impossible. The Japanese believe that God is on their side and give credit to God's wind (Kami kaze).

1275  King Edward I of England forbids Jews to lend money on interest.

1276  Kubilai Khan completes a sixteen year drive to conquer China.

1277  The Archbishop of Paris declares as heresy the works of Thomas Aquinas, and this is repeated in England by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

1278  Tribes in Austria had been warring over the lands of the late Duke Friedrich, whose family, the Babenbergers, had controlled Austria for 300 years. Duke Friedrich had died childless. By 1278, Rudolf I, Holy Roman Emperor and Habsburg, gains control over what had been the Babenberger dynasty, beginning Habsburg control over Austria to the second decade of the 20th century.

1278  A number of Jews in England have been dragged to their death behind cart horses, and now many Jews are arrested and hanged for secretly lending money.

1281  The Mamluks defeat a Mongol advance into Syria.

1284  An Italian, Salvino D'Armate creates wearable eye glasses, but it will be a while before use of them will spread.  

1284  Peterhouse, the first college, is founded at Cambridge, England.

1290  King Edward I of England expels all Jews (between 4 and 16 thousand). Many go to France and Germany.

1291  The Crusaders give up the last of their territory in the Middle East, on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, driven out by the Mamluks, who capture the city of Acre. Crusaders have been in the Middle East almost 200 years. Many of these years were peaceful and with amicable relations with Muslims. There was trade, and the crusaders learned from the Muslims. This, including a lot of death, is the sum of the results of an effort to save the Holy Land for Christianity. Added are those of mixed offspring the Crusaders leave behind, a legacy to appear in the blond hair and blue eyes of some in modern times in Lebanon, Syria and Palestine.  

1291  The League of the Three Forest Cantons forms for mutual defense – a beginning of Switzerland.

1295  Marco Polo is back in Venice following his journey as far as China. People do not believe him when he describes the Chinese as using paper money.

1296  A conflict over power and wealth erupts between the king of France and the Pope. King Philip IV of France has continued to tax Church property, taxes that were originally intended to finance the last Crusade. Pope Boniface issues the bull Clericis laicos, which asserts the Church's authority and rights vis-à-vis secular heads of state. Philip threatens to prevent the Church from collecting taxes and tithes within France. Pope Boniface backs down. England's king, Edward I, wins a concession from the Pope similar to the one that the Pope makes for France.

1296  A succession of Islamic sultans have been ruling in Delhi. The latest is Jalal-ud-din, sultan since 1290 and now seventy-six and peace loving. Ala-ud-Khalji, his son in law, nephew and military leader kills him and makes himself sultan, continuing the Khalji family dynasty.

1297  William Wallace launches a series of attacks on English troops while fighting for self-determination for Scots.

1299  The Mexica (Aztecs) have been driven from the Chapultepec area of what today is Mexico City, but they are allowed to settle in a barren area about 12 kilometers south of Chapultepec.

1300  Agriculture had been growing, but a Little Ice Age has begun, and is to last 400 years, bringing wetter weather and a shorter growing season in the northern climates. Farm expansion in Western Europe has come to an end. Cattle raising has declined, reducing the amount of protein in diets and reducing manure for fertilizer, contributing to a decline in crop yields. Herring, a major food source, is beginning to disappear.