April 09, 2014
The Mali Empire
April 09, 2014
Griot:_______________________________
Sundiata: _________________
______________
Mansa Musa:________________
_______________
Hajj:_______________________________
April 09, 2014
?
Based on your knowledge of the continent of
Africa, what do you think are some geographic
features that helped define/shape the Mali
Empire?
1.) ____________________
?
2.) ____________________
3.) ____________________
?
April 09, 2014
Mali Empire at its greatest extent; mid 14th century.
April 09, 2014
Who was Sundiata?
The griots of West Africa still tell the 700 year old story of a
sickly boy named Sundiata, who grew up to become a great
warrior, expelled a brutal king, and united the Mandinka
people.
Samanguru was a tyrant who ruled the small state of
Kaniaga, but he managed to conquer a great deal of West
Africa. Samanguru was hostile to the Mandinka people who
lived in the region. His taxes were high, he was abusive to his
subjects, and he failed to maintain law and order along the
trade routes that once prospered in ancient Ghana.
Sundiata was one of twelve brothers who were the children of a Mandinka warrior. Samanguru killed
eleven of the brothers, but spared Sundiata because he believed the boy would soon die anyway. That
mistake would lead to Samanguru’s downfall. The sickly boy recovered and eventually assembled an army
to confront Samanguru. Sundiata’s forces killed Samanguru and destroyed his forces in the Battle of Kirina
in 1235. Sundiata then became mansa, or king, of a new empire that we know today as Mali. Mali means
“where the king resides.”
Sundiata proved himself a great warrior, but he was less interested in power than in once again making
West Africa a safe place to travel and trade. He converted to Islam, but only as a gesture of goodwill to the
merchants and traders. To his own people, Sundiata presented himself as a champion of traditional West
African religion
"Mansa" =
"Mali" =
April 09, 2014
Sundiata took control of the lucrative gold / salt
trade routes.
copied the "Ghana model"
in a few ways:
1.) Heavy Taxes on
merchants
2.) maintained strong
military
3.) monopolized
gold trade.
April 09, 2014
What he (and his descendents) did
differently...and why we care.
1.) Discovered new gold mines
- ______________________
2.) expanded territory
- ______________________
3.) converted to Islam
April 09, 2014
The King of Kings: Mansa Musa
-Great nephew of __________
- Mali society in the time of
Mansa Musa was almost
entirely Muslim.
April 09, 2014
The Hajj
Set out for Mecca with:
60,000 men,
12,000 slaves who each carried 5-lb. of gold,
Heralds dressed in silks who bore gold staffs,
Horses and Luggage
80 camels carrying between 50 and 300 pounds of gold dust each.
Gave away gold all along his journey, causing rapid
inflation and devastating the Egyptian economy for 10
years.