Samori Toure holding the Coran
One of the great kings, and fighters of African freedom was the great Samori Touré. Over 100 years ago, Samori Touré was captured by the French and deported to Gabon where he died of pneumonia.
But who was Samori Touré?
Well, Samori Touré was born in 1830 in Manyambaladugu (some texts mention Sanankoro instead), a village southeast of Kankan in present-day Guinea. Samori was a great warrior who fought imperialism in the 19th century such as many leaders today. He refused to submit to French colonization and thus chose the path of confrontation using warfare and diplomacy.
Until the age of 20, Samori was a trader. After his mother was captured in a slave raid by the king Sori Birama, he offered to serve in his army and excelled by his military prowess and skills.
Samori Touré had a vision of unity for the Malinké people, and thus started organizing his empire using traditional and innovative methods. He effectively organized Malinké chiefdoms into a single state under his authority, at the core of which was the army. He managed to increase loyalty to the state in the Malinké people who now thought as one united people… this intensified their allegiance to him. His state was well-organized and efficient. Samori’s army was powerful, disciplined, professional, and trained in modern day warfare. They were equipped with European guns. The army was divided into two flanks, the infantry or sofa, with 30,000 to 35,000 men, and the cavalry or sere of 3,000 men. Each wind was further subdivided into permanent units, fostering camaraderie among members and loyalty to both the local leaders and Samori himself. Talk about African organization and discipline… this was really a strong army! His empire reached his apogee between 1883 and 1887, and he took the title of Almami or religious leader of a Muslim empire.
"L'Almami Samori Toure" de Khalil Fofana
Samori Touré created the Mandinka empire (the Wassoulou empire) between 1852 and 1882. His empire extended to the east as far as Sikasso (present-day Mali), to the west up to the Fouta Djallon empire (middle of modern day Guinea), to the north from Kankan to Bamako (in Mali); to the south, down to the borders of present-day Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Cote d’Ivoire. His capital was Bisandugu, in present day Gambia.
In the 1850s, slavery being abolished, European powers decided to establish colonies in Africa, and could not tolerate strong states like the Mandinka empire, and strong leaders like Samori Touré. These African leaders had to be crushed!
In 1882, at the height of the Mandinka empire, the French accused Samori Touré of refusing to comply to their order to withdraw from an important market center, Kenyeran (his army had blockaded the market). They thus started war on him. This was an excuse to start war! From 1882 to 1885, Samori fought the French and had to sign infamous treaties in 1886 and then 1887. In 1888, he took up arms again when the French reneged on the treaty by attempting to foster rebellion within his empire. He defeated the French several time between 1885 and 1889. After several confrontations, he concluded several treaties with the French in 1889.
Stamp from the Republic of Guinea
In 1890, he reorganized his army, and signed a treaty with the British in Sierra Leone, where he obtained modern weapons. He re-organized his army so as to stress defense, and employed guerilla tactics.
In December 1891, French forces overran the major cities of the Mandinka empire, leaving death and desolation in their wake (sounds familiar? Côte d’Ivoire April 2011). These incursions into Touré’s empire led to exodus of the entire nation eastward. In 1893, Samori moved his capital east from Bisandugu to Dabakala. In 1894, the French assembled all their troops in western sudan (Senegal, Mali, Niger, etc…) to fight Samori.
Capture of Samori
Between 1893 and 1898, Samori’s army retreated eastward, toward the Bandama and Como (in modern day Cote d’Ivoire), conquering huge territories in the northern part of modern-day Cote d’ivoire. He led the scorched earth tactic, destroying every piece of land he evacuated. Although that tactic cut him from his new source of weapons in Liberia, he still managed to delay the French. He formed a second empire, and moved his capital to Kong, in upper Cote d’Ivoire. On May 1, 1898, the French seized the town of Sikasso and his army took up positions in the Liberian forests to resist a second invasion. This time Samori’s army fought valiantly but was no match to the power of the French arsenal. Samori forced to fight a total war against a foreign invader, and fighting against all odds, was captured on September 29, 1898, in his camp in Gué(lé)mou in present-day Côte d’Ivoire. He was exiled to Gabon where he died two years later on June 2, 1900.
Samori Touré was a warrior, a fighter, an empire builder, and one of the greatest African military leaders ever seen… he fought and won against the French army several times before his capture.
Interestingly enough, over 50 years later, the grandson of Samori, Sekou Touré, was the only one to say ‘NO’ to France, and to General De Gaulle: they preferred freedom over slavery under the European master… that was in Guinea!
- Samori’s empire
Please check out the work of Pr. Yves Person on WebMande.net who wrote a book on Samori Touré, BlackHistoryPages, and this article published by the New York Times in 1898 about the Capture of Samori Toure by the French. According to the New York Times, Samori, “for nearly 13 years, was the most dangerous antagonists Europeans had had to deal with“. I could not find a good map of Samori’s empire anywhere… so I made my own based on all the boundaries and main cities conquered and his capitals: Bisandougou, Kankan, Bamako, Sikasso, Kong, Dabakala, Guelemou, etc… some of the cities may not be the same today (or even exist after 100 years), particularly the city of Dabadugu: Samori Toure defeated the French at Dabadugu, was it the city of Dabadugu near Kankan, or was it the city of Dabadugu near Nzerekore? I used Google map and made my own, respecting all the information found in all the different books and atlases I read. This is the entire kingdom, without taking into account the first and second empires. If you have further information, I will be happy to hear more.
This is the right weblog for anyone who wants to seek out out about this topic. You notice so much its almost onerous to argue with you (not that I actually would need…HaHa). You undoubtedly put a new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Nice stuff, simply great!
By: Zack Deason on May 4, 2011
at 11:11 am
this article is in fact a master piece, however marred by the neglection of convincing causes of the ultimate failure of Samori against the French
By: tatenda mazuru on May 23, 2011
at 2:46 am
the neglegancy of causes of his failure is overshaded with his victory to a larger extend………im just saying
By: Lillian Muparuri on May 28, 2013
at 6:45 am
Thank you for your compliment and also for pointing out what could be improved. The subject of why Samori lost the war and failed against the French will then be the subject for another post.
By: humilityjoy on June 27, 2011
at 1:21 pm
What is refreshing about this piece is presenting the story from an African perspective. Good job!
By: instructor on December 14, 2011
at 4:06 pm
I love African history so much.R.I.P. Samori Toùre
By: Kuriah kagwima on August 19, 2011
at 9:19 am
its been great reading your articles over one of africa’s greatest leaders…Samouri Toure
By: patricia mudzamiri on October 6, 2011
at 2:54 am
fabulous
By: oguma on October 28, 2011
at 12:51 am
He
is great , A great leader. my name is Yusupha Camara.
By: Yusupha camara Living in Hollaand on February 1, 2012
at 5:58 am
Thank you ,thats my email below Samory Toure was GREAT
By: Yusupha camara Living in Hollaand on February 1, 2012
at 6:16 am
samory toure is a very great leader even though his parents were traders he walked in their foot steps and tried to become a trader but he only did it until he was 20 years old
By: DARNASHIA on February 18, 2012
at 9:24 am
nice article and a quick reminder of the great kingdoms,our history is our heritage
By: mnyolmo kiprop nahshon on February 24, 2012
at 1:50 am
Repose en paix grand père
,
By: CISSE on February 25, 2012
at 3:00 pm
A great man in the world
By: hemstoneorenge on April 2, 2012
at 6:58 am
he was a great man
By: hemstoneorenge on April 2, 2012
at 7:00 am
thank you for this stuff it really helped me.
By: Munyah J on April 11, 2012
at 10:51 am
this is by far the most well-written account i’ve read on samouri toure..i had been searching for ages when i finally came across this page..thank you for a well detailed and on-point account of this great leader..now i can write my assignments easier
By: Melyssa Minne Mac on April 24, 2012
at 2:59 am
Thank you for visiting my blog. I am glad you appreciated this article on Samori Toure. I am glad it could be of help to you, for your assignments.
By: humilityjoy on April 29, 2012
at 6:37 pm
wow thats great .i also learned a lot concerning samori toure able leadership and holding the state together .thats awesome ,keep it up
By: kudakwashe chidziya on May 7, 2012
at 4:22 am
thank uw so much fo the effort……….,.,.
By: MIMI on May 22, 2012
at 6:22 am
thank u uncle Samori you did your level best
By: tiki tikolo on July 21, 2012
at 11:54 pm
great piece..need a lil mo work on why he failed ultimately
By: hanani hlo$ on October 2, 2012
at 11:45 pm
a truly great piece however mre required on tactics used by samori in defending mandinka during the eight yearwar othawise gd job!
By: nyashylove on October 15, 2012
at 11:28 pm
get me the responses of Samoure toure
By: Wangila Edinah on November 9, 2012
at 4:52 am
[...] sowed, and arms factories were installed in all corners of the region. However, just like with Samori Toure, or Behanzin, the French did not respect the ceasefire. In 1857, after only three years, they [...]
By: Lalla Fadhma N’Soumer, the Embodiment of Algerian Resistance against French Colonization « African Heritage on November 21, 2012
at 7:21 am
[...] the introduction of Islam from the Futa Jallon Empire. They were the scene of the struggle between Samori, the French & British over Guinea and Sierra Leone and in the 19th century the park area was the [...]
By: Susu on December 3, 2012
at 8:29 am
AFRICAN LEADERS SHOULD IMITATE FROM SAMOURE TOURE
By: NZUYU ANTON T. on December 11, 2012
at 3:25 am
As a history teacher i find it great. Pliz u can analyze why Toure was defeated and his impacts for his defeat
By: Akex on February 8, 2013
at 10:17 am
Good stuff
By: Vaidah simenti on March 8, 2013
at 7:31 am
i found dis piece helpful in treating Toure as a pre-colonial african personality.
By: treasure on March 15, 2013
at 10:23 am
[...] we tend to think that our leaders were all weaklings, but we had real kings and real leaders like Samori Toure, Behanzin, Ranavalona I, Amanishakheto, Beatrice of Congo, and Nzingha who fought the foreign [...]
By: Queen Nzingha: Great Queen of Angola | African Heritage on March 18, 2013
at 1:38 pm
This is the greatest leap in African Historiography. This is the aspect of History that I call OUR OWN. It is a representation of our very selves from our own perspective.
uhuru Africa!!!
By: NEGAYDA on March 23, 2013
at 10:01 pm
SAMORI WAS A WORRIOR YR ESSAY S GOOD BT WAT ARE THE FACTORS TO HIS RISE AND FALL OF CAUSE HE DESERVS TO BE CALLED THE NAPOLEON OF SUDAN
By: TAMALINE JANHI on May 9, 2013
at 10:50 pm