‘Ali Kolon’s rise began within the political world of Mali. He is described as having secretly prepared an escape by hiding arms and supplies along the route to Songhay, then leaving Mali with his brother and, probably, troops he had commanded in the service of the Malian king. Mali sent forces to stop him, but he fought through them and reached his homeland.

In Songhay, ‘Ali Kolon made himself ruler and is credited with liberating his people from Malian domination. The traditions differ over whether he was born in Mali or merely grew up in the service of its king, and they also disagree about the degree of continuity between the earlier Dia dynasty and the Sonni dynasty. Both accounts nevertheless agree that Songhay had been conquered by Mali during the Dia period and was liberated by the founder of the Sonni line.

The chronology places ‘Ali Kolon’s revolt in the last quarter of the thirteenth century, probably during the reign of Khalifa, between the reigns of Mansa Uli and Sakura. Songhay’s independence preceded Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage, but it was temporary: Sakura mobilized Mali’s resources and restored Malian authority, and Mansa Musa later reinforced that authority at Gao. The episode nevertheless marks the beginning of Songhay’s transition from a Malian dependency to an independent power.