Kong Empire

Quick Facts: Who was Kong Empire?

Subject:

Kong Empire

Known for:

A major Islamic West African trading empire centered in modern Ivory Coast.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Kong Empire (1710–1898), also known as the Wattara Empire or Ouattara Empire for its founder Seku Watara, was a pre-colonial state centered in what is now northeastern Ivory Coast that also encompassed much of present-day Burkina Faso and parts of Mali and Ghana. It established a largely decentralized commercial empire based upon linkages between merchant houses, protecting trade routes throughout the region. Kong rose to prominence in the 1700s as a key commercial center and center of Islamic studies. In 1898, Samori Ture attacked the city and burnt it down. Although the city was rebuilt, the Kong empire did not survive and the French took control over the area.

Career & Major Achievements

The area around Kong was settled primarily by Gur-speaking agriculturalists, particularly the Senufo people and Tyefo people. Starting in the 14th century Mandé merchants, known as the Dyula, migrated from the Mali Empire into the area founding the trading cities of Begho, Bouna, Bondoukou and Kong. These immigrants were largely Muslim while the local Senufo and Tyefo populations were primarily animist. Over time the route passing from the Niger south to the goldfields and then to European trading posts on the Gold Coast became increasingly important. At the same time, recurring conflict with the Gonja and Dagomba states promoted the rise of military leaders known as Fagama.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In the early 1700s, Seku Watara (sometimes written as Sekou or Sekoue), a Dyula who claimed descent from the Malinké Keita lineage and who had studied the Qu'ran and engaged in commerce before becoming a warrior, deposed and killed an important leader in Kong, Lasiri Gbambele, by uniting the forces of a number of Dyula leaders in the area. After establishing control over Kong, forces under Seku and allied leaders with their own war houses took over towns and settlements throughout the region, mainly focusing on control of trade routes. They took over the region around the Black Volta to the north early during Seku's reign and to the south to Boule. Kong forces also intervened in the battles between various branches of the Keita dynasty in the upper Niger valley in the 1720s. Seku himself pushed north across the Leraba river, conquering the Tiefo people among others.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1710: 1710 Milestone — The Kong Empire (1710–1898), also known as the Wattara Empire or Ouattara Empire for its founder Seku Watara, was a pre-colonial state centered in what is now northeastern Ivory Coast that also encompassed much of present-day Burkina Faso and parts of Mali and Ghana.
2. 1898: 1898 Milestone — In 1898, Samori Ture attacked the city and burnt it down.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Kong Empire

True or False: “The Kong Empire maintained its full political independence until the French established permanent colonial rule after 1898.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While Samory Touré attacked and burned the city in 1898, the subsequent French control over the area marked the definitive end of its independent imperial status.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Emperor Higashiyama — Historical peer (Died in 1710) (1710): The 113th Emperor of Japan whose reign spanned the Genroku era.
• Giovanni Battista Pergolesi — Historical peer (Born in 1710) (1710): Italian Baroque composer, celebrated for opera buffa and sacred works.
• Albert Luthuli — Historical peer (Born in 1898) (1898): Pioneering anti-apartheid activist and leader of the ANC in South Africa.
• Alexander Calder — Historical peer (Born in 1898) (1898): Pioneering American sculptor celebrated for kinetic mobiles and monumental abstract forms.

Frequently Asked Questions about Kong Empire