Mirambo, born around 1840 in a region that would become part of the future Tanzania, was only twenty years old when he succeeded his father as ruler of a small territory that he undertook to expand into an empire, the Urambo. His military successes based on his strategic genius and political abilities earned him great renown among European observers. Stanley gave him the nickname "African Napoleon". He died in 1884, the same year as the opening of the Congress of Berlin, where European powers shared "the Congo Basin" and "the Niger Basin. The Urambo collapsed shortly after the death of its founder. Nevertheless, he is celebrated in Tanzania as a national hero.