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Mari Djata was born in 1217 and died in 1255. He was also called Sundiata Keita.
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Sundiata Keita was the founder of Mali in 1235. Sundiata was the son of Maghan Kon Fatta, ruler of the small Malinke kingdom Kangaba. He was crowned emperor after the battle of Karina. His reign lasted 20 years until he died in c 1255.
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Under Mansa Musa, the empire was broken into provinces, each ruled by a governor. Each province was composed of many villages which were ruled by mayors. This allowed for controlled but swift managment of local problems, leaving Musa free to handle the mangement of the empire. Musa ruled Mali until 1337.
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Mansa Musa brought thousands of followers and hundreds of camels carrying gold to Mecca. The Hajj then ended in 1325. From the hajj, Mansa Musa brought back with him an Arabic library, religous scholars, and most importantly an architect, al-Sahili, who built the great mosques at Gao and Timbuktu and a royal palace.
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Confederation of 3 states: Mali, Memo, Wagadou, and twelve garrisoned provinces. At its height, the Mali Empire covered nearly all the land between the Sahara Desert and coastal forests.
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After Mansa Sulayman died, the empire split in half because of a civil war. The empire still remained strong after the split though.
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He was Mansa of Mali. Mara Djata II was the son of Mansa Maghan. His reign ended in 1374. He was succeeded by his sons, Musa II and Magha II.
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The greatest challenge came from a rebellion in Gao that led to rise of Songhai. The once vassal state to Mali conquered Mema. Three years later they took Timbuktu and Taureg.
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Songhai forces under Askia Muhammad took control of virtually all of Mali's eastern possession. This included the sites for commercial exchange as well as the gold and copper mines at the southern and northern borders. The desperate effort by Mansa Mahmud III to craft an alliance with the Portuguese failed to stop Songhai’s advances.
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Songhai army routed the Malian's and their empire from their capital, Niani. The Berbers in the north took much of Mali’s territory, including the city of Timbuktu, and gradually Mali lost its hold on trade until the empire crumbled. The Songhais reduced the Mali power greatly.
