Page 97 - Empires of Medieval West Africa

E m p i r E s o f m E d i E v a l w E s t a f r i c a

In TheIr Own wOrds

Kings of Sunjata’s World

west africans tell their history in a different the first of those kings was the
way than the arab historians. the great jeli condé ancestor, donsamogo
djanka tassey condé (d. 1997) lived his diarra. (Naamu)
entire life in the small village of fadama He fought to gain the mande kingship.
near the Niandan river in northeastern (Naamu)
Guinea. this region was once part of the He loved manden, (Naamu)
mali Empire. tassey was a member of the He built manden. (Naamu)
maninka people. He identified himself by those of you who say you are
the name of his mother, djanka, just as condé, you have power. (Naamu)
sunjata was identified by his mother’s the next in the leadership of
name. manden was the Kulubali’s
tassey’s father, Babu condé (d. 1964), ancestor, Kani simbon. (Naamu)
was one of the most famous jeliw of the Kani simbon ruled manden and
colonial era, when both Guinea and mali made it prosperous. (Naamu)
were part of french west africa. Babu was He improved manden without
descended from a line of condé bards who going to war. (Naamu)
trace their ancestry to people who lived in You cannot point to anyone who
the time of sunjata early in the 13th century, fought against Kulubali. (Naamu)
when the mali Empire was founded. He ruled and was able to improve
like all of the most knowledgeable bards manden. (Naamu)
who have amazing memories, tassey could to the end of his reign he never
not read or write. But from his father he fought with anyone. (Naamu)
gained a vast knowledge of oral tradition. the next to that was the Kamara
this is the history of the mali Empire. it took ancestor,
him six sessions of five to six hours each tabon wana faran Kamara of sibi
to narrate the text from which this excerpt mountain. (Naamu)
is selected. the word naamu after each of that is the Kamanjan you were
tassey’s lines is spoken by an assistant, who talking about. (Naamu)
encourages the speaker by saying naamu (You heard it?) (Naamu)
(“we hear you!” or “that’s right!”). He did well with manden and
made it prosper. (Naamu)
the seven mande kings who ruled anyone who rebelled against
manden, (Naamu) his rule,

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