The Mali Empire
The Mali Empire was an empire that flourished in West Africa from about 1240 to 1500. At its height, the Mali Empire controlled most of what are now Gambia, Guinea, Mali, and Senegal, and parts of present-day Burkina Faso, Mauritania, and Niger. The Mali Empire was founded by the Malinke, the most important ethnic group among the modern-day Mandingo people.
Between 1235 and 1240, Sundiata, the king of Kangaba, conquered the nearby lands of the Sosso, founding the Mali Empire. Later, under Mansa Musa, who ruled from 1312 to about 1337, the empire spread eastward to Gao. Mansa Musa brought the empire to the peak of its political power and cultural achievement.
Control of the vast empire required skill and power that Mansa Musa's successors lacked. After about 1400, Songhai and other states conquered Mali's outlying areas. By 1500, the Songhai Empire controlled most of the Mali Empire.
Excerpt adapted from the "Mali Empire" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999