▁major ▁center ▁of ▁commerce ▁and ▁Islam . ▁The ▁kingdom ' s ▁Q ur an ic ▁sch ol ars ▁attract ed ▁students ▁from ▁all ▁parts ▁of ▁West ▁Africa . ▁In ▁the ▁mid - 1 7 th ▁century ▁in ▁east - central ▁I v ory ▁Coast , ▁other ▁Ak an ▁groups ▁fle eing ▁the ▁As ante ▁established ▁a ▁Ba oul é ▁kingdom ▁at ▁Sak asso ▁and ▁two ▁Ag ni ▁kingdom s , ▁Ind é ni é ▁and ▁San wi . ▁ ▁The ▁Ba oul é , ▁like ▁the ▁Ash anti , ▁developed ▁a ▁highly ▁central ized ▁political ▁and ▁administrative ▁structure ▁under ▁three ▁success ive ▁r ul ers . ▁It ▁finally ▁split ▁into ▁smaller ▁chief dom s . ▁Despite ▁the ▁break up ▁of ▁their ▁kingdom , ▁the ▁Ba oul é ▁strongly ▁resist ed ▁French ▁sub j ug ation . ▁The ▁descend ants ▁of ▁the ▁r ul ers ▁of ▁the ▁Ag ni ▁kingdom s ▁tried ▁to ▁retain ▁their ▁separate ▁identity ▁long ▁after ▁I v ory ▁Coast ' s ▁independence ; ▁as ▁late ▁as ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁the ▁San wi ▁attempted ▁to ▁break ▁away ▁from ▁I v ory ▁Coast ▁and ▁form ▁an ▁independent ▁kingdom . ▁The ▁current ▁king ▁of ▁San wi ▁is ▁Am on ▁N ' D ou ff ou ▁V ▁( since ▁ 2 0 0 5 ). ▁ ▁Est ab lish ment ▁of ▁French ▁rule ▁Comp ared ▁to ▁neighbor ing ▁Gh ana , ▁I v ory ▁Coast , ▁though ▁pract icing ▁sla very ▁and ▁slave ▁ra iding , ▁suffered ▁little ▁from ▁the ▁slave