MANDINKA PEOPLE The Mandinka are said to be the descendants of the Empire of Mali, which rose to power under the rule of the great Mandinka King Sundiata Keita. They are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. They can be found in the following countries: Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Niger, Mauritania and Chad. Originally the Mandinkas were from Mali. They gained their independence from previous empires in the thirteenth century and found an empire which stretched across West Africa. They migrated west from the Niger River basin in search of better agricultural lands and more opportunities for conquest. During this expansion, they established their rule from present day Gambia to Guinea. They were probably one of the original groups that inhabited the ancient city of Djenné-Jeno. During the reign of the great Mansa Musa (AD 1312–1337), about half of Mandinka population were converted from indigenous believes to Islam. The Mandes founded the empire of Kaabu, comprising twenty small kingdoms. During the conflicts between the Mandinka and the kingdom of Fouta Djallon, many Mandinkas were captured and sold as slaves to America. It is said that a significant part of the African-Americans in North America descended from Mandinka people. In West Africa (northern Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Southern Mali), Mandinka communities were often built around long distance trade routes. These people often called “Dyoula” (meaning “merchant” in Mandé) built communities in trading centers, spaced along trade routes, and near mining and agricultural centers. These Niger River Root #BecauseImAnAfrikan
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 13:04:21 +0000
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