Mandé is the name of an ethnic group or nation, as well as a group of languages which are spoken in several countries in West Africa, including Mandinka, Soninke, Bambara, Dioula, Kagoro, Bozo, Mendé, Yacouba, and Vai. The population includes millions of speakers, chiefly in Gambia, Senegal and Mali. This linguistic group is part of the Niger-Congo family. There is also an association with the Nilo-Saharan language family. For publications of this name, see also Nation (disambiguation) The most popular modern ethical and philosophical doctrines state that all humans are divided into groups called nations. ... West Africa is the region of western Africa generally considered to include these countries: Benin Burkina Faso Cameroon Côte dIvoire (Ivory Coast) Equatorial Guinea Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Liberia Mali Niger Nigeria Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville) Senegal Sierra Leone Togo Chad, Mauritania, and... The Mandinka language is a Mandé language spoken by some 1. ... Bambara, also known as Bamanankan in the language itself, is a language spoken in Mali by as many six million people. ... Map showing the distribution of Niger-Congo languages The Niger-Congo languages are probably the largest group of the world in terms of different languages. ... Map showing the distribution of the Nilo-Saharan languages. ...

History

Descended from ancient Central Saharan people, akin to the Bafour or Imraguen of Mauritania, the Mandé are an identifiable people spread throughout the western Sahel. Archaeological testimony supports that they were among the first on the continent to produce weaved textiles (by a process known as strip-weaving), and are the founders of the Ghana Empire and Mali Empire, as well as the expansion of the Songhai Empire empire across West Africa. Satellite image The Sahara is the worlds second largest desert (second to Antarctica), over 9,000,000 km² (3,500,000 mi²), located in northern Africa and is 2. ... The Imraguen language is allegedly spoken by the tiny (thousand-strong) Imraguen fishing tribe of the Banc dArguin National Park on the Atlantic coast of Mauritania. ... The Sahel (from Arabic ساحل sahil for shore or border) is the boundary zone in Africa between the Sahara to the north and the more fertile region to the south, known as the Sudan (not to be confused with the country of the same name). ... The Ghana Empire (existed c. ... The Mali Empire was an Islamic Empire of the Mandinka people in West Africa from the 14th to 17th centuries. ... From the early 15th to the late 16th century, the Songhai Empire was one of the largest African empires in history. ...

Ghâna kingdom

At the start of the first millennium AD, a number of clans of the Soninké people, the oldest branch of the Mandé people, came together under the leadership of a man named Dinga Cisse. Located midway between the desert, the main source of salt, and the gold fields of the upper Senegal River to the south, the state was well placed to take advantage of trade with the surounding cities, and also with the north via a coastal route leading to Morocco via Sidjilmasa. It was comprised of a confederation of 3 independent, freely allied states (Mali, Mema, and Wagadou) and 12 garrisoned provinces.

The Mandé merchants came to dominate the luxury trade and slave trade via Saharan trade routes connecting their great cities on the southern edge of the Sahara to the northern coast of Africa. They would enslave neighboring Africans, either to sell them or to use them for domestic purposes; those who were not sold were usually assimilated into the Mandé community. Leather goods, ivory, salt, gold, and copper were also sold in exchange for various finished goods. By the tenth century, Ghâna was an immensely rich and prosperous empire, controlling an area the size of Texas, stretching across Senegal, Mali, and Mauritania. The ruler was acclaimed as the "richest king in the world because of his gold" by Arab traveler Ibn Haukal on his visit to the capital city of Kumbi Saleh in 950 AD. This article discusses the history of the slave trade of Africa, and its effect upon the continent. ... Africa is the worlds second-largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. ... State nickname: Lone Star State Other U.S. States Capital Austin Largest city Houston Governor Rick Perry Official languages None. ...

In the eleventh century, the kingdom began to weaken and decline. There were numerous reasons as to why. The King lost his trading monopoly, a devastating drought damaged the cattle and cultivation industries, the clans were fractured, the vassal states were rebelling, and, according to Arab tradition, it is said that Almoravid Muslims came from the North and invaded Ghâna. Other interpretations are that the Almoravid influence was gradual and did not involve any form of military takeover. In any event, following their subsequent withdrawal, new gold fields were mined further south and new trade routes were opening further east. Just as it appeared that Ghâna would reemerge, it became the target of attacks by the Sosso (another Mandé people) and their leader Sumanguru. From this conflict in 1235 came the Malinké people under a new dynamic ruler, Sundiata Kéita. By the mid-thirteenth century, the once great empire of Ghâna had utterly disintegrated and soon became eclipsed by the Mali Empire of Sundiata. Almoravides (From Arabic المرابطون sing. ... Sundiata Keita or Sunjata Keita (1190? - 1255?) is a semi-historical hero of the Mandinka people of West Africa and is celebrated in the Epic of Sundiata as founder of the Mali Empire. ...

Mali kingdom

The most renowned Emperor of Mali was Sundiata's grandson, Mansa Musa (1307-1332) also known as “Kan Kan Mussa" or "The Lion of Mali". His pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 put Mali on the map - literally. The great ruler took 60,000 porters with him, each carrying 3 kilograms of pure gold - 180 tons in total, according to the UNESCO General History of Africa, Volume IV, pp. 197-200. He had so much gold with him that when he stopped in Egypt, the Egyptian currency lost its value. According to Cairo born historian al-Maqurizi, "the members of his entourage proceeded to buy Turkish and Ethiopian slave girls, singing girls and garments, so that the rate of the gold dinar fell by six dirhams." Consequently, the name of Mali and Timbuktu appeared on the 14th century world map. The crown jewel of West Africa, the Empire of Mali was the center of Islamic, legal, and scientific scholarship. The oldest formal universities in West Africa - Sankore, Jingaray Ber, and Sidi Yahya - were founded there. Within a few generations, Mali itself was eclipsed by the Songhai empire of Askia Muhammad (Askia the Great) - perhaps the most influential leaders of the Mandé world. Mansa Kankan Musa I or Mansa Musa was a 14th century king of the Mali Empire. ... See Timbuktu (novel) for the book by Paul Auster. ... Askia Muhammad I was a king of the Songhai Empire in the late 1400s. ...

Songhai kingdom

The successor of Sunni Ali Ber, Askia was much more astute and farsighted than his predecessor had ever been. He orchestrated a program of expansion and consolidation which extended the empire from Taghaza in the North to the borders of Yatenga in the South; and from Air in the Northeast to Futa Toro in Senegambia. Instead of organizing the empire along Islamic lines, he tempered and improved on the traditional model by instituting a system of bureaucratic government unparalleled in the Western Sudan. In addition, Askia established standardized trade measures and regulations, and initiated the policing of trade routes. He also encouraged learning and literacy, ensuring that Mali's universities produced the most distinguished scholars, many of whom published significant books. The eminent scholar Ahmed Baba, for example, produced books on Islamic law which are still in use today. Mahmoud Kati published Tarik al-Fattah and Abdul-Rahman as-Sadi published Tarik as-Sudan (Chronicle of the Sudan), two history books which are indispensable to present-day scholars reconstructing African history in the Middle Ages. For all his efforts, Mali experienced a cultural revival it had never witnessed before, and the whole land flourished as a center of all things valuable in learning and trade. Futa Toro (formerly known as Mussukeba Sane) is a region of Northern Senegal and Southern Mauritania in the Senegal River Valley. ... Islam  listen? (Arabic: al-islām) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions, and the worlds second largest religion. ...

Post-colonisation

French colonisation greatly effected Mandé life. Constant wars with the Europeans cost the lives of thousands of its soldiers, led to the increased reliance on atlantic trade, and the creation of articial colonial boundaries which divided the population. Nevertheless, the Mandé people still dominate West African politics and have routinely elected their own presidents in several states. Unfortunately, their long-standing conflict with other African tribes has exacerbated in the last century, as desertification has forced them steadily south in search of work and other resources. Frequently, this has resulted in outbreaks of war with indigenous populations along the coast. The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one_fifth of its surface. ... Ship stranded by the retreat of the Aral Sea Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi arid and dry sub-humid areas into desert, resulting from various factors including climatic variations and human activities. ...

Culture

The Mandé, unlike most other Africans, are patrilineal and patriarchal. They are preodminantly Muslims, but though ritual washing and daily prayers are usually observed, very few wear Arab dress and virtually no women wear the veil. The most famous Mandé practices are their fraternal orders and sororities known as Poro and Sande or Bundu, respectively. Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Patrilineality is a system in which one belongs to ones fathers lineage; it generally involves the inheritance of property, names or titles through the male line as well. ... A patriarch (from Greek: patria means father; arché means rule, beginning, origin) is a male head of an extended family exercising autocratic authority, or, by extension, a member of the ruling class or government of a society controlled by senior men. ... Frances Perkins wearing a veil after the death of president Roosevelt Veils are articles of clothing, worn almost exclusively by women, which cover some part of the head or face. ... The Poro, or Purrah or Purroh, is a secret society of Sierra Leone. ... Sande is: A municipality in the county of Vestfold in Norway, see Sande, Vestfold A municipality in the county of Møre og Romsdal in Norway, see Sande, Møre og Romsdal Sande, Jakob, Norwegian poet and song writer from Fjaler in Sunnfjord(1906-1966), see Jakob Sande A sorority...

Traditionally, Mandé society is hierarchal, with nobility and vassals; formerly, like most other Africans, they also held slaves ("Jonw"), often war prisoners, usually from lands south of their territory. The descendants of former kings and generals had a higher status than their nomadic and more settled compatriots. With time, that difference has eroded, corresponding to the economic fortunes of the groups. Many Mandé today are either settled agriculturalists or nomadic fishermen; there are also still blacksmiths, cattle herders, and griots or bards. The Lords and Barons prove their Nobility by hanging their Banners and exposing their Coats-of-arms at the Windows of the Lodge of the Heralds. ... The word slaves has several meanings and usages: People who are owned by others, and live to serve them without pay. ... Blacksmith Blacksmith at work Blacksmith at work Blacksmiths fire Hot metal work from a blacksmith A blacksmith is an artisan specializing in the hand-wrought manufacture of metal objects, such as wrought iron gates, grills, railings, light fixtures, furniture, sculpture, weapons, decorative and religious items, cooking utensils and tools. ... Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ... Griots, pronounced greeohs, are wordsmiths of West Africa who use poetry, proverbs, and rhythm to teach villagers about their history. ...

Language

The group was first recognized in 1854 by Koelle in his Polyglotta Africana. He mentioned 13 languages under the heading North-Western High-Sudan Family, or Mandéga Family of Languages. In 1901 Maurice Delafosse made a distinction of two groups in his Essai de manuel pratique de la langue mandé ou mandingue. He speaks of a northern group mandé-tan and a southern group mandé-fu. This distinction was basically done only because the languages in the north use the expression tan for ten whereas the southern group use fu. In 1924 L. Tauxier notes that this distinction is not well founded and there is at least a third subgroup he called mandé-bu. It is not until 1950 when A. Prost supports this view and gives further details. In 1958 Welmers publishes an article The Mande Languages where he divides the languages into three subgroups - North-West, South and East. His conclusion was based on lexicostatistic research. Greenberg follows this distinction 1963 in The Languages of Africa. Long (1971) and G. Galtier (1980) follow the distinction into three groups but with notable differences. 1854 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Polyglotta Africana is a study written by Sigismund Wilhelm Koelle in 1854 in which he compared about 120 African languages (according to todays classification). ... 1924 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1950 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ...

The Southern Group (Côte d'Ivoire)

• Dan | Yacouba |
• Gban | Gagou |
• Gouro | Gouro |
• Mwan | Mona |
• Ngain | Ngain (Gben)|
• Toura | Toura |
• Wan | Ouan |
• Yaouré | Yaouré |

Mande languages are spoken in

• Mali
• Côte d'Ivoire
• Mauritania
• Guinea
• Sierra Leone
• Liberia
• Burkina Faso

See Also

• N'Ko
• Manding languages

The word N’Ko written in the N’Ko alphabet N’Ko is a script devised by Solomana Kante in 1949 as a writing system for the Mande languages of West Africa; N’Ko means I say in all Mande languages. ... Mande (or Manding) is the name of a group of languages which are spoken in several countries in West Africa, including Mandinka and Bambara. ...

Religion

The Mandé have been predominantly Muslim since the 13th century, though lax in observance, more inclined to observe feasts than fasts. They combine Islamic beliefs with certain pre-Islamic animistic beliefs, such as the presence of spirits and use of amulets. Islam  listen? (Arabic: al-islām) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions, and the worlds second largest religion. ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ...

Arts

Much Mandé art is in the form of jewelry and carvings. The masks associated with the fraternal and sorority associations of the Marka and the Mendé are probably the most well known, and finely crafted in the region. The Mandé also produce beautifully weaved fabrics which are popular throughout western Africa, and gold and silver necklaces, bracelets, armlets, and earrings. The bells on the necklaces are of the type believed capable of being heard by spirits, ringing in both worlds, that of the ancestors and the living. Mandé hunters often wear a single bell that can be easily silenced when stealth is necessary. Women, on the other hand, often wear multiple bells, referring to concepts of community, since the bells ring harmoniously together. Marka can be: The currency Marka, see Convertible Mark. ...

Traditional Music

The best known elements of Mandé music are the Kora and the Griot. The kora is a unique harp-like instrument with a notched bridge similar to that of a lute or guitar. It is arguably the most complex chordophone of Africa. As for Griots, they are professional bards in northern West Africa, keepers of their great oral epic traditions and history, and trusted and powerful advisors of Mandé leaders. A helpful diagram of an kora. ... Griots, pronounced greeohs, are wordsmiths of West Africa who use poetry, proverbs, and rhythm to teach villagers about their history. ...

Ethnic Classification

The Mandé are a West African group, and are closely related to both West Atlantic-speakers (such as the Fulani and Wolof) and Nilo-Saharan -speakers (such as the Songhay), in terms of culture and race. At least some sources argue that the Mandé are defined by language, not by race, as over time many groups have adopted Mandé languages, names, and traditions. This is probably part of the reason for the widely varying estimates of the number of Mandé. West Africa is the region of western Africa generally considered to include these countries: Benin Burkina Faso Cameroon Côte dIvoire (Ivory Coast) Equatorial Guinea Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Liberia Mali Niger Nigeria Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville) Senegal Sierra Leone Togo Chad, Mauritania, and... Categories: Africa-related stubs | Burkina Faso | Cameroon | Ethnic groups of Africa | Fulani Empire | Mali | Nigeria ... The Wolof are the largest ethnic group in Senegal with approximately 45% of the population. ... Map showing the distribution of the Nilo-Saharan languages. ... The Songhai are an ethnic group living in western Africa. ...

References

• Delafosse, Maurice (1901) Essai de manuel pratique de la langue mandé ou mandingue. Paris : Leroux. 304 p.
• Delafosse, Maurice (1904) Vocabulaires comparatifs de plus de soixante langues ou dialectes parlés à la Côte d'Ivoire et dans les régions limitrophes, avec des notes linguistiques et ethnologiques. Paris : Leroux. 285 p.
• Nazam HALAOUI, Kalilou TERA, Monique TRABI (1983) Atlas des langues mandé-sud de Côte d'Ivoire. Abidjan : ACCT-ILA.
• Gillow, John. (2003) African Textiles. 29 p.
• Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection of Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas.
• UNESCO General History of Africa, Volume IV, pp. 197-200.