Editing Mali Empire (section)

==Military==
{{Main|Military history of the Mali Empire}}

The number and frequency of conquests in the late 13th century and throughout the 14th century indicate the Kolonkan ''mansas'' inherited and/or developed a capable military. Sundjata is credited with at least the initial organisation of the Manding military. However, it went through radical changes before reaching the legendary proportions proclaimed by its subjects. As a result of steady tax revenue and stable government beginning in the last quarter of the 13th century, the Mali Empire was able to project its power throughout its own extensive domain and beyond. It had a well-organised army with an elite corps of horsemen and many foot soldiers in each battalion. An army was required to guard the borders to protect its flourishing trade. Evidence of cavalry in terracotta figures suggest the empire's prosperous economy as horses are not indigenous to Africa.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Historium|last=Nelson|first=Joe|publisher=Big Pictures Press|year=2015|pages=12}}</ref>

===Strength===
[[File:Djenne Terracotta Archer (13th-15th cent).jpg|thumb|left|upright|Terracotta archer figure from Mali (13th to 15th centuries)]]

The Mali Empire maintained a semi-professional, full-time army in order to defend its borders. The entire nation was mobilised, with each clan obligated to provide a quota of fighting-age men.<ref name=recherches/> These men had to be of the ''horon'' ([[Freedman|freemen]]) [[caste]] and appear with their own arms. Historians who lived during the height and decline of the Mali Empire consistently record its standing army peaking at 100,000, with 10,000 of that number being made up of cavalry.<ref name=recherches/><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Willard|first=Alice|date=1993-04-01|title=Gold, Islam and Camels: The Transformative Effects of Trade and Ideology|url=https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/ccr/vol28/iss28/6|journal=Comparative Civilizations Review|volume=28|issue=28|pages=88|issn=0733-4540}}</ref> With the help of the river clans, this army could be deployed throughout the realm on short notice.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.histoire-afrique.org/article73.html%3Fartsuite%3D4&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dmalimassa%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D |title=Google Translate |access-date=2009-09-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Sarr |first1=Mamadou |title=L'empire du Mali |date=1991 |page=92 |url=http://www.histoire-afrique.org/article73.html?artsuite=4 |access-date=9 June 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080406152125/http://www.histoire-afrique.org/article73.html?artsuite=4 |archive-date=6 April 2008 }}</ref> Numerous sources attest that the inland waterways of West Africa saw extensive use of war canoes and vessels used for war transport where permitted by the environment. Most West African canoes were of single-log construction, carved and dug out from one massive tree trunk.<ref>Robert Smith, "The Canoe in West African History", ''The Journal of African History'', Vol. 11, No. 4 (1970), pp. 515–533.</ref>

=== Order of battle ===
The army of the Mali Empire during the 14th century was divided into northern and southern commands led by the Farim-Soura and Sankar-Zouma, respectively.<ref name=recherches/> Both of these men were part of Mali's warrior elite known as the ''ton-ta-jon-ta-ni-woro'' ("sixteen carriers of quivers"). Each representative or ''ton-tigi'' ("quiver-master") provided counsel to the ''mansa'' at the Gbara, but only these two ''ton-tigi'' held such wide-ranging power.

The ''ton-tigi'' belonged to an elite force of cavalry commanders called the ''farari'' ("brave men"). Each individual ''farariya'' ("brave") had a number of infantry officers beneath them called ''kèlè-koun'' or ''dùùkùnàsi''. A ''kèlè-koun'' led free troops into battle alongside a ''farima'' ("brave man") during campaign. A ''dùùkùnàsi'' performed the same function except with slave troops called ''sofa'' ("guardian of the horse") and under the command of a ''farimba'' ("great brave man"). The ''farimba'' operated from a garrison with an almost entirely slave force, while a ''farima'' functioned on field with virtually all freemen.

=== Equipment ===
The army of the Mali Empire used of a wide variety of weapons depending largely on where the troops originated. Only ''sofa'' were equipped by the state, using bows and poisoned arrows. Free warriors from the north (Mandekalu or otherwise) were usually equipped with large reed or animal hide shields and a stabbing spear that was called a ''tamba''. Free warriors from the south came armed with bows and poisonous arrows. The bow figured prominently in Mandinka warfare and was a symbol of military force throughout the culture. Bowmen formed a large portion of the field army as well as the garrison. Three bowmen supporting one spearman was the ratio in Kaabu and the Gambia by the mid-16th century. Equipped with two quivers and a knife fastened to the back of their arm, Mandinka bowmen used barbed, iron-tipped arrows that were usually poisoned. They also used [[Early thermal weapons#Flaming arrows, bolts, spears and rockets|flaming arrows]] for siege warfare. While spears and bows were the mainstay of the infantry, swords and lances of local or foreign manufacture were the choice weapons of the cavalry. Ibn Battuta comments on festival demonstrations of swordplay before the ''mansa'' by his retainers including the royal interpreter.<ref>{{harvnb|Charry|2000|p=358}}.</ref> Another common weapon of Mandekalu warriors was the poison javelin used in skirmishes. Imperial Mali's horsemen also used iron [[Military helmet|helmet]] and [[Mail (armour)|mail armour]] for defence<ref name=law>{{cite journal|author=Robin Law|title= Horses, Firearms, and Political Power in Pre-Colonial West Africa, Past and Present|issue=1|year= 1976|pages= 112–132|doi=10.1093/past/72.1.112|journal=Past and Present}}</ref> as well as shields similar to those of the infantry.