Bendugu or Bendougou was a province of the Mali Empire and later the Songhai Empire, in modern-day Mali. It lies south of the Bani River, west of Djenne. The name means 'country of grass' in Bamanan. [1]
In 1542 Askia Ishaq I defeated the Mali Empire in Bendougou, but the province remained in Malian hands. [2] In the 1570s Bendugu was raided by Askia Daoud, part of a wider campaign to restore central control over the periphery of the empire. [3] In the early 18th century the region was devastated by an invasion by the Kong Empire. [1]
In the 1830s Bendougou was reorganized as a province of the Massina Empire. [4]
Bendugu, like the neighboring Kala, was divided between 12 kings, mostly of the Traore lineage. [5] It was administered by a centrally-appointed official known as the Yaw. [5] In the 18th century, Bendugu lay on the periphery of the Segou Empire, and this loose control led to anarchic conditions and the proliferation of petty kingdoms during this period. [6]