Un People, Un But, Une Foi

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

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

In Africa there were three great empires, first the Ghana Empire who domesticated camels and carved trade routes all across the Sahara then

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.

For centuries, European nations had been trading slaves, gold, ivory, and more with the west coast of Africa. Throughout the early 1800s, Europeans barely knew anything about the rest of the country of Africa. This quickly changed as Europe grew a sudden interest in exploring the rest of the country and taking advantage of their many valuable resources. Many wonder what motivated Europeans to Imperialize Africa, or extend their country’s power throughout Africa. The driving forces behind European Imperialism in Africa were the strive for ultimate power in Africa between competing countries, the need for money and technological advancements in European civilizations, and the constant attempt for Europeans to spread their cultures throughout

Haour, A. (2005). Power and permanence in precolonial Africa: A case study from the Central Sahel. World Archaeology, 37(4), 552-565. Retrieved from the JSTOR

African Kingdoms were civilized prior to the accession of Europeans in the 15th century. African Kingdoms, such as Ghana, Mali and, Aksum were already progressive in the areas of trade, wealth, and overall advancement. Aksum’s location benefited the region’s advancement by making it a trading center. Mansa Musa was one of the most generous people who expanded the Mali empire through wealth. Through trade and wealth came overall advancement, which brought the rise of literature and art.

Nearing end of classical period, imp. local rule emerged including Ghana, the 1st major one.

How did the polity of Ancient Ghana arise? How did Ghana maintain its strength and what were some of the challenges? The Wagadou Empire was a monarchy, and the king was regarded by the people to be a semi-divine figure who kept order and justice. Ghana was not rich in natural resources as it was located along a major trade route between ivory and gold producing areas and salt miners in the Sahara. Merchants were lured into Ghana by the wealth of gold and prosperity helped the capital, Kumbi Saleh, to be a center of trade. The country will eventually become a prosperous entrepôt. Ancient Ghana derived power and wealth from gold and transportation of camels during the Sub-Saharan trade to increase the quantity of goods that were transported. The traditional Ghanan religions and Islam spread

Sundiata: an Epic of Old Mali was written by D.T. Niane and translated by G.C. Pickett. D.T. Niane was a historian who received this version of Sundiata’s epic from Djeli Mamoudou Kouyaté, a griot. In fact, there is not a true author for this epic due to the fact that it has been transmitted orally for many years. This epic justly showed the type of culture Africa had at the time taken place and has defined the type of people who use to reside there. Sundiata: an Epic of Old Mali withholds many themes, but only some of importance: the transmission of the epic, politics, religion, and destiny.

Did you know that during its time, the Empire of Mali was one of the richest kingdoms of its time? Resources, trade, and interaction with Muslim scholars allowed Mali to become a site of cultural exchange. Mali was a kingdom of West Africa that ruled from 1200s to 1464 CE. They had access to tons of gold through gold mines, which they traded with people like Arab merchants. Muslim Scholars also traveled to Mali, and spread Islam there.

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.

Have you ever wondered why and how the Empire of Mali became a site of cultural exchange? Well, this essay is going to talk about how and why Mali became something as big as a site of cultural exchange. One reason why Mali became a site of cultural exchange was because of all of the products and goods that it had, including gold and trade. Another reason why Mali became a site of cultural exchange was because of all of the sites and cities that it had, drawing people to it. Let’s get into more detail about the Empire of Mali, and see how these things made it a site of cultural exchange!

The histories of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai are not well documented. Much of what we know is a mixture of legend, stories and secondhand accounts. North Africa has small coastal areas, some savanna areas, but it is mostly made up of the sahara desert. It is a very dry and hot region. West Africa has some desert areas, wet and dry grasslands, small rainforest, and long rivers, like the Niger River. It has some vegetation areas, but it also has some dry and hot areas. According to legend, Ghana started when a foreigner named Dhinga had to kill a goblin, and marry the goblins pretty daughters. Their offspring became ancestors of the ruling Soninke clans. After he died, his son Dyabe defeated his brother and founded the empire of Ghana somewhere

To contrast Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations, we take a look at West Africa and the Niger River Valley. The Niger River Valley may have become civilized much later than Mesopotamia and Egypt. Because of this the first cities of West Africa were thought to be trade centers. Archeologists once thought that trade had originally brought cities to West Africa and outsiders had introduced city building. However, upon further investigation, this viewpoint is challenged. Technology was much more advanced by the time African cities were constructed. Iron smelting had been developed and introduced to the people of the region. The Bantu people of lower Niger had begun giving up nomadic herding and are responsible for spreading their knowledge of agriculture to the tip of South Africa. It appears that the Bantu people had not built cities but someone must