Sundiata Keita was born in 1217 to King Naré Maghann Konaté who was a ruler of the Mandinka people and his wife Sogolon Condé.
From birth, Sundiata was a cripple and suffers hunchback which made him a subject of ridicule. For this reason, he was always in the Palace and very close to his mother.
When his father’s Kingdom and Palace was conquered by King Soumaoro Kanté of Sosso, many people were killed but he was spared because of his physical conditions. However, Sundiata was determined to revenge this invasion and eventually offer justice to his people who has been treated with Injustice by the Sosso invasion.
He eventually succeeded; Sundiata purposively travelled to the plain of Siby (var: Sibi) where he formed a brotherhood in order to liberate his country and people from the powerful Sosso king.
Eventually, at The Battle of Kirina, Sundiata and his allies defeated the Sosso king, and he formed and became the first Emperor of the Mali Empire which became more powerful and prominent than the Kingdom of his father.
As a King, he expanded the state by incorporating the Ghana Empire and the West African gold fields. Keitta built his capital at Niani, which was in his home region. Mali gained economic strength by controlling the region’s trade routes and gold fields. Although he was Muslim, he allowed the people to practice their own religions. When Keita died, his son Uli became the mansa, or king, of Mali. The Malinke people of West Africa continue to regard Sundiata Keita as a national hero. His death is estimated to have taken place around 1260.
Although, Sundiata Keita was born a cripple and with hunchback, he became one of the greatest Kings and warriors the African Continent has ever seen.
Like Sundiata, you and I should not allow anything to be an obstacle on our way to take back Africa and rebuild our lost glory to honor the memories of our ancestors, and give them justice we all deserved.
African history is beautiful, do not die without knowing yourself or passing on this beauty to the next generations.
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