Ghana Bassi was a leader of the

Ghana Empire The Ghana Empire, also known as Wagadou ( ar, غانا) or Awkar, was a West African empire based in the modern-day southeast of Mauritania and western Mali that existed from c. 300 until 1100. The Empire was founded by the Soninke people, ...

during the time of conquest by the

Almoravids The Almoravid dynasty ( ar, المرابطون, translit=Al-Murābiṭūn, lit=those from the ribats) was an imperial Berber Muslim dynasty centered in the territory of present-day Morocco. It established an empire in the 11th century that ...

. The Almoravids had grown in power while seeking

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trade routes.

Abu Bakr ibn Umar Abu Bakr ibn Umar ibn Ibrahim ibn Turgut, sometimes suffixed al-Sanhaji or al-Lamtuni (died 1087; ar, أبو بكر بن عمر) was a chieftain of the Lamtuna Berber Tribe and Amir of the Almoravids from 1056 until his death. He is credited ...

while putting down the restive Almoravids in Senegal and the desert areas, sent his troops to conquer the

Soninke people The Soninke people are a West African Mande-speaking ethnic group found in Mali, Fouta Djallon, southern Mauritania, eastern Senegal, Guinea and The Gambia. They speak the Soninke language, also called the Serakhulle or Azer language, which is ...

who were ruled by the Ghana empire. Bassi who had good relations with the Muslims had refused to convert to Islam and angered the Almoravids who wanted to convert other people to their faith. The

Berbers , image = File:Berber_flag.svg , caption = The Berber ethnic flag , population = 36 million , region1 = Morocco , pop1 = 14 million to 18 million , region2 = Algeria , pop2 ...

started invading the empire after 1050. The Almoravids allied with

Takrur Takrur, Tekrur or Tekrour ( 800 – c. 1285) was an ancient state of West Africa, which flourished roughly parallel to the Ghana Empire. Origin Takrur was the capital of the state which flourished on the lower Senegal River. Takruri was ...

which had converted to Islam with their missionary activities and in 1054 captured

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. After it became clear to Abu Bakr that

Yusuf ibn Tashfin Yusuf ibn Tashfin, also Tashafin, Teshufin, ( ar, يوسف بن تاشفين ناصر الدين بن تالاكاكين الصنهاجي , Yūsuf ibn Tāshfīn Naṣr al-Dīn ibn Tālākakīn al-Ṣanhājī ; reigned c. 1061 – 1106) was l ...

had become the supreme leader of the Almoravids, he decided to instead conquer Ghana. Bassi was succeeded in 1062 by

Tunka Menin Tunka Manin (1010–1078) was a ruler of the Ghana Empire who reigned from 1062 to 1076 C.E. Preceded by Ghana Bassi, Manin was the last ruler of the Ghana Empire before the Almoravid conquest. Accounts of Tunka Manin come from al-Bakhri, a visi ...

who had refused to convert like Bassi. The empire was destroyed by Almoravids in 1076 but recovered in 1087. Islam which had become dominant religion of the upper class was now being imposed on all its subjects.Balancing Written History with Oral Traditions: The Legacy of the Songhoy People
by Hassimi Oumarou Maiga, page 25

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bassi, Ghana Almoravid dynasty Place of birth unknown Year of birth unknown Place of death unknown Year of death unknown Ghana Empire