Seventh Grade: Early World History
Unit 7: Converging Patterns (1000 CE – 1450 CE)
SS070701
Lesson 1
Student Handout 2: Understanding the Mali Empire through Six
Accounts
Directions: Use the accounts provided to form conclusions about the Mali Empire.
Account 1: Wealth of the Mali Empire
Source: "The Trans-Saharan Gold Trade (7th–14th century)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.
New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000.
The flow of sub-Saharan gold to the northeast probably occurred in a steady but small stream.
Mansa Musa's arrival in Cairo carrying a ton of the metal (1324–25) caused the market in gold to
crash, suggesting that the average supply was not as great. Undoubtedly, some of this African gold
was also used in Western gold coins. African gold was indeed so famous worldwide that a Spanish
map of 1375 represents the king of Mali holding a gold nugget. When Mossi raids destroyed the
Mali Empire, the rising Songhai empire relied on the same resources. Gold remained the principal
product in the trans-Saharan trade, followed by kola nuts and slaves.
Questions about Account 1:
a. According to this account, what evidence is there that Mansa Musa was a wealthy and
powerful ruler?
b. What inferences can we make about the Mali Empire based on this account?
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Seventh Grade: Early World History
Unit 7: Converging Patterns (1000 CE – 1450 CE)
SS070701
Lesson 1
Account 2: Law and Order in the Mali Empire
Ibn Batutta was a Muslim traveler from Morocco who wrote about his journeys. Here is one excerpt
about his experience in the Kingdom of Mali from his book, Travels to Kingdom of Mali, 1352 CE.
They are seldom unjust, and have a greater hatred of injustice than any other people. Their sultan
shows no mercy to anyone who is guilty of the least act of it. There is complete security in their
country. Neither traveler nor inhabitant in it has anything to fear from robbers. –Ibn Batutta, from
Travels to Kingdom of Mali, 1352 CE.
Questions about Account 2:
a. According to this account, what are Ibn Battuta’s observations about the justice system in
the Kingdom of Mali?
b. What inferences about the Mali Empire can we make based on this account?
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Copyright © 2010-2015 by Oakland Schools
Page 12 of 25
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Seventh Grade: Early World History
Unit 7: Converging Patterns (1000 CE – 1450 CE)
SS070701
Lesson 1
Account 3: Mansa Musa’s Pilgrimage
The following description of the visit to Cairo in 1324 by the King of Mali, Mansa Musa, was written
by Al-Umari, who visited Cairo several years after Mansa Musa’s visit.
Source: Al-Umari cited in Levitzion and Hopkins Corpus of Early Arabic Sources for West African
History (Cambridge University Press 1981) pp. 269-273.
From the beginning of my coming to stay in Egypt I heard talk of the arrival of this sultan Musa on his
Pilgrimage and found the Cairenes eager to recount what they had seem of the Africans’ prodigal spending.
I asked the emir AbuEand he told me of the opulence, manly virtues, and piety of his sultan. “When I went
out to meet him {he said} that is, on behalf of the mighty sultan al-Malik al-Nasir, he did me extreme honour
and treated me with the greatest courtesy. He addressed me, however, only through an interpreter despite
his perfect ability to speak in the Arabic tongue. Then he forwarded to the royal treasury many loads of
unworked native gold and other valuables. I tried to persuade him to go up to the Citadel to meet the sultan,
but he refused persistently saying: “I came for the Pilgrimage and nothing else. I do not wish to mix
anything else with my Pilgrimage.” He had begun to use this argument but I realized that the audience was
repugnant to him because he would be obliged to kiss the ground and the sultan’s hand. I continue to
cajole him and he continued to make excuses but the sultan’s protocol demanded that I should bring him
into the royal presence, so I kept on at him till he agreed.
When we came in the sultan’s presence we said to him: ‘Kiss the ground!’ but he refused outright saying:
‘How may this be?’ Then an intelligent man who was with him whispered to him something we could not
understand and he said: ‘I make obeisance to God who created me!’ then he prostrated himself and went
forward to the sultan. The sultan half rose to greet him and sat him by his side. They conversed together
for a long time, then sultan Musa went out. The sultan sent to him several complete suits of honour for
himself, his courtiers, and all those who had come with him, and saddled and bridled horses for himself and
his chief courtiersE.
This man [Mansa Musa] flooded Cairo with his benefactions. He left no court emir nor holder of a royal
office without the gift of a load of gold. The Cairenes made incalculable profits out of him and his suite in
buying and selling and giving and taking. They exchanged gold until they depressed its value in Egypt and
caused its price to fall.” E
Gold was at a high price in Egypt until they came in that year. The mithqal did not go below 25 dirhams and
was generally above, but from that time its value fell and it cheapened in price and has remained cheap till
now. The mithqal does not exceed 22 dirhams or less. This has been the state of affairs for about twelve
years until this day by reason of the large amount of gold which they brought into Egypt and spent there. E
Questions about Account 3:
a. What can you tell about Mansa Musa and the extent of his wealth from the above account?
How did he view himself?
b. What inferences about the Mali Empire can we make based on this account?
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Copyright © 2010-2015 by Oakland Schools
Page 13 of 25
May 30, 2015
Seventh Grade: Early World History
Unit 7: Converging Patterns (1000 CE – 1450 CE)
SS070701
Lesson 1
Account 4: Just how wealthy was Mansa Musa?
This is recent article from an online source that discusses Mansa Musa’s wealth.
Mansa Musa Of Mali Named World's Richest Man Of All Time; Gates And Buffet Also Make
List
The Huffington Post | Posted: 10/17/2012 12:22 pm Updated: 10/17/2012 4:02 pm
You've probably never heard of him, but Mansa Musa is the richest person ever.
The 14th century emperor from West Africa was worth a staggering $400 billion, after adjusting for
inflation, as calculated by Celebrity Net Worth. To put that number into perspective -- if that's even
possible -- Net Worth's calculations mean Musa's fortune far outstrips that of the current world's
richest man Carlos Slim Helu and family.
According to Forbes, the Mexican telecom giant's net worth is $69 billion. Slim edges out the
world's second wealthiest man, Bill Gates, who is worth $61 billion, according to ForbesE
According to the Encyclopedia Brittanica, when Musa died sometime in the 1330s, he left behind
an empire filled with palaces and mosques, some of which still stand today. But the emperor really
turned historic heads for the over-the-top extravagances of his 1324 pilgrimage to Mecca.
The trip, which he embarked up on during the 17th year of the monarch's glittering reign, was
hosted by the leaders of both Mecca and Cairo and apparently was so brilliant, it "almost put
Africa’s sun to shame."
Musa's wealth was a result of his country's vast natural resources. The West African nation was
responsible for more than half of the world's salt and gold supply, according to Net Worth. Of
course, the entry also notes that the fortune was also fleeting. Just two generations later, his net
worth was gone -- wasted away by invaders and infighting.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/17/mansa-musa-worlds-richest-man-alltime_n_1973840.html
Questions about Account 4:
a. What information in this account is corroborated in the other accounts you have read so far?
b. This account gives us a clue as to why the Mali Empire fell. What is that clue?
Michigan Citizenship Collaborative Curriculum
Copyright © 2010-2015 by Oakland Schools
Page 14 of 25
May 30, 2015
Seventh Grade: Early World History
Unit 7: Converging Patterns (1000 CE – 1450 CE)
SS070701
Lesson 1
Account 5: Religion, Trade and Empire in Afroeurasia
Source: Big Era Five: Patterns of
Interregional Unity, 300-1500 CE. This Big
Era and the Three Essential Questions.
World History for Us All. National Center for
History in the Schools at UCLA and San
Diego State University. 21 May 2015
http://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu/eras/era
5.php
“It is significant that all the major religions of the era tended to thrive in and around cities and to
spread along the major trade routes. This happened partly because organized religion tended to be
closely linked with and supported by central governments, including large empires. Meanwhile, far
from big cities and trade routes, people continued to practice local religions that often involved
worship of gods and spirits associated with nature.”
Questions about Account 5:
a. Study the map and list 3 observations.
b. According to this account, how were trade and religion connected in Afroeurasia during this
era? How were empire and religion connected?
c. In what ways did the Mali Empire reflect the global patterns surrounding religion, trade and
empire described in the account?
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Copyright © 2010-2015 by Oakland Schools
Page 15 of 25
May 30, 2015
Seventh Grade: Early World History
Unit 7: Converging Patterns (1000 CE – 1450 CE)
SS070701
Lesson 1
Account 6: The Decline of the Mali Empire
The rise and fall of Mali and Songhai
Source: Mali & Songhai. Collapse: Why Do Civilizations Fall? Annenberg Learner. 21 May 2015
<http://www.learner.org/interactives/collapse/mali.html>.
The empire of Mali, which dated from the early thirteenth century to the late fifteenth century, rose
out of what was once the empire of Ghana. Mali had been a state inside of the Ghanaian empire.
After Ghana fell because of invading forces and internal disputes, Mali rose to greatness under the
leadership of a legendary king named Sundiata, the "Lion King." Later, another great leader named
Mansa Musa extended the empire. After his death, however, his sons could not hold the empire
together. The smaller states it had conquered broke off, and the empire crumbled.
As Mali's power waned, Songhai asserted its independence and rose to power in the areaE
Questions about Account 6:
a. According to this account, why did the Mali Empire decline?
b. How do the reasons that the Mali Empire declined compare with the reasons other empires
in history declined? Provide an example to support your thinking.
Michigan Citizenship Collaborative Curriculum
Copyright © 2010-2015 by Oakland Schools
Page 16 of 25
May 30, 2015
Seventh Grade: Early World History
Unit 7: Converging Patterns (1000 CE – 1450 CE)
SS070701
Lesson 1
Answer Guide for Student Handout 2: Understanding the Mali Empire
through Six Accounts
Account 1: Wealth of the Mali Empire
Source: "The Trans-Saharan Gold Trade (7th–14th century)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan
Museum of Art, 2000.
The flow of sub-Saharan gold to the northeast probably occurred in a steady but small stream. Mansa Musa's arrival in Cairo
carrying a ton of the metal (1324–25) caused the market in gold to crash, suggesting that the average supply was not as great.
Undoubtedly, some of this African gold was also used in Western gold coins. African gold was indeed so famous worldwide that a
Spanish map of 1375 represents the king of Mali holding a gold nugget. When Mossi raids destroyed the Mali Empire, the rising
Songhai empire relied on the same resources. Gold remained the principal product in the trans-Saharan trade, followed by kola nuts
and slaves.
Questions about Account 1:
a. According to this account, what evidence is there that Mansa Musa was a wealthy and
powerful ruler?
Mansa Musa carried so much gold with him when he visited Cairo that it caused the gold
market to crash.
b. What inferences can we make about the Mali Empire based on this account?
The Mali Empire had relatively easy access to an abundance of gold and the gold was used
to fund or drive much of the trans-Saharan trade._________________________________________________________________________
Account 2: Law and Order in the Mali Empire
Ibn Batutta was a Muslim traveler from Morocco who wrote about his journeys. Here is one excerpt about his experience in the
Kingdom of Mali from his book, Travels to Kingdom of Mali, 1352 CE.
They are seldom unjust, and have a greater hatred of injustice than any other people. Their sultan shows no mercy to anyone who is
guilty of the least act of it. There is complete security in their country. Neither traveler nor inhabitant in it has anything to fear from
robbers. –Ibn Batutta, from Travels to Kingdom of Mali, 1352 CE.
Questions about Account 2:
a. According to this account, what are Ibn Battuta’s observations about the justice system in
the Kingdom of Mali?
The citizens of Mali had a profound respect for justice. The authority in Mali did not tolerate
injustice.
b. What inferences about the Mali Empire can we make based on this account?
Mali was a well ordered society which had a very low rate of crime.
_________________________________________________________________________
Michigan Citizenship Collaborative Curriculum
Copyright © 2010-2015 by Oakland Schools
Page 17 of 25
May 30, 2015
Seventh Grade: Early World History
Unit 7: Converging Patterns (1000 CE – 1450 CE)
SS070701
Lesson 1
Account 3: Mansa Musa’s Pilgrimage
The following description of the visit to Cairo in 1324 by the King of Mali, Mansa Musa, was written by Al-Umari, who visited Cairo
several years after Mansa Musa’s visit. Source: Al-Umari cited in Levitzion and Hopkins Corpus of Early Arabic Sources for West
African History (Cambridge University Press 1981) pp. 269-273.
From the beginning of my coming to stay in Egypt I heard talk of the arrival of this sultan Musa on his Pilgrimage and found the
Cairenes eager to recount what they had seem of the Africans’ prodigal spending. I asked the emir AbuEand he told me of the
opulence, manly virtues, and piety of his sultan. “When I went out to meet him {he said} that is, on behalf of the mighty sultan alMalik al-Nasir, he did me extreme honour and treated me with the greatest courtesy. He addressed me, however, only through an
interpreter despite his perfect ability to speak in the Arabic tongue. Then he forwarded to the royal treasury many loads of unworked
native gold and other valuables. I tried to persuade him to go up to the Citadel to meet the sultan, but he refused persistently
saying: “I came for the Pilgrimage and nothing else. I do not wish to mix anything else with my Pilgrimage.” He had begun to use
this argument but I realized that the audience was repugnant to him because he would be obliged to kiss the ground and the
sultan’s hand. I continue to cajole him and he continued to make excuses but the sultan’s protocol demanded that I should bring
him into the royal presence, so I kept on at him till he agreed.
When we came in the sultan’s presence we said to him: ‘Kiss the ground!’ but he refused outright saying: ‘How may this be?’ Then
an intelligent man who was with him whispered to him something we could not understand and he said: ‘I make obeisance to God
who created me!’ then he prostrated himself and went forward to the sultan. The sultan half rose to greet him and sat him by his
side. They conversed together for a long time, then sultan Musa went out. The sultan sent to him several complete suits of honour
for himself, his courtiers, and all those who had come with him, and saddled and bridled horses for himself and his chief courtiersE.
This man [Mansa Musa] flooded Cairo with his benefactions. He left no court emir nor holder of a royal office without the gift of a
load of gold. The Cairenes made incalculable profits out of him and his suite in buying and selling and giving and taking. They
exchanged gold until they depressed its value in Egypt and caused its price to fall.” E
Gold was at a high price in Egypt until they came in that year. The mithqal did not go below 25 dirhams and was generally above,
but from that time its value fell and it cheapened in price and has remained cheap till now. The mithqal does not exceed 22 dirhams
or less. This has been the state of affairs for about twelve years until this day by reason of the large amount of gold which they
brought into Egypt and spent there. E
Questions about Account 3:
a. What can you tell about Mansa Musa and the extent of his wealth from the above account?
How did he view himself?
Mansa Musa was generous and extremely wealthy.
b. What inferences about the Mali Empire can we make based on this account?
The ruling authority had great control over society and the wealth available to Mali was
enormous. Mansa Musa was deeply religious.
________________________________________________________________________
Account 4: Just how wealthy was Mansa Musa?
This is recent article from an online source that discusses Mansa Musa’s wealth. Mansa Musa Of Mali Named World's Richest
Man Of All Time; Gates And Buffet Also Make List.The Huffington Post | Posted: 10/17/2012 12:22 pm Updated: 10/17/2012
4:02 pm http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/17/mansa-musa-worlds-richest-man-all-time_n_1973840.html
You've probably never heard of him, but Mansa Musa is the richest person ever.
The 14th century emperor from West Africa was worth a staggering $400 billion, after adjusting for inflation, as calculated by
Celebrity Net Worth. To put that number into perspective -- if that's even possible -- Net Worth's calculations mean Musa's fortune
far outstrips that of the current world's richest man Carlos Slim Helu and family.
According to Forbes, the Mexican telecom giant's net worth is $69 billion. Slim edges out the world's second wealthiest man, Bill
Gates, who is worth $61 billion, according to ForbesE
According to the Encyclopedia Brittanica, when Musa died sometime in the 1330s, he left behind an empire filled with palaces and
mosques, some of which still stand today. But the emperor really turned historic heads for the over-the-top extravagances of his
1324 pilgrimage to Mecca.
Michigan Citizenship Collaborative Curriculum
Copyright © 2010-2015 by Oakland Schools
Page 18 of 25
May 30, 2015
Seventh Grade: Early World History
Unit 7: Converging Patterns (1000 CE – 1450 CE)
SS070701
Lesson 1
The trip, which he embarked up on during the 17th year of the monarch's glittering reign, was hosted by the leaders of both Mecca
and Cairo and apparently was so brilliant, it "almost put Africa’s sun to shame."
Musa's wealth was a result of his country's vast natural resources. The West African nation was responsible for more than half of
the world's salt and gold supply, according to Net Worth. Of course, the entry also notes that the fortune was also fleeting. Just two
generations later, his net worth was gone -- wasted away by invaders and infighting.
Questions about Account 4:
a. What information in this account is corroborated in the other accounts you have read so far?
The wealth and power of Mansa Musa and his passionate commitment to Islam.
b. This account gives us a clue as to why the Mali Empire fell. What is that clue?
Fighting within the ruling group and outside invaders.
______________________________________________________________________________
Account 5: Religion, Trade and Empire in Afroeurasia
Source: Big Era Five: Patterns of Interregional Unity,
300-1500 CE. This Big Era and the Three Essential
Questions. World History for Us All. National Center for
History in the Schools at UCLA and San Diego State
University. 21 May 2015
http://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu/eras/era5.php
“It is significant that all the major religions of the era tended to thrive in and around cities and to spread along the major trade routes.
This happened partly because organized religion tended to be closely linked with and supported by central governments, including
large empires. Meanwhile, far from big cities and trade routes, people continued to practice local religions that often involved
worship of gods and spirits associated with nature.”
Questions about Account 5:
a. Study the map and list 3 observations.
•
•
•
The longest trade networks run along an east/west axis.
Relatively little trade flows to Europe.
Most of the trade is overland.
b. According to this account, how were trade and religion connected in Afroeurasia during this
era? How were empire and religion connected?
Trade and religion were closely connected. Religion was linked to and supported by central
government.
c. In what ways did the Mali Empire reflect the global patterns surrounding religion, trade and
empire described in the account?
Trade and religion were closely connected to the central government.
Michigan Citizenship Collaborative Curriculum
Copyright © 2010-2015 by Oakland Schools
Page 19 of 25
May 30, 2015
Seventh Grade: Early World History
Unit 7: Converging Patterns (1000 CE – 1450 CE)
SS070701
Lesson 1
Account 6: The Decline of the Mali Empire
The rise and fall of Mali and Songhai
Source: Mali & Songhai. Collapse: Why Do Civilizations Fall? Annenberg Learner. 21 May 2015
http://www.learner.org/interactives/collapse/mali.html
The empire of Mali, which dated from the early thirteenth century to the late fifteenth century, rose out of what was once the empire
of Ghana. Mali had been a state inside of the Ghanaian empire. After Ghana fell because of invading forces and internal disputes,
Mali rose to greatness under the leadership of a legendary king named Sundiata, the "Lion King." Later, another great leader named
Mansa Musa extended the empire. After his death, however, his sons could not hold the empire together. The smaller states it had
conquered broke off, and the empire crumbled.
As Mali's power waned, Songhai asserted its independence and rose to power in the areaE
Questions about Account 6:
a. According to this account, why did the Mali Empire decline?
Mansa Musa’s sons were not able to keep the empire together and smaller states broke off
from Mali.
b. How do the reasons that the Mali Empire declined compare with the reasons other empires
in history declined?
Provide an example to support your thinking. Mali also experienced loss of resources and
outside attacks. The Roman Empire and Ghana both experienced similar things.
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Copyright © 2010-2015 by Oakland Schools
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May 30, 2015