Home Region: West Africa (Africa)

Bamana kingdom

1712 CE 1861 CE

D G SC WF

EQ 2020 ml_bamana_k / MlBaman

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

1650 CE 1712 CE Segou Kingdom (ml_segou_k) [continuity]

Succeeding Entity:

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General Description

The Bamana Kingdom was founded in 1712 by Biton Kulibali ^[1] and became part of the Tukulor (or Toucouleur) empire in 1861, when El Hajj Umar Tall seized the capital, Segu. ^[2] This polity derives its name from its dominant ethnic group, ^[3] and because an alternative name for this group is ’Bambara’, some sources will refer to the ’Bambara kingdom’. ^[4] Because this was not the only Bambara kingdom at the time, it is often known as the Bambara Kingdom of Segu, from the name of its capital. French spellings of some of these names are also commonly found in the literature ‒ for example, Kulibali is sometimes spelled Coulibaly and Segu is sometimes spelled Segou. ^[5]
The kingdom was located in the Niger Bend, in West Africa. Between 1725 and 1751, under Biton’s leadership, the Bamana of Segu conquered the whole of Bamana territory (including the Beledugu region, Jenne, and Timbuktu), and took Niani, the capital of the Mali Empire. ^[6] After a series of weak successors, Ngolo Diarra (1766‒1790) strengthened the kingdom’s hold over Timbuktu and Macina and conquered part of Dogon country. ^[7] The Bamana Kingdom reached its greatest size under the rule of Monson Diarra (1792‒1808), who extended Segu power from San to Timbuktu, and from the Land of the Dogons to Kaarta. ^[8]
Population and Political Organization
The Bamana kingdom was ruled by single leader, known as the faama, who also led the army and was advised by an assembly of 40 men, including warriors and holy men. This assembly was based on a pre-existing Bamana institution known as fla-n-ton or ton, that is, an association of young men who had undergone circumcision together. With exceptions like Biton Kulibali and Ngolo Diarra, it seems that most faama were weak and ineffectual, at the mercy of the assembly. Stronger rulers, however, were able to govern with few constraints. ^[7]
It is also worth noting that slavery was an important institution in the Bamana kingdom: the trade in slaves for guns and horses lay at the heart of the power of this nascent ’warrior-state’. ^[9]
No official population estimates could be found for the Bamana Kingdom. However, the kingdom covered about half the territory of modern Mali, Guinea and Senegal, and the total population of these three countries in 1960 was around 12 million. ^[10] ^[11] ^[12] No reference could be found to a population crash between 1800 and 1960, but demographic growth was probably slower in the 19th century than in the 20th century. The population of the Bamana Kingdom in 1800 may have numbered three or four million people.

[1]: (Brett-Smith 2002, 940) Sarah C. Brett-Smith. 2002. ’Bamana Identity, State Formation, and the Sources of Bamana Art’. American Anthropologist 104 (3): 939-52.

[2]: (Oloruntimehin 1972, 141) B. Olofunmilayo Oloruntimehin. 1972. The Segu Tukulor Empire. London: Longman.

[3]: (Brett-Smith 2002, 939-952) Sarah C. Brett-Smith. 2002. ’Bamana Identity, State Formation, and the Sources of Bamana Art’. American Anthropologist 104(3): 939-952.

[4]: (Izard and Ki-Zerbo 1992, 329-338) Michel Izard and Joseph Ki-Zerbo. 1992. ’From the Niger to the Volta’ in "General History of Africa, vol. 5: Africa from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Centuries", edited by Bethwell Allan Ogot. London: Heinemann.

[5]: (Brett-Smith 2002, 940) Sarah C. Brett-Smith. 2002. ’Bamana Identity, State Formation, and the Sources of Bamana Art’. American Anthropologist 104(3): 939-52.

[6]: (Izard and Ki-Zerbo 1992, 333) Michel Izard and Joseph Ki-Zerbo. 1992. ’From the Niger to the Volta’, in General History of Africa, vol. 5: Africa from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Centuries, edited by Bethwell Allan Ogot, 327-67. London: Heinemann.

[7]: (Izard and Ki-Zerbo 1992, 333-34) Michel Izard and Joseph Ki-Zerbo. 1992. ’From the Niger to the Volta’, in General History of Africa, vol. 5: Africa from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Centuries, edited by Bethwell Allan Ogot, 327-67. London: Heinemann.

[8]: (Izard and Ki-Zerbo 1992, 334) Michel Izard and Joseph Ki-Zerbo. 1992. ’From the Niger to the Volta’, in General History of Africa, vol. 5: Africa from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Centuries, edited by Bethwell Allan Ogot, 327-67. London: Heinemann.

[9]: (Brett-Smith 2002, 941) Sarah C. Brett-Smith. 2002. ’Bamana Identity, State Formation, and the Sources of Bamana Art’. American Anthropologist 104 (3): 939-52.

[10]: (World Bank 2016) World Bank, World DataBank. 2016. ’Mali: Population, total’ [dataset]. Retrieved from http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=ML&view=chart.

[11]: (World Bank 2016) World Bank, World DataBank. 2016. ’Guinea: Population, total’ [dataset]. Retrieved from http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?end=1960&locations=GN&start=1960&view=chart.

[12]: (World Bank 2016) World Bank, World DataBank. 2016. ’Senegal: Population, total’ [dataset]. Retrieved from http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?end=1960&locations=SN&start=1960&view=chart.

General Variables

Identity and Location

2 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

1 Capital

2 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

1 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

1 Linguistic Family

1 Language

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Territory

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Nonwritten Record

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases Coding in Progress.

Power Transitions

15 Power Transition

Instability Events Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k) was in:
(1712 CE 1818 CE)	Niger Inland Delta

Home NGA: Niger Inland Delta

General Variables

Identity and Location Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	30 P	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Utm Zone	30 Q	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Original Name	Bamana kingdom	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Capital	Kaarta	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Alternative Name	Segou state	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Alternative Name	Segou kingdom	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Temporal Bounds Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	1800 CE
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Duration	[1712 CE ➜ 1861 CE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Succeeding Entity	Toucouleur Kingdom	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuity	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Preceding Entity 1650 CE 1712 CE	Segou Kingdom (ml_segou_k) [continuity]
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Degree of Centralization	unitary state	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Language Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Mande	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Language	Bambara	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Religion Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	30,000 people	1796 CE
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Polity Territory	[350,000 to 450,000] km²	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Polity Population	[3,000,000 to 4,000,000] people	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	4	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Religious Level	3	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Military Level	5	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Administrative Level	5	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Professions Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Present	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Professional Priesthood	Present	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Professional Military Officer	Present	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Law Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Judge	Present Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Formal Legal Code	Present Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Court	Present Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Irrigation System	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Food Storage Site	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Port	Uncoded Undecided	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Special-purpose Sites Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Information / Writing System Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Script	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Nonwritten Record	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Sacred Text	Present	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Religious Literature	Present Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Present Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Fiction	Present Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Calendar	Present Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Information / Money Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Present	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Precious Metal	Present Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Paper Currency	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Article	Present	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Information / Postal System Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Courier	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Information / Measurement System Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Present Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Present Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Modern Fortification	Absent Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Moat	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Fortified Camp	Present Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Earth Rampart	Present Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Ditch	Present Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Complex Fortification	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Military use of Metals Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Iron	Present Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Copper	Present	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Bronze	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Projectiles Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Sling	Present Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Self Bow	Present	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Javelin	Present	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Handheld Firearm	Present	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Crossbow	Present Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Composite Bow	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Atlatl	Absent	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Handheld weapons Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Sword	Present	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Spear	Present	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Polearm	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Dagger	Present	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Battle Axe	Present Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Animals used in warfare Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Elephant	Absent Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Donkey	Present Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Dog	Absent Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Camel	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Armor Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Present	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Shield	Present Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Scaled Armor	Absent Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Plate Armor	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Limb Protection	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Leather Cloth	Present Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Laminar Armor	Absent Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Helmet	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Chainmail	Present Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Breastplate	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Naval technology Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Absent Inferred	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Present	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Unknown Suspected	1712 CE 1861 CE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Human Sacrifice Bamana kingdom (ml_bamana_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More