abbychumz
Senior Lister
King Mansa Musa. Mansa Musa was King of the Mali Kingdom between A.D 1306 and 1332 A.D. His real name is Musa Keita, but he adopted Mansa, which means ''King of Kings'' or 'Emperor.' He was the 10th emperor of this kingdom. This ancient ruler is famed for travelling to Mecca alongside 72,000 residents for a holy pilgrimage. Mansa Musa has been recognized as the greatest African emperor there has ever been. His leadership led the Mali kingdom to become one of the wealthiest empires in the world. This was fuelled mainly by the production of gold, salt, agriculture and dynamic trade. He was a prolific military leader and was lavish in his spending. The king captured several cities, which extended his territory to modern-day Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea and so on.
Sundiata Keita. His name means Lion Prince. Sundiata founded the Ancient Mali Empire and reigned between 1235-1255 CE. His territory constituted Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal, all of which he had conquered. This ancient African king is known as the prince of the Mandinka people. Under Keita's leadership, Mali created the first oral charter for human rights, the Manden Charter. The charter contains, among other things, the abolition of slavery, education and food security.
King Sunni Ali Ber. Sunni Ali founded the Songhai Empire and reigned between the 15th and 16th centuries. During his reign, the Songhai Kingdom thrived and surpassed the Mali Empire by absorbing its territories, including Timbuktu. Sunni also had a strong military force and used amphibious operations that would attack through the Niger River. he was a member of the Sunni Muslim dynasty. The religion spread widely across urban and rural centres during his reign, making the Songhai empire become the largest Muslim West African empire of all time.
King Amenhotep III. Amenhotep III, also known as 'Amenhotep the Magnificent' is another one of the famous African kings. He came to power when he was 12 years old and was one of Egypt's greatest pharaohs in the 18th dynasty. Under his leadership, the country enjoyed stability, wealth, and peace. Moreover, Egypt established a notable influence on diplomacy and foreign policy. He constructed a man-made lake outside his palace to honour his wife, Queen Tiye. The two shared power and ruled the land together for 38 years.
Shaka Zulu. Founder of the Zulu tribe African king names were inspired by their tribes of origin, their ancestors, or stories surrounding their birth. For instance, Shaka Zulu was originally known as Sigidi kaSenzangakhona. The name 'Shaka' is believed to have stemmed from his father's claim that Nandi, his mother was not pregnant but was suffering from an intestinal condition caused by the iShaka beetle. Shaka is the founder of the famous Zulu empire in South Africa. He is known to have used dictatorial means to unite the Zulu tribes. He is also famed for having created a powerful military force out of these tribes. Shaka's troops used standardized weaponry to fight their foes. Among the weapons he developed was a short stabbing spear. During his brutal reign, Zulu's troops killed a total of 2 million enemies.
Oba Oduduwa of the Oyo empire. This African King was the ruler of the Oyo Empire in 700 A.D. In the Yoruba culture, he is recognized as a primordial god. He came from the lower Nigerian region and conquered many existing settlements to develop Yorubaland. Oduduwa had 16 children. Before his death, he sent each one of them to his conquered territories to rule them autonomously. This led to the founding of the Ila, Oragun, Owu,Ketu, Sabe, Popo, and Oyo kingdoms, which constituted the Yoruba dynastic family line.
King Endubis. This Ethiopian king of the Axum kingdom was the first to mint coins of gold, silver, and bronze, complete with the king's face and motto. He lived from 270-300 CE. Endubis is also famed for conquering Nubia, also known as the Kingdom of ancient Meroe. He controlled the horn of Africa, across Eritrea and the Red Sea, and into the Arabian plate