The Bundunke sources are unanimous in their claim that Malik Sy, progenitor of the Sissibe ruling dynasty, was the actual founder of the state. He is thus the most highly venerated figure in the collective memory of the Bundunkobe, surpassing others of his descendants whose reigns were far longer and whose accomplishments were arguably far greater. To this day, the name of Malik Sy is revered; inhabitants of the area continue to make annual pilgrimage to the site of his purported tomb (at the base of a mountain at Wuro Himadou). It is therefore quite essential and appropriate to attempt an approximation of the historical figure, so laden with the vestments of embellishment and anachronism.

It should be noted at the outset that it is not possible to establish with absolute certainty that Malik Sy founded Bundu. However, the weight of the evidence points in that direction. Such evidence will be examined in the course of this chapter, as it is an issue for the history of the Bundunkobe. But more important than the question of who founded the state is a consideration of the circumstances and forces operative in the area during Malik Sy's period, circumstances and forces which early on conspired to channel the nascent policy towards a pragmatic posture. That is, the early period of the state proved to be a formative one, establishing a paradigm from which subsequent rulers did not seek to deviate.