Tunka Manin (c. 1010–1078) was a ruler of the

Ghana Empire The Ghana Empire (), also known as simply Ghana, Ghanata, or Wagadu, was an ancient western-Sahelian empire based in the modern-day southeast of Mauritania and western Mali. It is uncertain among historians when Ghana's ruling dynasty began. T ...

who reigned from 1062 to at least 1076 C.E. Preceded by Ghana Bassi, Manin was the last ruler of the Ghana Empire before the Almoravid conquest. Accounts of Tunka Manin come from

Al-Bakri Abū ʿUbayd ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Muḥammad ibn Ayyūb ibn ʿAmr al-Bakrī (), or simply al-Bakrī (c. 1040–1094) was an Arab Andalusian historian and a geographer of the Muslim West. Life Al-Bakri was born in Huelva, the ...

who described him as a "lover of justice and favorable to Muslims". Manin had succeeded Bassi in 1062 and like him had maintained his traditional religion rather than converting to Islam. The

Almoravids The Almoravid dynasty () was a Berber Muslim dynasty centered in the territory of present-day Morocco. It established an empire that stretched over the western Maghreb and Al-Andalus, starting in the 1050s and lasting until its fall to the Almo ...

under Abu Bakr ibn Umar had been angered by Bassi's refusal to convert and had started invading the empire. In 1076, the Almoravids succeeded in sacking the empire's capital of Kumbi Saleh. Manin continued to rule as a vassal of the Almoravids and paid tribute to them. The Almoravids were expelled in 1087, but the empire had been severely weakened and many former territories had become independent. Islam which had become the dominant faith of its upper class, was being imposed on all subjects, and many animists migrated away from the empire. Manin was renowned for his involvement with the local communities, and also for his economic policies that increased trade, especially that of

salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...

. He is said to have surrounded himself with an air of divinity and magic, which he used to motivate his people to protect him well.West African Kingdoms 500-1590: Social Class and Economy History: Tunka Manin , World Eras
/ref> Manin was known to flaunt and display his wealth by dressing himself out in gold, ivory, and other precious materials.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tunka Manin 1010s births Year of birth uncertain 1078 deaths Ghana emperors