Battle of Jenné facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Jenné |
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 Map of the Pashalik of Timbuktu (striped) as part of Morocco, late 16th century |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Mali Empire |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Mansa Mahmud IV | Governor Sayyid Mansur Qa’id al-Mustafa al-Fil Qa’id Ali bin Abd Allah al-Tilimsani Jenne-koi Muhammad Kinba bin Isma’il |
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| Strength | |||||||
| Mandinka infantry and cavalry armed with lance and bow Bamana infantry and cavalry armed with lance and bow |
Moroccan infantry armed with arquebus Mandinka infantry and cavalry armed with lance and bow |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown but substantial | Unknown | ||||||
The Battle of Jenné was a big fight between the Mali Empire and the Moroccan Pashalik of Timbuktu. This battle was a major turning point. It basically ended the powerful Mali Empire. After this, many smaller states appeared in West Africa.
Contents
What Led to the Battle of Jenné?
For a long time, the Mali Empire had been getting weaker. Many of its smaller areas, called vassal territories, had become independent. Some even challenged Mali's power, like the Songhai Empire. In 1591, the Songhai Empire was defeated by Moroccan forces at the Battle of Tondibi. The Moroccans had powerful new weapons like arquebuses (early guns) and cannons. This pushed the Songhai Empire back.
With Songhai out of the way, the ruler of Mali, Mansa Mahmud IV, wanted to make his empire strong again. His first step was to capture the rich city of Djenné. This city was important because it controlled trade along the Niger River.
Mali's Army: Who Fought for the Empire?
Mansa Mahmud IV tried to gather his remaining provinces and other groups that used to be part of the Mali Empire. He asked for help from his last two provinces, Binduku and Sibiridugu. Only two minor chiefs, called "koi," from Farka and Ama, promised to help. Another leader, Hammad Amina, a Fulbe chief, also offered his support. Even with limited help, the Mansa managed to gather a large army. He marched towards Jenné, hoping to bring his dying empire back to life.
Moroccan Forces: The Defenders of Jenné
The city of Jenné was under the control of the Moroccan pashalik (a type of governorate) of Timbuktu. The Moroccans had taken Jenné without a fight before. They allowed Jenné's king, Muhammad Kinba bin Isma’il, to stay on the throne. But a Moroccan governor, Sayyid Mansur, was in charge.
When Mansa Mahmud IV started marching towards Jenné, Governor Sayyid Mansur sent for help from Timbuktu. The Pasha (the main Moroccan ruler) sent more soldiers. These reinforcements included soldiers with arquebuses, which were very effective firearms.
The First Clash: Fighting to Enter Jenné
The Moroccan reinforcements arrived by river boats. They used the Niger River to quickly bring troops to Jenné. They got there on April 26. They found Mansa Mahmud IV's army camped all over the Sanuna dune. This dune reached down to the creek where the boats needed to enter the city.
The Moroccan reinforcements had to fight their way into Jenné. They used their guns in what was described as a huge attack. They managed to push back the Mansa's army and enter the city. But the Mali army was still camped outside and had not given up.
The Main Battle: A Decisive Attack
Inside Jenné, Governor Sayyid Mansur was advised to attack Mansa Mahmud IV's forces right away. They wanted to strike before more people joined the Mali army. After talking with his advisors, the governor decided:
Our encounter with them shall be after the noon worship on Friday.”
True to his word, the governor and the king of Jenné went out and fought the Mali army again. It was a complete rout, meaning the Mali army was totally defeated. They suffered many losses. In the end, Mansa Mahmud IV was forced to run away.
What Happened After the Battle?
Mali's loss at Jenné broke apart the temporary alliance Mansa Mahmud IV had formed. The Mali Empire stopped being a major power in the region. Even after his defeat, Mansa Mahmud IV was still respected for trying to rebuild the empire. Arab records say that the Moroccans' allies, when they met him in a safe place, greeted him as a sultan and showed him respect.
Mansa Mahmud IV went back to Niani and died around 1610. His three sons then divided the remaining parts of the country. Mali became a collection of small, loosely connected chiefdoms. These were later taken over by the Bamana Empire. The Pashalik of Timbuktu even had to pay tribute to the Bamana Empire later on. None of the new powers became as strong as the Mali or Songhai Empires had been. West Africa then had many smaller, less centralized states until the 1800s.
Why Did Mali Lose the Battle?
There are several reasons why Mansa Mahmud IV lost at Jenné. We don't have all the details about both armies. But the main reason for the outcome was how well each side could gather and use its forces. This battle clearly shows what happens when a big empire collapses and new military technologies appear. The Mali army that fought the Moroccans was not like the grand army of Mansa Musa. In fact, it had gone back to its older, less organized structure. This happened at a time when new technology and better organization were vital for the empire to survive.
Unreliable Allies: The Betrayal of Hammad Amina
One big reason for Mali's defeat was the betrayal by Hammad Amina. He was the chief of the Fulbe people in Masina. Hammad Amina had promised to help Mansa Mahmud IV take Jenné. But he switched sides and joined the Moroccans. He already had a relationship with them, like a king and his subject. He told the Moroccans what to expect from the Mali army. He also kept his own forces from joining the battle. The Fulbe didn't directly help Jenné's defenders, but their absence from the battlefield likely hurt Mali a lot. However, the Moroccans would later regret trusting Hammad Amina. The Fulbe would eventually break free from Moroccan rule and defeat them in the Sahel region.
Disunity at Home: Provinces Not Helping
Another reason for Mali's defeat was its inability to get help from its remaining provinces. If Mansa Mahmud IV had been able to get support from his traditional army commanders, he might have also gotten help from the governor of Kala province. This governor, Kala-sha Bukar, refused to join the Mansa without the two commanders. He privately said:
Since his two greatest lieutenants are not accompanying him, the situation is hopeless.”
Mali's lack of unity, which had been growing since the mid-1500s, finally caught up with it at Jenné. In fact, when Mansa Mahmud IV went to Kala to get help from someone he thought was still loyal, he found that the Kala-sha had left to fight alongside the Moroccans in Jenné.
Gunpowder: A New Kind of Weapon
Finally, the Mali Empire, like its rival Songhai, had not updated its military. They had tried to get firearms or soldiers with guns from the Portuguese, but they couldn't. So, the Mali Empire went to war using the same methods it had used for centuries. They fought with traditional weapons like lances and bows. But they didn't have the unity or the large armies of their past.
The gunpowder weapons of the Moroccan soldiers were important, but they didn't completely destroy the Mali army right away. The guns saved the Moroccan reinforcements from being wiped out. But they didn't make Mansa Mahmud IV's forces run away immediately either. The Mali army stayed camped at the Sanuna dune, ready for a second fight. The Moroccans realized their guns weren't as powerful as they had been in earlier battles. If the Mali Empire had been armed with guns instead of lances and arrows, they might have stopped Jenné's reinforcements or even taken the city.
See also
- Military history of the Mali Empire
- Mansa Mahmud IV
- Djenné
- Mali Empire
- History of Mali
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