Segou Bamana Empire | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1712–1861 | |||||||||
.png) Ségou Empire, XVIII century. | |||||||||
| Capital | Ségou | ||||||||
| Common languages | Bambara | ||||||||
| Religion | Animism,Islam | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| Faama | |||||||||
• 1712-1755 | Mamary Coulibaly | ||||||||
• 1766-1790 | Ngolo Diarra | ||||||||
| Historical era | Early modern period | ||||||||
• Kaladian establishes dynasty | c.1640 | ||||||||
• Mamari (Biton) Coulibaly takes power | 1712 | ||||||||
• Ngolo Diarra takes power | 1766 | ||||||||
• Conquest by the Toucouleur Empire | 1861 | ||||||||
| Currency | cowries,mithqal | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | Mali | ||||||||
TheSégou Empire (alsoBambara orBamana Empire ,Bambara:ߓߊ߲ߓߊߙߊ߲߫ ߝߊ߯ߡߟߊ,romanized: Banbaran Fāmala) was one of the largest states ofWest Africa in the 18th century.[1]: 408 Along withKaarta it was one of the most important successors of theSonghai Empire. Based on an earlier kingdom established in 1640, it grew into a powerful empire in the early 18th century underBitòn Coulibaly. The empire existed as a centralized state from 1712 until the 1861 invasion by theToucouleur conqueror El HadjUmar Tall.
Around 1640,Kaladian Coulibaly, also known as Fa Sine, became the leader of a small Bambara kingdom in the city of Ségou in Mali. Though he made many successful conquests of neighboring tribes and kingdoms, he failed to set up a significant administrative framework, and the new empire disintegrated following his death (c. 1660).
In 1712Mamari Kulubali, also known as Biton Coulibaly, Kaladian's great-grandson, was elected the leader of a youth organization known as atòn. Mamari soon reorganized the tòn as a personal army supplemented with runaway slaves, assumed the title ofbitòn, and set about overthrowing the traditional political order.[1]: 412 He became the firstFaama of Ségou, making it the capital of a new Bamana Empire.
Fortifying the capital withSonghai techniques, Bitòn Kulubali built a large army of conscripts known as theton djon and a navy of war canoes to patrol theNiger.[2] He introduced a novel system of taxation using thecowrie shell ascurrency.[1]: 324 His successful defeat of an invasion from theKong Empire in 1725 cemented his position.[3]: 333 He then proceeded to launch successful assaults against his neighbors, theFulani, theSoninke, and theMossi, conqueringMacina,Beledougou,Djenne,Bamako andTomboctou, though he held the latter city only briefly. In 1751 he also conqueredNiani, making theMansa of the rump-stateMali Empire a vassal.[3]: 333 During this time he founded the city ofBla as an outpost and armory.
Mamari's death in 1755 inaugurated an era of instability and civil war.[4]Dinkoro Coulibaly reigned for a few years before being overthrown by his brotherAli. A devout muslim, he attempted to convert the empire and was soon deposed himself.[1]: 412
In 1766, a formerslave and leader of theton djon namedNgolo Diarra seized the throne and re-established stability, reigning for nearly forty years of prosperity. He began a series of successful conquests, including that ofTimbuktu and theSultanate of Massina.[2] The Ngolosi, his descendants, would continue to rule the Empire until its fall.
Ngolo's sonMansong Diarra took the throne c.1790 following his father's death in battle and a short succession dispute.[2][5] During this period the Faama ruled from a massive palace in Segou and commanded a well-organized cavalry army, often used for raising tribute and taxes in the form of cowries. The capital, Segou, was a prosperous city of around 30,000 inhabitants straddling both banks of theNiger river.[1]: 324, 410 After Mansong's death in 1808, the empire's power progressively declined.[2]
At theBattle of Noukouma in 1818, Bambara forces met and were defeated by Fula Muslim fighters rallied by the jihad ofCheikou Amadu (or Seku Amadu) of Massina. The Segou Empire survived but was irreversibly weakened. Seku Amadu's forces decisively defeated the Bambara, takingDjenné and much of the territory aroundMopti and forming into aMassina Empire. Timbuktu would fall as well in 1845.
After 1839 thefaamaw succeeded each other in rapid fashion as thetonjon leaders grew increasingly powerful, independent, and prone to intervene in succession disputes.[6]: 412 When El HadjUmar Tall, aToucouleur religious leader, declared a jihad against the empire in 1859, this balkanization prevented 'faama' Ali from mounting an effective defense. Tall tookNyamina without a fight on May 25th 1860, then defeated the Bamana army at Witala in September.[6]: 413 Ségou itselffell on March 10, 1861, marking the end of the Segou Empire.[2]
The Segou Empire was structured around traditional Bambara institutions. The most important of these was theton, or age-group. They were in theory completely egalitarian and elected their own leaders. Through charisma and ruthless power politics, however, Biton converted this into essentially an army made up offorobadjon (nominally, slaves of the community) led bytondjons, or slaves of theton but who were in practice a military aristocracy. Anyfaama strong enough to control thetondjons was in effect an absolute monarch, doling out state property as rewards for bravery. A 40-man council of state swore allegiance and obedience to him and served as a rubber stamp. Relatives were given key posts, and thefaama was the head priest of powerful and important religious cults.[3]: 334–6 The army was a place where ethnic and class distinctions mattered little, and capable people could rise and make their fortunes.[3]: 337 Another traditional institution was thekòmò, a body to resolvetheological concerns. Thekòmò often consulted religious sculptures in their decisions, particularly the four stateboliw, large altars designed to aid the acquisition of political power.[citation needed]
Administratively, the core of the state was in thetoo-daga, the area closest to Segou. The ruler's designated successor held lots of power there. Most other provinces were governed by local elites who pledged loyalty to thefaama or appointed governors.[3]: 337 The royal symbols were a bow and arrows, and a golden axe.[3]: 333
The economy of the Segou Empire flourished through trade, especially that of theslaves captured in their many wars. One category of slave, thejonfin, could be sold; another, thejonba were put to work by the state either as laborers or as soldiers in theton djon. The demand for slaves then led to further fighting, leaving the Bambara in a perpetual state of war with their neighbors, and slaves from the area formed the majority of those sold to European traders at theSenegal andGambia river trading posts.[1]: 414
Trade was conducted largely by Muslimmaraka merchants who traded across theSahara or towards the coast. They exchanged guns,shell money, horses, salt, gold, cloth, and slaves.[1]: 415
Mungo Park, passing through the Bambara capital ofSégou in 1797 recorded a testament to the Empire's prosperity:
The view of this extensive city, the numerous canoes on the river, the crowded population, and the cultivated state of the surrounding countryside, formed altogether a prospect of civilization and magnificence that I little expected to find in the bosom of Africa.[8][9]
