Mansa Mahmud Keita IV (also known as Mansa Mamadou III, Mali Mansa Mamadou and Niani Mansa Mamadou) was the last emperor 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 ...
according to the
Tarikh al-Sudan. Prior to his rule there was a vacancy of some sort, indicated by the long period of the time in which neither written or oral sources give a ruler. We do know that more than one person made a claim for the throne, which caused the
Sankar-Zouma and
Farima-Soura to refuse aid to Mansa Mahmud IV and the Keita family, on his military operation against
Djenné
Djenné ( Bambara: ߘߖߋߣߣߋ tr. Djenne; also known as Djénné, Jenné and Jenne) is a Songhai people town and an urban commune in the Inland Niger Delta region of central Mali. The town is the administrative centre of the Djenné Cercle, on ...
.
Battle of Jenne
Mansa Mahmud Keita IV launched an attack on the city of
Djenne in 1599 with
Fulani allies, hoping to take advantage of
the Songhai Empire's defeat. Moroccan
fusiliers
Fusilier is a name given to various kinds of soldiers; its meaning depends on the historical context. While fusilier is derived from the 17th-century French word ''fusil'' – meaning a type of flintlock musket – the term has been used in co ...
, deployed from
Timbuktu, met them in battle, exposing Mali to the same technology (
firearms
A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions).
The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes c ...
) that had destroyed Songhai. Despite heavy losses, the mansa’s army was not deterred and nearly prevailed; however, the army inside Djenne intervened, forcing Mansa Mahmud Keita IV and his army to retreat to Kangaba.
Africa and Slavery 1500-1800 by Sanderson Beck
/ref>
Mandinka oral history says that the three sons of Mahmud IV divided the kingdom and fought amongst themselves.
References
See also
*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 ...
* Keita Dynasty
Mansas of Mali
Mali Empire
16th-century African people
Keita family
{{Mansas of Mali Empire