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Faama

Nobility title

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
1 min read
Source updated July 9, 2026

Faama is a Mandinka word meaning "father," "leader," or "king". It was commonly used within the area of pre-imperial Mali. The title spread into areas conquered by Mali and was later used by the Bamana Empire and the Wassoulou Empire of Samori Toure and non-Mandinka groups in the Kenedougou Empire.

Both faama and mansa are word for king, but faama is a martial ruler and mansa is a mystic ruler.

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This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Faama”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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