According to the oral histories of the local
Marka people, Nyamina was founded sometime between the 11th and 13th centuries, after the fall of the
Wagadu Empire. It was the main commercial center of the region during the early decades of the
Segou Empire, dominating the salt trade but also hosting important markets for slaves, firearms, cloth, and horses. The town was governed by the Diarra clan, and ruled over an area extending westwards to
Kolokani and
Kati. When the Niare clan, allies of
Biton Coulibaly the ruler of Segou, established
Bamako, Sokolono Diarra attempted to expel them but was defeated and killed. In 1794, during the civil war following
faama Ngolo Diarra's death, Nyamina was sacked and was overtaken in importance by
Sansanding, further downstream. Nyamina fell to El Hadj
Omar Tall without a fight on 25 May 1860 during his campaign to integrate
Segou into the
Toucouleur Empire. The chaos following the Bamana collapse and Tall's death in 1864 severely restricted river trade, with Nyamina as the furthest upstream point that traders could safely visit. Riverine traffic in general declined precipitously, replaced by overland trade from
Nioro du Sahel and the upper
Senegal River to Segou. In 1884 the rebels defeated a Toucouleur army at Nyamina, preventing an invasion of Beledougou from Segou. In May 1889,
Louis Archinard built a fortified post at Nyamina. This secured French contact with their Bambara allies. The next year, they completed the conquest of Segou. ==References==