The Sosso Empire was a twelfth-century Kaniaga kingdom of

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali ...

. The Kingdom of Sosso, also written as Soso or Susu, was an ancient kingdom on the coast of west Africa. During its empire, reigned their most famous leader, Sumaoro Kante. Sumaoro Kante was said to be a cruel, harsh leader of his kingdom according to old African historians. His harsh leadership style kept the empire in balance and led to organization within the nation states. There was also strong economic success under his rule. He is said to have used "magic" in order to scare his people and keep his kingdom together. The Sosso Empire succeeded the

Ghana Empire The Ghana Empire, also known as Wagadou ( ar, غانا) or Awkar, was a West African empire based in the modern-day southeast of Mauritania and western Mali that existed from c. 300 until 1100. The Empire was founded by the Soninke people, a ...

after the downfall of the latter. Sumanguru captured the state called Kangaba during his reign, which later became the state of

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. Ma ...

. Sumanguru controlled his people under a harsh rule until he was eventually overthrown by African folklore hero, Sundiata. Sundiata was exiled from his home in the empire as a child. However, he traveled the surrounding area, gathered allies and troops to fight with him, and fought Sumanguru's empire at the

battle of Krina The Battle of Kirina, also known as the Battle of Krina or Siege of Karina ( c. 1235), was a confrontation between Sosso king Sumanguru Kanté and Mandinka prince Sundiata Keita. Sundiata Keita's forces roundly defeated those of Sumanguru Kant ...

in 1235. There, Sundiata was victorious and took over the Sosso empire, effectively ending the reign of the empire. Ghana successor map 1200

Medieval Sosso

The modern Sosso people trace their history to a 12th- and 13th- century Kaniaga kingdom known as the "Sosso." With the fall of the

, the Sosso expanded into a number of its former holdings, including its capital of Koumbi Saleh. Under King

Soumaoro Kanté Soumaoro Kanté (also known as Sumaworo Kanté or Sumanguru Kanté) was a 13th-century king of the Sosso people. Seizing Koumbi Saleh, the capital of the recently defunct Ghana Empire, Soumaoro Kanté proceeded to conquer several neighboring stat ...

, the Sosso briefly conquered the

Mandinka Mandinka, Mandika, Mandinkha, Mandinko, or Mandingo may refer to: Media * ''Mandingo'' (novel), a bestselling novel published in 1957 * ''Mandingo'' (film), a 1975 film based on the eponymous 1957 novel * ''Mandingo (play)'', a play by Jack Kir ...

kingdoms of what is now

. These gains were lost at the

Battle of Kirina The Battle of Kirina, also known as the Battle of Krina or Siege of Karina ( c. 1235), was a confrontation between Sosso king Sumanguru Kanté and Mandinka prince Sundiata Keita. Sundiata Keita's forces roundly defeated those of Sumanguru Kant ...

(c. 1235) when Mandinka prince Sundiata Keita led a coalition of smaller states to soundly defeat the Sosso, thus beginning the

Mali Empire The Mali Empire (Manding: ''Mandé''Ki-Zerbo, Joseph: ''UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. IV, Abridged Edition: Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century'', p. 57. University of California Press, 1997. or Manden; ar, مالي, Māl� ...

. Sundiata marched on to the city of Sosso itself and destroyed it, marking the kingdom's end.

References

External links

Empire Sosso of Soumaoro Kante
History of Guinea Political history of Mali History of Senegal {{Africa-ethno-group-stub es:Sosso id:Sosso it:Sosso pl:Sosso