▁into ▁the ▁native ▁landscape . ▁ ▁Sof a ▁in ▁the ▁B am ana ▁emp ire ▁of ▁Seg ou ▁The ▁B am ana ▁people ▁inherited ▁much ▁from ▁their ▁close ▁relations , ▁the ▁Mand ink a , ▁in ▁civ ic ▁and ▁military ▁culture . ▁They ▁formed ▁their ▁own ▁emp ire ▁ 1 6 4 0 , ▁which ▁filled ▁the ▁vac u um ▁left ▁by ▁the ▁M ali ▁and ▁Song hai ▁emp ires . ▁By ▁ 1 7 1 2 , ▁the ▁state ▁had ▁cry st all ized ▁into ▁a ▁form id able ▁state ▁that ▁borrow ed ▁much ▁in ▁military ▁structure ▁from ▁the ▁M ali ▁Empire . ▁Sof as ▁were ▁used ▁heavily ▁in ▁its ▁arm ies ▁as ▁inf antry ▁and ▁support ▁troops , ▁which ▁allowed ▁the ▁B am ana ▁to ▁domin ate ▁much ▁of ▁modern - day ▁M ali . ▁ ▁Sof a ▁in ▁the ▁Dy ula ▁emp ire ▁of ▁Wass oul ou ▁The ▁institution ▁of ▁the ▁so fa ▁surv ived ▁into ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁among ▁Dy ula ▁in ▁the ▁Wass oul ou ▁region ▁between ▁the ▁modern ▁states ▁of ▁M ali , ▁Guinea ▁and ▁I v ory ▁Coast . ▁Under ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁Sam ori ▁T ure , ▁the ▁Dy ula ▁formed ▁the ▁Wass oul ou ▁Empire ▁and ▁successfully ▁challeng ed ▁French ▁amb itions ▁in ▁West ▁Africa ▁until ▁ 1 8 9 8 . ▁▁ ▁The ▁so fa ▁under ▁Sam ori ▁were ▁organized ▁into ▁standing ▁arm ies ▁of ▁slaves , ▁much ▁like ▁those ▁in ▁M ali ▁six ▁centuries ▁earlier ▁and ▁armed ▁by