How did the Mossi kingdoms form in the region of Burkina Faso?

The origins of the Mossi states—a complex of independent kingdoms located around the headwaters of the Volta River—remain historically obscure.1

While Mossi traditions suggest that their ancestors arrived from the east, possibly during the 13th century, historical evidence indicates that these kingdoms emerged south of the Niger Bend through the actions of bands of cavaliers. These groups may have been connected to ruling families from the northeast. The Mossi ruling class traces its origins to the Mamprusi and Dagomba peoples of northern Ghana.123

Unlike their forest-dwelling neighbors, the Mossi relied on highly mobile light cavalry to maintain their independence and influence. From approximately 1400, they functioned as essential trading intermediaries between forest states and the cities of the Niger, remaining a distinct political force until the French invasions of the late 19th century.1