Rise of Mande peoples in the Niger bend on the eve of the Mali Empire (1070s)

Timeline

1. 1071–1074Senegal-Niger River corridor · West AfricaAfter the Ghana Empire was struck by the Almoravids, the old tributary system collapsed; Mande farming and herding communities gained greater autonomy in the river-bend wetlands, and local chiefs began competing for control of trade routes and farmland.
2. 1075–1078Kangaba · MaliAccording to the Epic of Sundiata tradition, Mandinka leaders like Kulibali integrated neighboring villages with cavalry and archers, establishing an early political center around Kurufaba-Kangaba, and the Keita clan's prestige rose.
3. 1079–1080Southern segment of the Djenné-Timbuktu trade route · MaliMande merchants served as intermediaries for north-south goods, trading cattle, grain, and slaves for North African salt and cloth; accumulated wealth allowed leaders to maintain standing forces, laying the socioeconomic foundation for Mali's 13th-century unification of West Africa.