AP World History – Islam Practice Test 2026: The Complete All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

The person who created a unified state that became the Mali Empire and died in 1260 is Sundiata Keita. He united the Manden peoples after defeating the Sosso king Soumaoro Kanté, forging a centralized kingdom with a strong administration and control over key trade routes across the Sahara. This consolidation laid the groundwork for the Mali Empire’s later wealth and power, with the capital at Niani and a system that could mobilize resources and people across a wide region. His death around 1260 marks the end of his leadership, but the empire he began continued to grow under his successors, especially in later centuries.

For context, the other names are associated with different rulers or roles: Sunni Ali and Askia Muhammad were rulers of the Songhai Empire, centuries after Sundiata; “Mansa” is a title used by later Mali rulers, not a founder. The figure who started Mali and died in 1260 is the founder, Sundiata Keita.