Sundiata Keita
Encyclopedia
Sundiata Keita, Sundjata Keyita, Mari Djata I or just Sundiata (c. 1217 – c. 1255) was the founder of the Mali Empire
and celebrated as a hero of the Malinke people of West Africa
in the semi-historical Epic of Sundiata
.
Sundiata is also known by the name Sogolon Djata. The name Sogolon is taken from his mother, daughter of the buffalo woman (so called because of her ugliness and hunchback), and Jata, meaning "lion." A common Mande naming practice combines the mother's name with the personal name to give Sonjata or Sunjata. The last name Keita is a clan name more than a surname.
The story of Sundiata is primarily known through oral tradition
, transmitted by generations of traditional Mandinka
griot
s.
Sundiata was the son of Nare and Sogolon Conde. Growing up, the Mandinkas were conquered by king Soumaoro Kanté
of the Ghana Empire
. He devoted his life to building an army to overthrow the king and liberating his homeland.
When he was older and had a strong army, Sundiata did overthrow the king and became king of the Mali Empire. He understood that if he were to have a kingdom, he would need it to be prosperous as to keep strong. He had crops such as beans and rice, grown and soon introduced cotton. With the crops selling, the Mali Empire became very wealthy.
Sundiata supported religion and soon took the title Mansa. After he died, many rulers also took the title mansa, to show their role and authority in society.
, near the present-day Malian border with Guinea
. Though he was a Muslim
, Sundiata also exploited local religion, building a reputation as a man of powerful magic
.
Sundiata was not an absolute monarch, despite what the title implies. Though he probably wielded popular authority, the Mali Empire was reportedly run like a federation, with each tribe having a chief representative at the court. The first tribes were Mandinka clans of Traore, Kamara, Koroma, Konde, and of course Keita. The Gbara of Great Assembly was in charge of checking the Mansa's power, enforcing his edicts among their people, and selecting the successor (usually the Mansa's son, brother or sister's son).
Sundiata Keita died in 1255, of drowning. Tradition holds that he died while crossing the Sankarani River
, where a shrine remains today. He had three sons who succeeded him to the throne of the Mali Empire: Mansa Wali Keita
, Ouati Keita
and Khalifa Keita
. The famous West African ruler Mansa Musa
is his grandnephew.
Sundiata is also known as Mari Djata or Marijata according to Arab
historian Ibn Khaldun
in the late 14th century.
Mali Empire
The Mali Empire or Mandingo Empire or Manden Kurufa was a West African empire of the Mandinka from c. 1230 to c. 1600. The empire was founded by Sundiata Keita and became renowned for the wealth of its rulers, especially Mansa Musa I...
and celebrated as a hero of the Malinke people of West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
in the semi-historical Epic of Sundiata
Epic of Sundiata
The Sundiata Keita or Epic of Sundiata is an epic poem of the Malinke people and tells the story of the hero Sundiata Keita, the founder of the Mali Empire...
.
Sundiata is also known by the name Sogolon Djata. The name Sogolon is taken from his mother, daughter of the buffalo woman (so called because of her ugliness and hunchback), and Jata, meaning "lion." A common Mande naming practice combines the mother's name with the personal name to give Sonjata or Sunjata. The last name Keita is a clan name more than a surname.
The story of Sundiata is primarily known through oral tradition
Oral tradition
Oral tradition and oral lore is cultural material and traditions transmitted orally from one generation to another. The messages or testimony are verbally transmitted in speech or song and may take the form, for example, of folktales, sayings, ballads, songs, or chants...
, transmitted by generations of traditional Mandinka
Mandinka people
The Mandinka, Malinke are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa with an estimated population of eleven million ....
griot
Griot
A griot or jeli is a West African storyteller. The griot delivers history as a poet, praise singer, and wandering musician. The griot is a repository of oral tradition. As such, they are sometimes also called bards...
s.
Sundiata was the son of Nare and Sogolon Conde. Growing up, the Mandinkas were conquered by king Soumaoro Kanté
Soumaoro Kanté
Soumaoro Kanté was a thirteenth century king of the Sosso people. Seizing Koumbi Saleh, the capital of the recently-defunct Ghana Empire, Soumaoro Kanté proceeded to conquer several neighboring states, including the Mandinka people in what is now Mali...
of the Ghana Empire
Ghana Empire
The Ghana Empire or Wagadou Empire was located in what is now southeastern Mauritania, and Western Mali. Complex societies had existed in the region since about 1500 BCE, and around Ghana's core region since about 300 CE...
. He devoted his life to building an army to overthrow the king and liberating his homeland.
When he was older and had a strong army, Sundiata did overthrow the king and became king of the Mali Empire. He understood that if he were to have a kingdom, he would need it to be prosperous as to keep strong. He had crops such as beans and rice, grown and soon introduced cotton. With the crops selling, the Mali Empire became very wealthy.
Sundiata supported religion and soon took the title Mansa. After he died, many rulers also took the title mansa, to show their role and authority in society.
Mansa
Sundiata Keita established his capital at his home village of Niani, MaliNiani, Mali
Niani was the capital city of the medieval Mali Empire, located south of the Sahara Desert. There are at least two cities in modern-day Mali named Niani, but neither are the former capitals of the great empire. Instead, the Niani of historic fame is actually in the country of Guinea to Mali's...
, near the present-day Malian border with Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
. Though he was a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
, Sundiata also exploited local religion, building a reputation as a man of powerful magic
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
.
Sundiata was not an absolute monarch, despite what the title implies. Though he probably wielded popular authority, the Mali Empire was reportedly run like a federation, with each tribe having a chief representative at the court. The first tribes were Mandinka clans of Traore, Kamara, Koroma, Konde, and of course Keita. The Gbara of Great Assembly was in charge of checking the Mansa's power, enforcing his edicts among their people, and selecting the successor (usually the Mansa's son, brother or sister's son).
Sundiata Keita died in 1255, of drowning. Tradition holds that he died while crossing the Sankarani River
Sankarani River
The Sankarani River is a tributary of the Niger River Flowing northward from the Fouta Djallon highlands of Guinea, it crosses into southern Mali, where it joins the Niger approximately 40 km upstream of Bamako...
, where a shrine remains today. He had three sons who succeeded him to the throne of the Mali Empire: Mansa Wali Keita
Mansa Wali Keita
Mansa Uli , also known as Ali or Wali in Arab sources, was the second mansa of the Mali Empire.Born under the name Yérélinkon, he was the only biological son of the legendary Sundiata Keita...
, Ouati Keita
Ouati Keita
Mansa Wati was the third mansa of the Mali Empire reigning from 1270 to 1274.Mansa Wati was one of two adopted children from among Sundjata's generals. He was raised in the royal court as a prince alongside the previous mansa Uli and another adopted sibling named Khalifa...
and Khalifa Keita
Khalifa Keita
'Mansa Khalifawas the fourth mansa of the Mali Empire. He ruled the empire for only a year from 1274 to his assassination in 1275.Mansa Khalifa or Khalifah was an adopted son of the legendary founder Sundiata Keita. Like Mansa Wati before him, Khalifa was actually the son of an imperial general...
. The famous West African ruler Mansa Musa
Mansa Musa
Musa I , commonly referred to as Mansa Musa, was the tenth mansa, which translates as "king of kings" or "emperor", of the Malian Empire...
is his grandnephew.
Sundiata is also known as Mari Djata or Marijata according to Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
historian Ibn Khaldun
Ibn Khaldun
Ibn Khaldūn or Ibn Khaldoun was an Arab Tunisian historiographer and historian who is often viewed as one of the forerunners of modern historiography, sociology and economics...
in the late 14th century.
Further Reading
.......- Newton, Robert C. 2006. Of Dangerous Energy and Transformations: Nyamakalaya and the Sunjata Phenomenon. Research in African Literatures Vol. 37, No. 2: 15-33.. One of first publications presenting a version of the Sundiata Epic...
- Published translations of the epic include D.T. Niane's prose version, Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali (Harlow: Longman, 2006, 1994, c1965: ISBN 1-4058-4942-8), Fa-Digi Sisoko's oral version, Son-Jara : The Mande Epic (Bloomington, Ind. : Indiana University Press, 2003), Issiaka Diakite-Kaba's French-English diglot dramatized version Soundjata, Le Leon/Sunjata, The Lion (Denver: Outskirts Press and Paris: Les Editions l'Harmattan, 2010).
External links
- webMande. The Mande Peoples, History and Civilization (mostly in French)
- PDF: Guide to Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali from the Boston University's African Studies Center
- Outline of the Sundiata epic by Janice Siegel
- Parallels between The Sundiata Epic and The Lord of The Rings A comparison of shared character traits between Sundiata and AragornAragornAragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
the hero that is the prophesied king in TolkienJ. R. R. TolkienJohn Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's novel. - The True Lion King of Africa: The Epic History of Sundiata, King of Old Mali - Paper addresses parallels found between Disney's "The Lion KingThe Lion KingThe Lion King is a 1994 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32nd feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
" and the Epic of Sundiata. - Background information on Sundiata Sections include Geography, Religion, Society & Politics
- History of Mali With reference to Sundiata and his successors.