Kénédougou Empire
Encyclopedia
The Kénédougou Kingdom, also referred to as the Kenedugu Kingdom, (c. 1650-1898) was a pre-colonial West Africa
n state established in the southern portion of present-day Mali
.
. They began traversing the borders of Cote d'Ivoire, Mali
, Burkina Faso
and even Ghana
around the 13th century. The new kingdom was conveniently centered on the border of Mali and Burkina Faso
. Its position was crucial to the exchange of desert and forest goods. Sadly, the Senoufo traditionalist practices put them at odds with the Muslims to their north. The Senoufo of Kenedougou adopted some Mandé practices such as the king title of faama
. Nanka Traoré became Kénédougou's first ruler and began the Traoré dynasty, which would last into the late 19th century.
There is little information about the kingdom's formative years, and approximately five to seven famas ruled between the foundation of the dynasty and Fama Douala ba I. Kénédougou's existence was marked by relative peace compared to neighboring states of the period.
moved the capital of the kingdom to his mother's home city of Sikasso
in 1877. There he built a new palace called the Mamelon
on a strategic hill. The decision proved wise, as Tieba and his successor Babemba Traoré
fought a number of battles against both Samori Toure and the rapidly advancing French army
.
Ironically, the small kingdom of Kénédougou would become one of the last major hold-out against French ambitions in West Africa. The larger states were falling like dominoes to either Samori's Wassulu Empire or the French. Samori attacked Sikasso with an army of 12,000 men in April 1887, but failed to take the city. Then, from 1887 to 1888, the French besieged Sikasso but also met with defeat. In light of these threats, Tieba ordered the construction of a tata, or fortified wall
, around the city in 1890. Parts of the tata have become one of present-day Sikasso's major tourist attractions.
Following Tieba's death on January 1, 1893, his brother Babemba Traoré assumed the throne. He held the French at bay for another five years. In 1897, the French conquered Ségou
, the capital of the Kénédougou's northern neighbor, the Toucouleur Empire
. This victory renewed the France's ambition toward Sikasso, and they prepared to take the city again determined to avenge the previous disgrace.
of French Sudan
, and later into the country of Mali
. The memory of Tieba and Babemba are still revered to this day in Mali as symbols of African resistance to the French.
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:...
n state established in the southern portion of present-day Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
.
Traoré Dynasty
Kénédougou was first established in the 1650s by the Senoufo people, who originate in modern day Cote d'IvoireCôte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
. They began traversing the borders of Cote d'Ivoire, Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
, Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
and even Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
around the 13th century. The new kingdom was conveniently centered on the border of Mali and Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
. Its position was crucial to the exchange of desert and forest goods. Sadly, the Senoufo traditionalist practices put them at odds with the Muslims to their north. The Senoufo of Kenedougou adopted some Mandé practices such as the king title of faama
Faama
Faama is a Mandinka word meaning "king". It was commonly used within the area of pre-imperial Mali. The title spread into areas conquered by Mali and was later used by the Bamana Empire and the Wassoulou Empire of Samori Toure and non-Mandinka groups in the Kenedougou Empire.-See also:*Mali...
. Nanka Traoré became Kénédougou's first ruler and began the Traoré dynasty, which would last into the late 19th century.
There is little information about the kingdom's formative years, and approximately five to seven famas ruled between the foundation of the dynasty and Fama Douala ba I. Kénédougou's existence was marked by relative peace compared to neighboring states of the period.
Kénédougou's Resistance
This would all come to an end in the last quarter of the 19th century as the double threat of French colonialists and Samori Toure began swallowing up its commercial partners in the south, west and east. Possibly seeing the writing on the wall, Faama TiebaTieba Traoré
Tieba Traoré was a king of the Kénédougou Empire who reigned from 1876 until his death in 1893. Son of the previous king, Mansa Douala, Traoré moved the Empire's capital to Sikasso, building a palace on the city's Mamelon hill...
moved the capital of the kingdom to his mother's home city of Sikasso
Sikasso
Sikasso is a city in the south of Mali and the capital of the Sikasso Region. With 130,700 residents, Sikasso recently passed Ségou to become Mali's second-largest city.-Geography:...
in 1877. There he built a new palace called the Mamelon
Mamelon
A mamelon is a French name for a breast shaped hillock. At the Siege of Sevastopol during the Crimea War the French called a strategic hillock the Mamelon...
on a strategic hill. The decision proved wise, as Tieba and his successor Babemba Traoré
Babemba Traoré
Babemba Traoré was a king of the Kénédougou Empire. Following the 1893 death of his brother Tieba Traoré, Babemba assumed the Kénédougou throne. The capital, Sikasso, was beset at this time by both the Dyula forces of Samory Touré and by the rapidly advancing French colonial army...
fought a number of battles against both Samori Toure and the rapidly advancing French army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
.
Ironically, the small kingdom of Kénédougou would become one of the last major hold-out against French ambitions in West Africa. The larger states were falling like dominoes to either Samori's Wassulu Empire or the French. Samori attacked Sikasso with an army of 12,000 men in April 1887, but failed to take the city. Then, from 1887 to 1888, the French besieged Sikasso but also met with defeat. In light of these threats, Tieba ordered the construction of a tata, or fortified wall
Fortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
, around the city in 1890. Parts of the tata have become one of present-day Sikasso's major tourist attractions.
Following Tieba's death on January 1, 1893, his brother Babemba Traoré assumed the throne. He held the French at bay for another five years. In 1897, the French conquered Ségou
Ségou
Ségou is a city in south-central Mali, lying northeast of Bamako on the River Niger, in the region of Ségou. It was founded by the Bozo people, on a site about from the present town...
, the capital of the Kénédougou's northern neighbor, the Toucouleur Empire
Toucouleur Empire
The Toucouleur Empire was founded in the nineteenth century by El Hadj Umar Tall of the Toucouleur people, in part of present-day Mali....
. This victory renewed the France's ambition toward Sikasso, and they prepared to take the city again determined to avenge the previous disgrace.
French Conquest
The French launched an artillery assault against Sikasso's tata in April 1898, and the city fell on May 1 of the same year. Rather than see the French take control of his city, Fama Babemba ordered his guards to kill him. The territory of the Kénédougou Kingdom was soon assimilated into the colonyColony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
of French Sudan
French Sudan
French Sudan was a colony in French West Africa that had two separate periods of existence, first from 1890 to 1899, then from 1920 to 1960, when the territory became the independent nation of Mali.-Colonial establishment:...
, and later into the country of Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
. The memory of Tieba and Babemba are still revered to this day in Mali as symbols of African resistance to the French.
Sources
- Pascal James Imperato. Historical Dictionary of Mali. Scarecrow Press/ Metuchen. NJ - London (1986) ISBN 0810813696 pp. 91, 173-74, 214, 237-38, 241
- World Statesmen Mali
- Regnal Chronologies North Africa
- West Africa the Fight for Survival