Part 13: 1080-1099, Effeminate, for an Ogoonu.

Mamadou gives his son the Capital to look after, and moves his capital north for a time to try and focus building it up. This also gives his son a chance to make his own way. It takes a few years for the countries money to build up to the point of being useful.



The Umayyad's go to war with the Aghlabids, and the Mansa decides to try his luck at war once more.
Third time lucky right?



He masses his troops this time, but does not do so in time to stop the keep in Tafilalet from being burned down.



This time the first battle is a Ghanan victory.







The war with the Aghlabids ends, and they immediately come to the aid of the Umayyads.



Mamoudou's Marshall is able to combine his forces in time for the main Muslim army to hit, and a epic battle occurs.



Killing near two to one, the Ghanan light infantry and their bows, lead by better generals, turn the tide and win the day.



Another huge army slams into the force lead by Marshal Outai.



Another 5,000 Ummayad troops arrive and this battle turns from a victory to a defeat.



Mamoudou hires five thousand of his own mercenaries and sends his army back in.



The next year sees many more battle against smaller forces as the Sheik tries to raise armies but Outai can catch them before they form up.







With one final battle the strength of the Umayyad's is finally broken.



The war ends, and Marrakesh, one of the sites holy to the Snake in the Well, becomes part of Ghana!



With three cities, two castles and a temple, it is a province worth taking, even at the cost of tens of thousands of lives.



The Muslim Wali is removed from the mosque and it is given to his half brother.







It maybe peaceful now for Ghana as a country, but there are always the inter-tribal wars to watch. Here Gao and Kumbee-Tenga are scrapping over some of the minor tribes.



Goa win. Mamoudou is not worried, as it will split in half in the next generation.







The next couple of years pass peacefully, and Marrakesh begins to pay into the royal coffers. Then Manaoudou is told of a plot against him.



This is quickly followed by another revelation that forces him to remove his Spymaster.



The Mansa's wife dies.



In true Ogoonu tradition, She is replaced by a lustful woman half the Mansa's age. (No lustful sixteen year olds were available)



Although it risks the old man's heart, he gives her his all. He may be called the effeminate, but it seems that Mamoudou is bisexual at least.








The Muslim population in Tafilalet do not take kindly to the words of the Well Snake.



Three and a half thousand of them launch and attack on the Mansa's garrison. Men are called up from all quarters to help put this revolt down.



Even with a thousand more men they cannot defeat true Ghanan soldiers.



The rebels are quickly crushed and N'Guna, the leader, executed.







After thirty two years on the throne Mamoudou dies. It is fitting that his epitaph is “He was effeminate, for an Ogoonu!” The Mansa's lands are split between his three eldest sons.



Zakoi II takes the reigns of the country. He already has a son of age, and four daughters. He is a naive appraiser, wrothful, gregarious, cynical and gluttonous, he remains a kind man. He also has a huge pile of money.



The Umayyads seem to have been waiting for this moment, as they declare war. Marrakesh is theirs they say, and they are coming to take it.



It does seem that Mamoudou was not finished populating the world with Ogoonus.



Armies are massed.



It takes some time, but Zakoi is able to finally bring the enemy to battle. Starvation and forced marches have reduced both armies by a great deal.



This is another great Ghanan victory, and allows the new Mansa to prove his worth on the field of battle, something that has been lacking from recent monarchs.



The Umayyads bring up another army of huge size, and a series of defeats force the Ghanan's back into their own lands.



As we bring this update to a close, we see the old Ghanan tactic of paying for a whole load of mercenaries come into play. The tide turns and the Muslim forces flee north through the inhospitable desert.



While you will have to wait for the resolution of that conflict, we have reached the turning of another century, and it is time to see what has been happening in the world.

Ghana is still Ghana.



Aquataine is the only Christian power left in Iberia, it is now split between four powers.



Western Europe sees France and Aquitaine holding lands, Lombardy has lost the lands of East Francia, but there are several large kingdoms here.



Britain is split between England and Scotland.



Scandinavia has Norway hanging on to the coast with Karelia the main power.



Central Europe has the normal patchwork of countries.



But, I can hear you asking from here, who are the blue nation?



It seems the Turks have been busy......
Byzantium is crumbling, and has a number of buffer states.



Finally, the Middle East and North East Africa. Arabia is a major power here.




Some interesting things going on there.....