Mansa Uli, also known as Yérélinkon, was the second mansa of the

Mali Empire The Mali Empire (Manding languages, 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 ...

. He was the son and successor of

Sunjata Sundiata Keita (Mandinka, Malinke: ; 1217 – c. 1255, N'Ko spelling: ; also known as Manding Diara, Lion of Mali, Sogolon Djata, son of Sogolon, Nare Maghan and Sogo Sogo Simbon Salaba) was a prince and founder of the Mali Empire. He was also ...

. Uli was one of the greatest rulers of Mali. The 20th-century historian Nehemia Levtzion suggested that Uli may have been the first mansa of Mali to extend his rule to

Walata Oualata or Walāta () (also Biru in 17th century chronicles) is a small oasis town in southeast Mauritania, located at the eastern end of the Aoukar basin. Oualata was important as a caravan city in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries as th ...

Timbuktu Timbuktu ( ; ; Koyra Chiini: ; ) is an ancient city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. It is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrative regions of Mali, having a population of 32,460 in the 2018 census. ...

, and

Gao Gao (or Gawgaw/Kawkaw) is a city in Mali and the capital of the Gao Region. The city is located on the River Niger, east-southeast of Timbuktu on the left bank at the junction with the Tilemsi valley. For much of its history Gao was an imp ...

, though Timbuktu and Gao are usually regarded as later additions to the empire. Uli went on the

hajj Hajj (; ; also spelled Hadj, Haj or Haji) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for capable Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetim ...

at some point between 1260 and 1277. Uli was apparently succeeded by his brother Wati, who is not attested by oral tradition. Some oral traditions assert that Uli was Sunjata's only biological son, though Sunjata may have adopted others. Uli had a son, Qu, who would gain the throne during the early 14th century.

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* * * * *. * * Mansas of the Mali Empire 1270 deaths 13th-century monarchs in Africa Year of birth unknown {{Africa-royal-stub