Ali Coulibaly (r. 1757 – c. 1759) was a king of the

Bambara Empire The Bamana Empire (also Bambara Empire or Ségou Empire, bm, italics=no, ߓߊ߲ߓߊߙߊ߲߫ ߝߊ߯ߡߟߊ, Banbaran Fāmala) was a large West African state based at Ségou, now in Mali. This state was established after the fall of the Mali Emp ...

of Ségou. Son of empire founder

Bitòn Coulibaly Bitòn Coulibaly (1689?–1755), also known as Mamary Coulibaly, founded the Bambara Empire in what is now Mali's Ségou Region and Mopti Region. Biography Great-grandson of former Ségou king Kaladian Coulibaly, Mamary Coulibaly settle ...

and brother to the previous king,

Dinkoro Coulibaly Dinkoro Coulibaly was the ruler of the Bambara Empire from 1755 to 1757. Successor and relative of empire founder Bitòn Coulibaly, Dinkoro soon lost control of the empire in a succession of military coups. Dinkoro was assassinated in 1757, and s ...

, Ali took the throne following his brother's assassination. A devout

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

, he attempted to convert his largely

animist Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, Soul, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct Spirituality, spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—Animal, animals, Plant, plants, Ro ...

Bambara subjects. Ali became widely unpopular for his interference with local religious practices and his ban on

millet beer Millet beer, also known as Bantu beer, malwa, pombe "Tchouk" or opaque beer, is an alcoholic beverage made from malted millet that is common throughout Africa. Its production process varies across regions and in the southern parts of Africa is ...

, and was overthrown. His death triggered a decade of instability in the Bambara Empire until the 1766 ascension of

Ngolo Diarra Ngolo Diarra was the king of the Bambara Empire from 1766 to 1795. Following the 1755 death of empire founder Bitòn Coulibaly, his descendants (the Bitonsi) proved unable to maintain control, the kingdom fell briefly into chaos. Ngolo Diarra, a fr ...

to the throne.

References

Malian Muslims Bamana Empire 18th-century monarchs in Africa Year of death unknown Year of birth unknown {{Mali-bio-stub