Mahmud III (mansa)
Encyclopedia
Mansa Mahmud III, also known as Mamadou II, was mansa
Mansa
Mansa is a Mandinka word meaning "king of kings". It is particularly associated with the Keita Dynasty of the Mali Empire, which dominated West Africa from the thirteenth to the fifthteenth century...

 ("king of kings") of the Mali Empire
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...

 from 1496 to 1559. He was the last mansa to rule from Niani and is known as the mansa under which Mali suffered the most losses to its territory.

Further Songhay Expansion

Songhai forces under the command of Askia Muhammad
Askia Muhammad
Askia Muhammad is a poet, journalist, radio producer, commentator, and photojournalist. He has been multiply awarded by the National Association of Black Journalists for his work on National Public Radio, with first place "Salute to Excellence" awards for his commentaries on "Mississippi and My...

 defeat the Mali general Fati Quali in 1502 and seize the province of Diafunu. In 1514, the Denanke dynasty is established in Tekrour. It isn’t long before the new kingdom of Great Fulo is warring against Mali’s remaining provinces. To add insult to injury, the Songhai Empire seizes the copper mines of Takedda.

More Talks with Portugal

In 1534, Mahmud III received another Portuguese envoy to the Mali court by the name of Peros Fernandes.http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.cosmovisions.com/ChronoPeuls.htm&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DMali%2BEmpire,%2BPeros%2BFernandez%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DX This envoy from the Portuguese coastal port of Elmina
Elmina
Elmina, is a town in the Central Region, situated on a south-facing bay on the Atlantic Ocean coast of Ghana, about 12 km west of Cape Coast...

 arrives in response to the growing trade along the coast and Mali’s now urgent request for military assistance against Songhai.http://san.beck.org/1-13-Africa1500-1800.html Still, no help is forthcoming and Mali must watch its possessions fall one by one.

Rise of the Kaabu Empire

Mansa Mahmud III’s reign also sees the military outpost and province of Kaabu
Kaabu
The Kaabu Empire was a Mandinka Kingdom of Senegambia that rose to prominence in the region thanks to its origins as a former province of the Mali Empire...

 become independent in 1537.http://www.etext.org/Politics/World.Systems/papers/wilkinson_david/spatio-temporal_boundaries_african_civilizations The Kaabu Empire appears every bit as ambitions as Mali was in its early years and swallows up Mali’s remaining Gambian provinces of Cassa and Bati.http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.humtec.org/humtec/lettreinfos/lettreinfo6.htm&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=6&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DKaabu%26start%3D80%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

Sack of Niani

The most defining moment in Mahmud III’s reign is the final conflict between Mali and Songhai in 1545. Songhai forces under Askia Ishaq
Askia Ishaq I
Askia Ishaq I was ruler of the Songhai Empire from 1539 to 1549, elected Askia following the death of Askiya Ismail. He was the fifth ruler of the Askiya Dynasty which had the town of Gao as its capital....

’s brother, Daoud
Askia Daoud
Askia Daoud was ruler of the Songhai Empire from 1549 to 1582. Daoud came to power unopposed following the death of his brother Askia Ishaq I in 1549. The Empire continued to expand under Daoud's rule, and saw little internal strife.He organised a series of military campaigns against tributary...

, sack Niani and occupy the palace.http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.cosmovisions.com/ChronoSonghai.htm&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=5&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DMali%2BEmpire,%2B1545%26start%3D30%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN Mansa Mahmud III is forced to flee Niani for the mountains. Within a week, he regroups with his forces and launches a successful counter-attack forcing the Songhai out of Manden proper for good. The Songhai Empire does keep Mali’s ambitions in check, but never fully conquers their old masters.

From Niani to Kangaba

After liberating the capital, Mahmud III abandons it for a new residence further north. Still, there is no end to Mali’s troubles. In 1559, the kingdom of Fouta Tooro succeeds in taking Takrur.http://www.etext.org/Politics/World.Systems/papers/wilkinson_david/spatio-temporal_boundaries_african_civilizations This defeat reduces Mali to Manden proper with control extending only as far as Kita in the west, Kangaba in the north, the Niger River bend in the east and Kouroussa in the south.
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