Kong Empire

Introduction
This empire lasted for 188 years!!!!!!  It was founded by Dyula people.  This empire was based on trade and it was center of Islamic learning.  The government was decentralized, which is sweet.  The society was heterogeneous.  The empire became less powerful and was destroyed.

History
Kong became a trading center in the Mali empire.  In 1710 it was invaded by Seku Ouattara.  He turned the city-state into an empire.  Tyefo and Senufo people lived in Kong.  They were farmers and followed a Traditional African Religion.  A lot people from the Dyula tribe moved in; they were Muslim.  They helped Seku become take over Kong.  Kong started out as the capital of Senufo tribe in 1000 CE.

Seku got into it with his uncle Lasiri, because his uncle surpassed Islam.  Lasiri kicked a Muslim cleric out of Kong.  He was in the Nya cult and wanted it to grow stronger. Seku went to war with his uncle and defeated him.  Then Lasiri was decapitated.

People under Seku authority took over surrounding towns that were part of trade routes.  The people under Seku had war houses.  A warhouse was a group of warriors and slaves that fought 4 their master.  The sons of the Seku became chiefs of major towns.  The Kong Empire went up against the Ashanti Kingdom and lost.

After Seku died his empire was less cohesive.  His brother wouldn't recognize his son as king.  Those 2 were rivals, but when it came to conquering other regions they joined forces.  They took over several trading cities.  When they tried to take over Djenne-Djennothey were stopped by the Bambara Empire.  Kong Empire took over the sum of the gold from the Lobi Kingdom in 1840.  

Government
The empire was ruled by merchants that lived in the Kong the capital city.  The merchants' controlled trade routes with their warhouses.  They would almost raid towns with their warhouses.  Islam was popular in this empire, but the merchants nor their warhouses were Islamic.  Islam was just the religion of the masses.  The merchants and warhouses followed African Traditional Religions.  But there was a lot of Islamic learning in this empire.  The merchants traded a lot of gold and kola nutz.

Downfall
The empire weakened in the late 1800's.  In 1888 leaders in the empire made deals with the French.  This upset Samori Ture because he was @ war with the French.  In 1897 Samori had Kong burned down.  The royal family of Seku ran to the north.  The created different kingdoms, but they didn't last long.  Then the French took over the Kong Empire.  Kong was rebuilt by the French, but it wasn't as prosperous as it was b4.

References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kong_Empire
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samori_Ture
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kong,_Ivory_Coast
https://www.britannica.com/place/Cote-dIvoire/Precolonial-kingdoms#ref517105