Bitòn Coulibaly

Ruler of the Bambara Empire

Mamary Coulibaly
Biton
Coulibaly's grave, near Ségou
Reign	1712-1755
Predecessor	Souma Coulibaly
Successor	Dinkoro Coulibaly
Burial	Segou
House	Coulibaly
Religion	Islam

Bitòn Coulibaly (1689?–1755), also known as Mamary Coulibaly, founded the Bambara Empire in what is now Mali's Ségou Region and Mopti Region.

Biography

Great-grandson of former Ségou king Kaladian Coulibaly, Mamary Coulibaly settled in Ségou in his youth and soon became head of the Tòn, a voluntary organization for young men, taking the title of "Bitòn." Under Coulibaly's leadership, the Tòn transformed from an egalitarian society into an army supplemented with runaway slaves called the Ton djon.^[1] Prompted by popular uprising against the king of Ségou, the populace suggested he take over the leadership of the Bambara kingdom. Coulibaly quickly subdued rival chiefs of Ségou through a vote a cloture of the chiefs, and used the city as a capital for his new Bambara Empire.

Fortifying himself with defensive techniques from the Songhai tradition, Coulibaly created a large army and a navy of war canoes to patrol the Niger River, staffing both with men captured in his conquests. Coulibaly then proceeded to capture the cities of Bamako and Djenne;^[2] he also attacked Tomboctou, though he held the city only briefly. During this time he also founded the city of Bla as an outpost and armory.

He built a mosque in Ségou.

Bitòn Coulibaly was succeeded by Dinkoro Coulibaly following his death in 1755. The Coulibaly dynasty soon fell to Ngolo Diarra, a former slave and leader of the ton djon, in 1766. Slaves had the right to property, and could win their way to nobility, as Diarra did.

Tomb

In 2019 Coulibaly's tomb had the inscription "Biton Mamary Coulibaly / Founder of the Kingdom / Banana of Segou Sekoro / Reign 1712-1755".

Tomb from a distance, 1983
Tomb of Bitòn Coulibaly - Ségoukoro, Mali, 1983
The tomb of Biton Mamary Coulibaly, 2019

In popular culture

Super Biton de Ségou, a Malian afro-jazz band, was founded in the 1960s in Ségou.^[3] Named after Bitòn Coulibaly, they are Mali's oldest dance band,^[4] and one of the oldest African orchestras.^[5]

References

^ Green, Toby (2020). A Fistful of Shells. UK: Penguin Books.
^ Page, Willie F. (2005). Davis, R. Hunt (ed.). Encyclopedia of African History and Culture. Vol. III (Illustrated, revised ed.). Facts On File. p. 239.
^ "Afro Jazz Folk Collection Vol 1, by Super Biton de Ségou". Super Biton de Ségou. 12 November 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
^ Duane, Orla; McConnachie, James (1999). World Music: Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Music reference series. Rough Guides. p. 540,547,557,559. ISBN 978-1-85828-635-8. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
^ "Super Biton De Segou". Light In The Attic Records. Retrieved 28 November 2022.

Lilyan, Kesteloot: L'Epopée Bambara de Ségou I and II, Paris : Fernand Nathan, 1971. Paris : Editions L'Harmattan, 1993.
Davidson, Basil: Africa in History. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995.