Ségou Empire
Segou Bamana Empire | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1712–1861 | |||||||||
Ségou Empire, 18th century. | |||||||||
| Capital | Ségou | ||||||||
| Common languages | Bambara | ||||||||
| Religion | Animism, Islam | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| Faama | |||||||||
• 1712-1755 | Mamary Coulibaly | ||||||||
• 1766-1790 | Ngolo Diarra | ||||||||
| Historical era | Early modern period | ||||||||
• Kaladian establishes dynasty | c.1640 | ||||||||
• Mamari (Biton) Coulibaly takes power | 1712 | ||||||||
• Ngolo Diarra takes power | 1766 | ||||||||
• Conquest by the Toucouleur Empire | 1861 | ||||||||
| Currency | cowries, mithqal | ||||||||
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| Today part of | Mali | ||||||||
The Ségou Empire (also Bambara or Bamana Empire, Bambara: ߓߊ߲ߓߊߙߊ߲߫ ߝߊ߯ߡߟߊ, romanized: Banbaran Fāmala) was one of the largest states of West Africa in the 18th century. Along with Kaarta it was one of the most important successors of the Songhai Empire. Based on an earlier kingdom established in 1640, it grew into a powerful empire in the early 18th century under Bitòn Coulibaly. The empire existed as a centralized state from 1712 until the 1861 invasion by the Toucouleur conqueror El Hadj Umar Tall.