THE MANDIKA RESISTANCE

1882-1898

(Samori Toure’s resistance against French)

Introduction:  Samori was born between 1830 and 1835 at sanakoro present day guinea.

            He organized one of the longest and lasting resistance against the French in Africa. He was nicknamed the French as the Bonaparte of sudan or the Black napoleone.

REASONS FOR THE RESISTANCE

• Religious differences between samori and the French samori was a moslem and wanted to build the moslem empire but the French invaders came with their own religion and the threatened samori.
• Samori wanted to put an end to the French expansion and imperialism which affected her northern boundaries.
• Samori soldiers were well equipped with modern weapons imported from the European traders into an advance of the French troops.
• Samori also had well trained soldiers who were ready to fight.
• He also wanted to protect the natives trade monolopy against French traders who were buying at very  low prices.
• He also wanted to protect his empire against French expoitation especially of mineral resources.
• Samori was afraid to loose it Administratives and judicial powers of the French.
• Hatred for French disrespect of their traditional institution and culture to resist the French.

 COURSE(EVENT) OF THE RESISTANCE (HOW THEY RESISTED)

            They were two forces, the first phase lasted from 1882-1886 While the second phase from 1891-1898;

            At the first phase of resistance fighting to take place mostly in the northern part. Samori and his soldiers adopted the scorched earth policy where by everything that could benefit were burned down.

HOW THE MANDIKA PEOPLE RESISTED(SECOND PHASE)

            During this time the French organized the war in many front by 1891, Bisandugu his capital was captured and he escaped with his army and founded a new capital however in 1898. Samori was captured by the French and his wariors. He was exile to the exile of ogowe where the remained until he died in 1900.

• Samori had a very large supply of weapons from European traders and some black smith in the empire.
• He adopted the scorched earth policy and guerilla method of fighting which made him successful.
• His professional army was well trained and equipped with modern guns.
• Islamic solidarity and support against the French infidels elped to prolong the war.
• Samori enjoyed a lot of domestic support from the mandika people.
• His empire was well organized politicaly  and made him attaind victory for some time.
• Economicaly his empire was rich to fight a prolong war. They got their riches from the trade in salt and gold.

WHY SAMORI WAS FINALY DEFEATED

• The prolonged nature of the fight let  to the mass improvement of the mandika people.
• Some people in his empire regarded the French as liberators from the samori harsh rules and decided to joint the French.
• The French had superior armament and technics
• His scorched earth policy also dealt with samori forces as there was shortage of food.
• The Europeans also passed an arm embargo on Africans including samori arms.

CONSEQUENCES OF THE MANDIKA RESISTANCE

• The resistance led to lost of lives and properties.
• The scearch earth policy introduced by samori plunged the mandika people in farmine.
• It led to the colonization of the mandika empire by thefrench and the rest of north east.
• Samori Toure who was the leader of the resistance was exiled.
• It led to separation of families due to migration.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MANDIKA RESISTANCE

POSITIVE

• He was a great empire builder in west Africa. Samori has a place in the 19^thcentuary history of west Africa because he united the hostile mandika people and brought them under his authority. He promoted mandika unity and solidary. In this respect he was a symbol of Africa unity at least in the upper Guinea region.
• Samori Toure was an inventor in civil administration. He established an effective administration over his large empire. He decided the administration in two parts namely the provincial and province powers was share between the governors, his close friends and relatives to key positions in his empire. This ensure their loyalty and allegiance to him.

NEGATIVE

• Samori’s protracted and ceaseless war inflicted a llot of pown and fordship on the people of the upper Guinea region he insisted that his subjects must continue the war against the French even though it was affecting than negatively. So many people died because of samori’s resistance. Others were exposed to farmine and starvation samori was indifferent to the plight of his supporters. He did not sympathise with the trouble with his resistance brought to bare on the mandika people.