Tiramaghan Traore served as one of Sundiata’s principal generals. He was sent against Jolofing Mansa after the king arrested a caravan of traders and confiscated horses that Diata had sought to purchase. Tiramaghan requested permission to campaign independently, received a regiment, and defeated the Jolof ruler.

After the victory, Tiramaghan extended Mandingo power through Senegambia. His campaigns reached the Casamance and the highlands of Kaabu, also called Gabu, in present-day Guinea-Bissau. The western Mandingo regard him as the founder of several kingdoms, with Kaabu identified as the most important.

Tiramaghan’s memory remains embedded in the oral traditions of Kaabu and surrounding regions. Griots sing his deeds in long poems accompanied by the kora, while the Tiramaghan fassa celebrates his military achievements. Traditions differ over his final fate: some Gangaran accounts maintain that he returned to Mali after conquering Jolofing Mansa.