Sosso Empire: Map & History
The Sosso Empire, also written as Soso or Susu, or alternatively Kaniaga, was a kingdom of West Africa that originated as a vassal of the Ghana Empire before breaking away and conquering their former overlords.
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The Sosso Empire, also written as Soso or Susu, or alternatively Kaniaga, was a kingdom of West Africa that originated as a vassal of the Ghana Empire before breaking away and conquering their former overlords. Inhabited by the Soninke ancestors of the modern-day Sosso people, it was centered in the region south of Wagadou and north of Beledougou. The empire peaked under the reign of Soumaoro Kante, who was defeated by the rising Mali Empire of Sundiata Keita.
Modern Countries Once Part of Sosso Empire
At its mapped extent, Sosso Empire covered territory in 2 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Sosso Empire's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Sosso Empire in Depth
History
The Sosso originated as a clan of slaves of the Kaya Magha of the Ghana Empire, part of the group of Kusa lineages, who gradually accumulated power, populating the royal bureaucracy and army, and serving as governors of provinces. Soumaoro was reputed to have been the head of all the royal slaves and a governor of a province in northern Beledougou.
Oral histories collected in Sokolo and Goumbou claim that the Diarrisso family ruled Wagadu at the time. A civil war between two groups of half-brothers over the succession broke out. Repeated conflict, including the intervention of a mercenary named Diarra, so weakened the state that it became easy prey for Soumaoro Kante, an event that Heinrich Barth dated to approximately 1203.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Sosso Empire (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Sosso Empire: Key Facts
| Capital | Koulikoro |
|---|---|
| Founded | 12th century |
| Dissolved | 13th century |
Facts from Wikidata Q13099593 (CC0).
Sosso Empire Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 204,203 km² in 1231 CE.
Sosso Empire: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Sosso Empire exist?
The Sosso Empire is dated to 1202 CE – 1235 CE, in the High & Late Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of the Sosso Empire?
The capital of the Sosso Empire was Sosso.
How large was the Sosso Empire at its peak?
At its peak in 1231 AD the Sosso Empire covered about 204,203 km².
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