Sundiata Keita

Names
	Mansa Sundiata Keita

Mansa Sundiata Keita
Mansa Sundiata Keita
Founder and Emperor of Imperial Mali
Reign	c. 1235 – c. 1255
Coronation	Crowned Mansa after The Battle of Kirina: c. 1235
Predecessor	Naré Maghann Konaté and Dankaran Touman both as Faamas (Kings in Mandinka language – pre-Imperial Mali. As a Mansa (King of Kings), preceded by none).
Heir-apparent	Mansa Uli I
Born	c. 1217; Dakadjalan, part of present-day Mali
Died	c. 1255 (aged c. 37–38)
Issue	Mansa Wali Keita ; Mansa Ouati Keita ; Mansa Khalifa Keita; Mansa Sundiata Keita also had daughters not just sons.
Names
Names
	Mansa Sundiata Keita
House	The Royal House of Keita
Father	Naré Maghann Konaté
Mother	Sukulung Conté
Religion	Prevailing view: Traditional African religion others claim Muslim

Sundiata Keita (Mandinka, Malinke: [sʊndʒæta keɪta]; c. 1217–c. 1255,^[9] N'Ko spelling: ߛߏ߲߬ߖߘߊ߬ ߞߋߕߊ߬; also 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. He was also the great-uncle of the Malian ruler Mansa Musa, who is usually regarded as the wealthiest person of all time,^[10]^[11] although there are no reliable ways to accurately calculate his wealth.^[12]

Written sources augment the Mande oral histories, with the Moroccan traveller Muhammad ibn Battúta (1304–1368) and the Tunisian historian ibn Khaldun (1332–1406) both having travelled to Mali in the century after Sundiata's death, and providing independent verification of his existence. The semi-historical but legendary Epic of Sundiata by the Malinké/Maninka people centers on his life. The epic poem is primarily known through oral tradition, transmitted by generations of Maninka griots (djeli or jeliw).^[13] The Manden Charter issued during his reign is listed by UNESCO as one of an intangible cultural heritage.^[14]

^ Carruth, Gorton, The Encyclopedia of World Facts and Dates, HarperCollins Publishers, 1993, pp. 167, 1192. ISBN 0-06-270012-X.
^ Snodgrass, Mary Ellen, Encyclopedia of the Literature of Empire, p. 77, Infobase Publishing, 2009, ISBN 1-4381-1906-2.
^ NIANE, Djibril Tamsir. “Histoire et Tradition Historique Du Manding.” Présence Africaine, no. 89, Présence Africaine Editions, 1974, pp. 59–74, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24349706 Archived 7 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine.
^ Cite error: The named reference Fage, p. 390 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Bad, p. 100-2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Collins, Robert O p 84 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ""Sundiata", Encyclopædia Britannica Online". Archived from the original on 28 March 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
^ Niane p. 41.
^ The years of Sundiata Keita's birth and death are estimates based on the epic and the historical events surrounding that period, as well as other scholarly works based on Arab and North African writings. Scholars such as Snodgrass gave a date range of 1217–1255. See Snodgrass (2009), p. 77.
^ Cox, George O. African Empires and Civilizations: ancient and medieval, African Heritage Studies Publishers, 1974, p. 160.
^ King, Noel (2005). Ibn Battuta in Black Africa. Markus Wiener Publishers. pp. 45–46.
^ Collet, Hadrien (2019). "Échos d'Arabie. Le Pèlerinage à La Mecque de Mansa Musa (724–725/1324–1325) d'après des Nouvelles Sources". History in Africa. 46: 106. doi:10.1017/hia.2019.12. ISSN 0361-5413. S2CID 182652539. Archived from the original on 15 April 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2023 – via cambridge.org.
^ Conrad, David C., Empires of Medieval West Africa, Infobase Publishing, 2005, p. 12, ISBN 1-4381-0319-0.
^ UNESCO, "Manden Charter, proclaimed in Kurukan Fuga", 2009. Access here Archived 12 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine. A translation of it can be found in pp. 75-77 of this publication Archived 13 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine.

[1] Carruth, Gorton, The Encyclopedia of World Facts and Dates, HarperCollins Publishers, 1993, pp. 167, 1192. ISBN 0-06-270012-X.

[2] Snodgrass, Mary Ellen, Encyclopedia of the Literature of Empire, p. 77, Infobase Publishing, 2009, ISBN 1-4381-1906-2.

[3] NIANE, Djibril Tamsir. “Histoire et Tradition Historique Du Manding.” Présence Africaine, no. 89, Présence Africaine Editions, 1974, pp. 59–74, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24349706 Archived 7 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine.

[Fage,_p._390-4] Cite error: The named reference Fage, p. 390 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Bad,_p._100-2-5] Cite error: The named reference Bad, p. 100-2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Collins,_Robert_O_p_84-6] Cite error: The named reference Collins, Robert O p 84 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[7] ""Sundiata", Encyclopædia Britannica Online". Archived from the original on 28 March 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2012.

[8] Niane p. 41.

[9] The years of Sundiata Keita's birth and death are estimates based on the epic and the historical events surrounding that period, as well as other scholarly works based on Arab and North African writings. Scholars such as Snodgrass gave a date range of 1217–1255. See Snodgrass (2009), p. 77.

[Cox,_George_O._1974,_p_160-10] Cox, George O. African Empires and Civilizations: ancient and medieval, African Heritage Studies Publishers, 1974, p. 160.

[11] King, Noel (2005). Ibn Battuta in Black Africa. Markus Wiener Publishers. pp. 45–46.

[12] Collet, Hadrien (2019). "Échos d'Arabie. Le Pèlerinage à La Mecque de Mansa Musa (724–725/1324–1325) d'après des Nouvelles Sources". History in Africa. 46: 106. doi:10.1017/hia.2019.12. ISSN 0361-5413. S2CID 182652539. Archived from the original on 15 April 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2023 – via cambridge.org.

[Conrad,_David_C._p_12-13] Conrad, David C., Empires of Medieval West Africa, Infobase Publishing, 2005, p. 12, ISBN 1-4381-0319-0.

[14] UNESCO, "Manden Charter, proclaimed in Kurukan Fuga", 2009. Access here Archived 12 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine. A translation of it can be found in pp. 75-77 of this publication Archived 13 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine.

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