AHC: Second Mali Empire

AHC: Create a second Mali Empire before French Colonialism in the region.

With enough luck, we might be able to make a Mali state, but as for an empire I am not so sure. Times change: Mali simply dosent have what it takes to attempt to get it back on the world stage, at least not in the traditional "restored empire" way. The products which the Mali Empire exported and relied on can be found in other parts of the world, and Colonial powers don't need to go through the ancient silk routes. Native and Muslim Fulani states are popping up all over the place, and Mali will find itself constantly eyed upon and will be the furthest to fall.

However, if we zone out of the mindset of the traditional Mali Empire, like a second better more modernized polity, I think some European intervention would likely do. Islam also will play a bigger factor in here, though others will have to flesh out that idea as I don't have much knowledge about that specific topic. We could have Mali as a pre-modern Empire, controlled by warlords who exchange slaves for money to help them survive, like Tippu Tip.
 
This isn't too far from OTL, since the Fulani Jihad was a major force in the region and Sekou Amada of the Massina Empire and Umar Tall of the Toucouleur Empire created huge states. It isn't too hard to imagine that an even stronger, more long-lived, and most importantly, a commander who can better prepare for what happens after their death, can reunite the historic Mali Empire.

French colonialism is a bit of an aberation, since it's easy to imagine neither the French nor any rivals (i.e. Britain) going inland and establishing direct control in West Africa, and instead bending native states to their will. Or Europeans not imposing blockades and forbidding arms trade with African states, and thus making this hypothetical Mali state too much effort to conquer (such arms blockades hurt states like Samory Touré's Wassulu Empire).

Best case scenario for the 19th century is we have a major empire created by an Umar Tall-type figure. Earlier they will use money from the slave trade to modernise, but by no means rely on it, and later they will establish industries for goods valuable to Europeans to make money. To survive, they will play off France and Britain, as Thailand did.
 
If there where to be a country to form a second Mali Empire, I would think there to be two candidates:
1. Wassoulou Empire
2. Toucouleur Empire
 
Top