Biography of Sundiata Keita

Biography of Sundiata Keita

Who is Sundiata Keita?

Biography of Sundiata Keita : In the thirteenth century C.E., Sundiata Keita served as the Mali Empire’s first emperor. He established the framework for a strong and prosperous African empire and issued the Manden Charter, the first human rights declaration.

Sundiata Keita Biography

From 1235 to 1255 CE, Sundiata Keita presided as the first emperor of the Mali Empire. Early in the 13th century, Sundiata Keita, whose name means “Lion Prince,” was born into a distinguished Malinke family. The Ghana empire of West Africa included the Malinke kingdom of Kangaba. According to oral histories of Keita, he was a physically challenged young man or a sickly child. This explains why he was spared when his brothers were slaughtered by Ghana’s kings. He eventually rose to local authority in the Kangaba kingdom.

Keita started a rebellion when the Ghana Empire attempted to impose trade restrictions on the Malinke. In order to combat Ghana’s king Sumanguru, he was able to get together a number of West African peoples. In the battle of Kirina in 1235 C.E., he was successful in defeating Sumanguru. Following it, Keita’s generals started capturing further lands in West Africa. The Mali Empire, which he gave its name to, would grow to be one of the richest empires in history.

The Mali Empire was inaugurated by Keita’s victory over Sumanguru. As his new capital, Keita chose to reconstruct the Niani city, which had been destroyed at the time, close to the Sankarini River. For African and Arab traders, this region quickly developed into a hub. The Mali Empire became prosperous as a result of its command over trade routes and its abundant gold and copper resources.

The Manden Charter, also known as the Kouroukan Fouga, was drafted by the Mali Empire under Sundiata Keita and is considered to be one of the first human rights charters. This charter has been passed down via the Malinke people orally rather than in writing. The Manden Charter discusses, among other things, the abolition of slavery, education, and food security in a multicultural society.

Besides the Manden Charter, there is a large body of oral stories and legends passed down about Sundiata Keita, which occasionally contradict written sources. Whether Keita converted to Islam is a matter of debate among documentary scholars and those who’ve passed down oral legends. Some believe that Arab traders in the area converted Keita to Islam. Certainly, his descendants were Muslim, and many went on pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj), and Keita’s most famous descendent, Mansa Musa, dazzled Egypt and the Islamic world on his lavish pilgrimage east. However, the legendary oral tradition that surrounds Keita suggests that he never turned away from his native religion. These oral stories portray Sundiata Keita as a magician and believer in traditional Malinke religion. Some sources suggest that he was both: Muslim to work with the Muslim merchant class, and a practitioner of traditional Malinke religion to work with the rest of his people. Whatever the case, be it devout Malinke observer, a Muslim convert, or a mixture of both to the most effective administrator he could be, Keita’s personal religious convictions remain a mystery.

Keita passed away in 1255 from an undisclosed cause, while some people think he was slain accidentally. He is the subject of a significant oral narrative tradition that portrays him as a nearly legendary figure as the creator of the Mali Empire. His descendants included Mansa Musa, one of the wealthiest people to have ever lived, and the empire he built became one of the richest in the world. Because of his leadership and military efforts, the empire endured into the 16th century, cementing himself, his empire, and his family in the minds of storytellers all over the world.

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