 The first ruler of this empire was said to be Dingha Cisse, who it is said had a semi-divine status.He came with his people from "the East", Aswan, Egypt, Mali, or possibly what is modern day Senegal, and created a coalition against the neighboring tribes and “nomadic raiders”.Some believe that after long battles with the Berbers, Cisse married the three daughters of their leader and created an impressive alliance.