The Transformation Of The Mali Empire

Muslims controlled the trade routes in Mali which made it easier for Battuta in order to maneuver around the empire because of the fact that he is also a Muslim and traveled throughout the Islamic world. Some Malians would use salt as a medium of exchange even though gold and silver were used mostly everywhere else. Gold, copper, salt, kola nuts, and spices were immensely crucial to the Malian economy, its gold is very important around the world. Battuta explains on the occasion of former king of Mali Mansa Musa went to Cairo two years prior before him and the king “flooded Cairo with his kindness” which would upset their gold market for many years. Social inequality was an issue in Mali, prisoners that were capture were made into slaves, especially women, they were gathers and served as concubines for example, Battuta illustrates how women servants and slaves girls are practically naked in front of everyone including Mansa Suleyman daughters. Men either hunt or maintain the structure of the house. Battuta also expressed his dislike of the way Malian’s were not ritually slaughtering their animals. However he praises how clean the natives are in the mosque on Fridays and memorizing the Quran by

Africa, like many other continents, was a very tremendous and a very diverse civilization that is very complicated to introduce due to all its wonderful but also diverse features and beliefs. From the differences between its society and language to its religion and politics, Africa always had the reputation that its empires, cities, and kingdoms never progressed in the developments and achievements for their civilization. Many people believed that the Europeans were actually the cause of Africa’s achievements and advanced developments for their civilizations. However, this is further than the whole truth. Before the arrival of the Europeans between the 15th and 16th century, African kingdoms, empires, and cities had many achievements and accomplishments

“West African societies were shaped by competition for wealth and the search for independence from more powerful kingdoms” (History 2011). Most of Africa’s oldest kingdoms originated from West Africa. These old kingdoms contributed to the development and growth of Africa in many ways, especially trade and economic growth. As the new kingdoms replaced the old ones, they experienced a vast change. Conquest and warfare along caused these transformations to occur. It was also influenced by the patterns of trade. The earliest civilizations were in West Africa south of the Sahara desert. These civilisations grew at a time when most of the outside countries were experiencing The Dark Age. “After the fall of the Western half of the Roman Empire around

Under Mansa Musa, Mali became the the largest and one of the most renown kingdoms in Africa. Gold was abundant and the empire was prosperous; what more could one ask for? Though as it turns out fame and prosperity can be fleeting. The empire

“Sundiata: an Epic of Old Mali”: A Character Analysis of Sundiata. Sundiata is an oral epic passed from griot to griot. D.T. Niane’s Sundiata contains many powerful characters. Throughout the story Niane uses the strength and weaknesses of his characters to show the importance of destiny and fate. The character that holds his name to the story, Sundiata, is the son of King Maghan Kon Katta and the “buffalo” woman. Sundiata was prophesized to be a great leader and to save the people of Mali. Sundiata must go through a series of tests and trials, before fulfilling his destiny and taking throne of Mali. Though Sundiata road to greatness he had to deal with overcoming many different obstacles. Such as him being disable until the age of seven.

Throughout history, many can see differences in the empires of America and the empires of Africa, but some fundamental similarities exist among these empires that make them successful. While each of these empires is deeply rooted in promoting economic growth and spiritual connectivity, they go about these tasks in different ways due to their individual and unique circumstances.

After the fall of Ghana, a Black state called Mali became the successor power in West Africa. The king of Mali formed alliances with other Islamic rulers, and this military and religious strength made him the most powerful ruler in Africa. Mali was founded by the Mande people of the upper Niger River, famous for their weaving, mining and architecture. By the close of the fourteenth century, the Mali empire had achieved greater wealth and power than Ghana. Civil warfare, attacks from Mossi and Songhay, and the arrival of the Portuguese in Africa mortally reduced Mali's power.

Mali: Gold and Salt trade; reached its peak in 14th century; Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage to Mecca; Islam

The motivations behind the civilization of Africa are viewed in documents 1, 4, 7 and 11. Economic motivations and political global power such as the advantages of

The development of West Africa illustrates the advancements made in several different ways. Based on document #6, the city of Timbuktu acquired an advanced commercial center. Merchants sold a large quantity of corn, cattle, milk, and other dairy products. The city also consisted of knowledgeable artisans, including doctors, judges, and priests. It was a great Muslim educational center with more than 180 schools. The largest school taught more than 25,000 students! Timbuktu was a significant cultural and economic center with a wealthy population. The advancements made by this city show that the people of West Africa were educated, resourceful, and skilled in specific fields. Another accomplishment attained by West Africa was the development of griots. Based on document #2, a griot recounted history and “harbored secrets many

A huge part of the economics of the people of Mali is the Grande Marché in downtown Bamako. Basically, the Grande Marche is just a big market, where venders of all variety came to sell their goods. Another thing that plays a big part in the economics of Mali is the no-fixed rates on items. Unlike the United States where everything is not negotiable, in Mali, everything is and is encouraged, unless you’re a tourist without any background on the culture of Mali (Dettwyler 1994: 55).

In early Africa, the kingdom of Ghana was prosperous due to the trade of salt and gold. Ghana’s location benefited it in many ways. First Ghana’s location allowed them to be the center of the Gold/Salt trade. Since salt was so valuable at the time, the people of Ghana were able to sell salt for gold throughout Africa, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Middle East. Ghana also made a lot of revenue from taxes on the Gold/Salt trade route. Since they were the center

Sundiata himself is the most significant contributor to the formation of the Mali empire, however, various women hold a background role that is vital to the series of occurring events that allow Sundiata to become the king of Mali and form the Mali empire. The buffalo woman, Sogolon, and Nana Triban are all female characters who allow Sundiata the ability to fulfill his prophecy and become the king of Mali. Besides Sundiata himself, these women have some of the most important roles as compared to other secondary characters in their influence in the success of Sundiata in defeating his rival Soumaro. The buffalo woman was the catalyst for all events in the epic. If she hadn’t prophesied that Maghan Fatta would need to choose Sogolon to

The great Machiavelli once said, "Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times." Indeed, the study of history is important as history does seem to repeat itself. Many people in today's society learn about the past from textbooks and other books, as these are of easy access. Is this really the best way to learn about the past? The people of ancient Africa did not think so, as they had special people called "griots"who passed the people's traditions and history down orally from generation to generation. One such griot, Mamadou Kouyate, recalls the story of the most famous ruler in African history, Sundiata, in D.T. Niane's book Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali. This

The sacred traditions, customs, and beliefs of ancient Mali is a story of epic proportions. To retrieve the great lineage of the First Kings of Mali and learn the history behind certain rituals told by an exquisite narrative that is perfectly woven together through different stories. The legend of Sundiata stresses the importance of understanding and respecting one’s history. In D. T. Niane’s “Sundiata An Epic of Old Mali,” the African history of Mali is presented through tribal customs, honor, and jealousy between brothers.