Bitòn Coulibaly (1689?–1755), also known as Mamary Coulibaly, founded the Bambara Empire in what is now

Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mal ...

Ségou Region Ségou Region ( Bambara: ߛߋߓߎ ߘߌߣߋߖߊ tr. Segu Dineja) is an administrative region in Mali, situated in the centre of the country with an area of , around 5% of Mali. The region is bordered by Sikasso Region on the south, Tombouctou a ...

and Mopti Region.

Biography

Great-grandson of former

Ségou Ségou (; bm, ߛߋߓߎ, italic=no, ) is a town and an urban commune in south-central Mali that lies northeast of Bamako on the right bank of the River Niger. The town is the capital of the Ségou Cercle and the Ségou Region. With 130,690 ...

king

Kaladian Coulibaly Kaladian Coulibaly was a West African ruler who founded one of the first large Bambara people, Bambara kingdoms, centered on Ségou in what is now Mali. Around 1650, Coulibaly's kingdom was one of the dominant forces in the region. Though it lacke ...

, Mamary Coulibaly settled in Ségou in his youth and soon became head of the Tòn, a voluntary organization for young men, taking the title of "Bitòn." Under Coulibaly's leadership, the Tòn transformed from an egalitarian society into an army of "Tondions." Prompted by popular uprising against the king of Ségou, the populace suggested he take over the leadership of the Bambara kingdom. Coulibaly quickly subdued rival chiefs of Ségou through a vote a

cloture Cloture (, also ), closure or, informally, a guillotine, is a motion or process in parliamentary procedure aimed at bringing debate to a quick end. The cloture procedure originated in the French National Assembly, from which the name is taken. ' ...

of the chiefs, and used the city as a capital for his new Bambara Empire. Fortifying himself with defensive techniques from the Songhai tradition, Coulibaly created a thousand-man army and a navy of war canoes to patrol the

Niger River The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. It runs in a crescent shape through ...

, staffing both with men already captured in his conquests. Coulibaly then proceeded to launch successful assaults against his neighbors, the

Fula Fula may refer to: *Fula people (or Fulani, Fulɓe) *Fula language (or Pulaar, Fulfulde, Fulani) **The Fula variety known as the Pulaar language **The Fula variety known as the Pular language **The Fula variety known as Maasina Fulfulde *Al-Fula ...

ni, the Soninke, and the Mossi; he also attacked Tomboctou, though he held the city only briefly. During this time he also founded the city of Bla as an outpost and armory. He built a

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

in Ségou. Coulibaly's new empire thrived on trade with the Berbers to the north due to the Islamic influence, including that of local slaves captured in its many wars. The slaves were drafted in the army, used for labor and or resold to African local traders to the south and west (not European Slave trade); the demand for slaves then fueled the empire on to further wars. Bitòn Coulibaly was succeeded by Dinkoro Coulibaly following his death in 1755 and Ali Coulibaly. However, the Coulibalys handed down the throne to Ngolo Diarra, a slave or servant of Biton Coulibaly, in 1766. Slaves had the right to property, and could win their way to nobility, as Diarra did.

Tomb

In 2019 Coulibaly's tomb had the inscription "Biton Mamary Coulibaly / Founder of the Kingdom / Banana of Segou Sekoro / Reign 1712-1755". ASC Leiden - van Achterberg Collection - 06 - 77 - La tombe de Bitòn Coulibali - Ségoukoro, Mali - Nov.-déc. 1983.jpg, Tomb from a distance, 1983 ASC Leiden - van Achterberg Collection - 06 - 78 - Un homme près de la tombe de Bitòn Coulibaly - Ségoukoro, Mali - Nov.-déc. 1983.jpg, Tomb of Bitòn Coulibaly - Ségoukoro, Mali, 1983 La_tombe_de_Biton.jpg, The tomb of Biton Mamary Coulibaly, 2019

In popular culture

* Super Biton de Ségou, a Malian afro-jazz band, was founded in the 1960s in Ségou. Named after Bitòn Coulibaly, they are Mali's oldest dance band, and one of the oldest African orchestras.

References

*Lilyan, Kesteloot: ''L'Epopée Bambara de Ségou I and II'', Paris : Fernand Nathan, 1971. Paris : Editions L'Harmattan, 1993. *Davidson, Basil: ''Africa in History''. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995.

External links

Timeline of Western Sudan
( Metropolitan Museum: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.)
Pre-colonial Malian History
(in French) {{DEFAULTSORT:Coulibaly, Biton 18th-century Malian people Bamana Empire 1755 deaths 18th-century rulers in Africa Year of birth unknown