▁master ' s ▁into ▁battle ▁and ▁handle ▁his ▁horse ▁and ▁weapons . ▁Initial ly ▁forb idden ▁from ▁eng aging ▁in ▁direct ▁war fare , ▁so fa ▁eventually ▁made ▁up ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁M ali ' s ▁inf antry ▁army . ▁As ▁inf antry , ▁they ▁were ▁armed ▁with ▁b ows ▁and ▁ar rows ▁by ▁the ▁state ▁or , ▁more ▁accur ately , ▁royal ▁cl ans ▁devoted ▁to ▁the ▁state . ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁forest ▁and ▁sw amp y ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁M ali ▁Empire , ▁caval ry ▁was ▁minim ized ▁or ▁altogether ▁abandoned ▁making ▁so fas ▁the ▁exclusive ▁instrument ▁of ▁war . ▁Sof as ▁were ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁two ▁qu ivers , ▁and ▁their ▁bow ▁was ▁small ▁by ▁European ▁standards . ▁It ▁could ▁not ▁fire ▁very ▁far ▁or ▁even ▁power fully , ▁so ▁so fas ▁util ized ▁dead ly ▁po isons ▁and ▁fired ▁in ▁ar cs ▁to ▁give ▁the ▁ar rows ▁strength . ▁Sof as ▁also ▁used ▁fl aming ▁ar rows , ▁especially ▁against ▁fort ifications ▁that ▁were ▁often ▁little ▁more ▁than ▁that ch ▁or ▁wooden ▁pal is ades . ▁▁ ▁Some ▁so fas ▁fought ▁as ▁caval ry , ▁at ▁least ▁after ▁being ▁fre ed , ▁such ▁as ▁Mans a ▁Sak ura ▁whom ▁started ▁out ▁his ▁military ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁j on ow ▁of ▁the ▁Ke ita ▁cl an . ▁He ▁was ▁fre ed ▁by ▁Sund j ata ▁Ke ita , ▁became ▁a ▁caval ry ▁commander ▁of ▁some ▁ren own ▁and ▁eventually ▁us ur ped ▁the ▁throne ▁of ▁M ali . ▁ ▁Sof