Step 2 of 4
The young prince
We see a man on his knees, with supports in his hands, which look a bit like crutches. This is possibly the most unlikely image you would expect of a leader, a powerful man, a hero. Still, this is the image we have of Sundiata, the founder of the Mali Empire and the name giver of the epic Sundiata Keita.
Medical experts believe Sundiata’s disability was caused by skeletal tuberculosis. Overcoming this, Sundiata the young prince, managed through cunning and strategic insight to conquer large swathes of territory in the inland Niger Delta and in the process became the founder of the Empire of Mali.