Returning with the combined armies of Mema, Wagadou and all the rebellious Mandinka city-states, Sundiata led a revolt against the Kaniaga Kingdom around 1234. The combined forces of northern and southern Manden defeated the Sosso army at the Battle of Kirina (then known as "Krina") in approximately 1235. This victory resulted in the fall of the Kaniaga kingdom and the rise of the Mali Empire. After the victory, King Soumaoro disappeared, and the Mandinka stormed the last of the Sosso cities. Maghan Sundiata was declared “faama of faamas” and received the title “mansa”, which translates roughly to emperor. At the age of 18, he gained authority over all the twelve kingdoms in an alliance known as the Manden Kurufa.[http://66.218.71.231/language/translation/translatedPage.php?tt=url&text=http%3a//www.journee-nationale-communes.org/dec_chart1.htm&lp=fr_en&.intl=us&fr=yfp-t-501] He was crowned under the throne name Mari Djata becoming the first Mandinka emperor.