Key Figures of the Mali Empire: From Sundiata to Mansa Musa

The Mali Empire (c. 1235–1600) produced several legendary rulers:

• Sundiata Keita (c. 1214–1255) – Founder and first mansa; unified Mandinka clans, established imperial administration, immortalized in the Epic of Sundiata.
• Mansa Musa (r. 1312–1337) – Ninth mansa; famed for his 1324–25 hajj, which displayed Mali's gold wealth across the Mediterranean, triggering inflation in Cairo. Expanded Timbuktu as a scholarly center.
• Mande Bori (r. 1275–1285) – Third mansa; consolidated territory and trade routes.

Note: Askia Muhammad and Sonni Ali Ber ruled the Songhai Empire, Mali's successor, not Mali itself.