Sagala

Sagala lies north of the Niger in the country west of Ségou, where dry savanna approaches the Sahel. The river valley to the south supported farming and fishing settlements, while the more open country beyond it was home to cultivators and pastoralists. During the eighteenth century the Bamana kingdom of Ségou became a major power in the middle Niger region. Its rulers drew together people of different backgrounds, including farmers, Muslim merchants, river fishers and Fulbe herders.