The Gbara (; now spelled and pronounced as ''Bara'' or ''Gara'' in those

Manding languages The Manding languages (sometimes spelt Manden) are a dialect continuum within the Mande language family spoken in West Africa. Varieties of Manding are generally considered (among native speakers) to be mutually intelligible – dependent on exp ...

lacking ) or Great Assembly was the

deliberative body A deliberative assembly is a meeting of members who use parliamentary procedure. Etymology In a speech to the electorate at Bristol in 1774, Edmund Burke described the British Parliament as a "deliberative assembly," and the expression became the ...

of the

Mali Empire The Mali Empire ( 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; ar, مالي, Māl ...

, which ruled much of West Africa during the Middle Ages. It was first formed in 1235 on the orders of Sundiata in the Mandinka constitution known as the

Kouroukan Fouga According to the ''Epic of Sundiata'', Kouroukan Fouga or Kurukan Fuga was the constitution of the Mali Empire created after the Battle of Krina (1235) by an assembly of nobles to create a government for the newly established empire. According to ...

Function

The Gbara was made up of 32 members from around 29 mostly Mandinka clans.
p.2 Members of these clans had aided Sundiata in his overthrow of Soumaoro Kante and were given a voice in the government of a new Manden federation, the Manden Kurufa. The descendants of these clans occupied posts in the Gbara, and checked the power of the federal emperor, the Mansa. It was presided over by a belen-tigui (or master of ceremonies) who recognized anyone who wanted to speak, including the Mansa.

Clans

The Gbara was divided into four voting blocs divided among military, political, religious and economic lines. The ''Djon-Tan-Nor-Woro'' (sometimes cited as the ''Ton-Ta-Jon''), meaning carriers of quivers, were the military wing of the Gbara, responsible for leading the army and sometimes governing provinces (''tinkurus'') or counties (''kafos''). The purely political bloc of the Gbara was the clans of Maghan (literally 'Princely Clans'). This group included the imperial clans and related clans that could also ascend to the throne. The constitution of the empire also included religious (that is

traditional African religion The traditional beliefs and practices of African people are highly diverse beliefs that include various ethnic religions.Encyclopedia of African Religion (Sage, 2009) Molefi Kete Asante Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptural ...

Fage, J. D, ''The Cambridge History of Africa: From c. 1050 to c. 1600'' (eds J. D. Fage, Roland Anthony Oliver), p. 390,

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII of England, King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press A university press is an academic publishing hou ...

, 1977, .Badru, Pade, ''The Spread of Islam in West Africa: colonization, globalization, and the emergence of fundamentalism'', pp. 100-102, Edwin Mellen Press, 2006, .Collins, Robert O., & James McDonald, ''A History of Sub-Saharan Africa'', p. 84,

, 2007, .) clans serving as marabouts (or Islamic guides to the nobility). This group also functioned as diviners able to interpret omens and other happenings. Lastly, there were the clans of ''Nyamakala'' ('wielders of Nyama'). ''Nyama'' is the power or energy that flows within and between everything, and its skilled manipulation is necessary to perform certain functions, especially smithing or serving as a chronicler/bard/griot (jeli / djeli). The 16 ''Djon-Tan-Nor-Woro'' ('Carriers of Quivers') clans responsible for defense, and the descendants of Sundiata Keita's generals and best soldiers, are: * Dansouba * Diaby (Jab(b)y) *

Diakité Diakité is a Mandinka family name of Fula origin. In Fula culture, the surname Ba is considered equivalent. People with this surname ;Music * Abdoulaye Diakité (born 1950), djembe master drummer from Senegal * Jason Diakité (born 1975), bett ...

( Jakite) *

Diallo Diallo (pronounced ; ff, 𞤔𞤢𞤤𞥆𞤮, italics=no, Jallo, ) is a transcription of an African surname of Fula origin (English transcriptions are Jalloh and Jallow; the Portuguese and Creole transcription is Djaló). It is one of several ...

(

Jallow Jallow is an English transcription of a surname of Fula origin and may refer to: * Antouman Jallow (born 1981), Gambian/Swedish professional footballer * Chernow Jallow QC, former Attorney General of the British Virgin Islands * Haddy Jallow (b ...

) * Diawara (

Jawara Jawara is the English transcription of a surname of Manding origin (the French transcription is Diawara). Notable people with the name include: People * Augusta Jawara (1924-1981), Gambian nurse, playwright and activist for women's rights * Bo ...

) * Fofana * Kamara ( Camara) * Kamissoko *

Koita Kitta or Koita ( el, Κοίτα) is a village in the Mani peninsula, Laconia, Greece. It is part of the municipal unit of Oitylo. It is built on top of a hill, overlooking the sea. Kitta is known for its many Maniot pyrgoi (war towers). Partial ...

Kondé Kondé is an arrondissement in the Donga department of Benin. It is an administrative division under the jurisdiction of the commune of Ouaké. According to the population census conducted by the Institut National de la Statistique Benin An in ...

(the clan of the Sankar-Zouma) * Koroma * Magassouba *

Sako Sako or SAKO may refer to: People with the surname * Bakary Sako (born 1988), French-born Malian footballer * Hygerta Sako, Albanian beauty pageant contestant * Louis Raphaël I Sako (born 1948), Iraqi cleric, head of the Chaldean Catholic Church ...

Sangaré Sangaré is a surname of Fula origin and may refer to: * Abdoulahy Sangaré (born 1984), Mauritianian footballer * Badra Ali Sangaré (born 1986), Ivorian footballer * Djoumin Sangaré (born 1983), French footballer * Drissa Sangaré (born 1987) ...

(Sankareh) * Sidibé *

Traoré Traoré or Traore is a surname of Manding origin ( bm, Taara-oray), as written in French orthography, which is common in Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Guinea. In anglophone West Africa the name is often spelled Trawally. Notable peo ...

( Trawore/ Trawally) The 4 Maghan (Princely) clans, responsible for leadership, are: *Danhou/Douno/ Somono/Soumano (the clan of the Dyi-Tigi or "master of waters", responsible for river travel and fishing) * Keita (the clan of the mansas) * Konaté *

Koulibaly Koulibaly is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Abdulai Koulibaly (born 1995), Liberian footballer * Kalidou Koulibaly (born 1991), French/Senegalese footballer * Mamadou Koulibaly (born 1957), Ivorian politician * Paul Koulibaly ...

(

Coulibaly Coulibaly is a common Bambara language surname in West Africa, especially in Mali and Ivory Coast. It may refer to: People *Any of the Bambara Empire's founding Coulibaly dynasty, following Bitòn Coulibaly (1689–1755) * Adama Coulibaly (born ...

/ Krubally/ Kora) The 5 ''Mori-Kanda-Lolou'' ('Guardians of the Faith'), clans responsible for

teaching and advice, are: * Bérété * Cissé (

Ceesay Ceesay is a common Gambian surname of Mandinka origin. As well as the family name Touray, it originally indicated the descent of its bearer from a Marabout, a West African Muslim teacher. Notable people with the name ''Ceesay'' include: * Ali Cee ...

Sesay Sesay is a common surname among the Mandingo, Temne people, Temne, Loko people, Loko, Limba people (Sierra Leone), Limba and Kuranko people, Kuranko people of Sierra Leone, and may refer to: *Alimamy Sesay (1987–), Sierra Leonean football pla ...

) * Diané ( Janneh) * Koma *

Sylla Sylla can refer to: People Basketball players * Abdel Kader Sylla (born 1990), Seychelles basketball player Football players * Abdoul Karim Sylla (born 1981), Guinean football player * Abdoul Karim Sylla (born 1992), Guinean-Dutch football play ...

(

Sillah *Ahmad Tejan Sillah, Sierra Leonean imam * Foday Sillah (born 1974) Sierra Leonean sprinter *Mohamed Sillah Mohamed Yahya Sillah (born December 12, 1949) is a Sierra Leonean politician, journalist and human rights activist. He was active in the ...

) The 7 ''Nyamakala'' ('Wielders of Nyama, the power of life/creative force), clans responsible for products, are: * Diabate (Jeliw / Djeliw; chroniclers and praise singers) *

Kanté Kanté is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Aboubakary Kanté (born 1994), Gambian-French footballer * Cédric Kanté (born 1979), Malian-French footballer * Daouda Kanté (born 1978), Malian footballer * Guyan Kanté (born 1 ...

(Numun-Fin;

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

s, whose wives are often

potters A potter is someone who makes pottery. Potter may also refer to: Places United States *Potter, originally a section on the Alaska Railroad, currently a neighborhood of Anchorage, Alaska, US * Potter, Arkansas * Potter, Nebraska *Potters, New Jer ...

) * Kamara (Numun-Siaki; these men work precious metals into jewellery) * Kamara (Finè; mediators of disputes and announcers; talkers without music) * Koroma (Noumoun-Kule; these men work wood to make art) *

Kouyaté Kouyaté is a surname common in Senegal, Guinea, Mali. Notable people with the surname include: * Adama Kouyaté, Malian photographer * Bassekou Kouyate, Malian musician * Boubakar Kouyaté, Malian footballer * Cheikhou Kouyaté, Senegalese fo ...

(Jeliw / Djeliw of the Mansa and Belen-Tigui of the Gbara) *

(''Garanke'' = 'leatherworkers' or makers of shoes, harnesses, and cushions)

Notes

{{reflist Mali Empire Historical legislatures

Function

Clans

See also

Notes