Did you know that the kingdom of Mali was once one of the
most successful empires in the world?
The Mali Empire controlled all of the salt trade along the trade routes and was the second largest
and most successful empire between 1230 and 1600.
The Niger River
The Niger River played an important part in Mali’s success, providing a method of transporting
heavy goods and accessing more trade. The river also made the soil more fertile, which led to
better crops and better feed to raise livestock.
Some of the most commonly grown crops included beans, cotton, gourds, millet, papaya, peanuts,
rice and sorghum. Livestock included cattle, goats, poultry and sheep.
Economy
All goods had to be heavily taxed and all gold nuggets were declared property of the king, leaving
only gold dust to be traded.
The Empire also offered protection against conflict that started along the trade routes.
As the Empire expanded, salt, cotton cloth, gold and later cowrie shells were used as currency.
Mansa Musa
Known as the King of Kings, Mansa Musa was one of the most successful and wealthy leaders of
the Kingdom of Mali.
He ruled in the early 1300’s until his death in 1337. Many of the palaces and Mosques built during
his reign can still be seen today.
He had an estimated worth of 400 billion US dollars and even though he lived so long ago, he is
still said to be the wealthiest man of all time.
The Rule of Mansa Musa
Musa was regarded as an intelligent and generous leader.
He was able to exploit Mali’s gold and salt production, making a fortune and allowing his empire
to thrive.
When the Mali Empire grew too large for his control, he divided the Empire into provinces and
elected governors to manage them.
He allowed his people to practice any religion they chose to follow. Despite being a devout
Muslim himself, he did not force his Islamic faith on them.
Pilgrimage to Mecca
Performing a pilgrimage to Mecca (referred to as “Hajj”) is one of the 5 pillars of Islam.
It is believed that on his journey to Mecca, Musa took 100 camel loads of gold, 500 enslaved
people, each carrying a gold staff and his senior wife with her 500 attendants.
It Is said that while passing through the Egyptian city of Cairo, he gave away so much of his gold
that the price of gold in Egypt fell and the economy suffered for two decades.
It was also believed that Musa had given away so much gold that by the time he had to return
home he had run out and needed to borrow money from the surrounding provinces and empires.
The Spread of Islam and the great Mosques
The great mosques were constructed as places of worship and places of learning under the reign
of Musa.
The three great mosques, Djingareyber, Sankore, and Sidi Yahia, which were designed by the
architect Abu Ishãq al-Sãhiland were built in the 14thcentury.
The materials used for constructing the mosques included burnt bricks and wooden sticks.
These materials are different to modern building materials, thus the mosques needed restoration
and rebuilding over the decades.
Education and Timbuktu
From the 1300’s to the 1600’s, Timbuktu was considered the world’s centre of Islam and
Education.
Timbuktu had a population of 100 000, a quarter of which were scholars, making Timbuktu a
centre of learning.
The great mosque of Sankore transformed into the University of Sankore. The subjects covered
included Islamic theology, mathematics, law, geography, astronomy, medicine, sciences and
history.
Did you know that after salt, books were the second biggest import to Timbuktu!!
Many experts and organizations have invested in preserving the surviving manuscripts that
represent the history of African scholars and are critical to the country’s history.
Currently, most of the manuscripts are preserved in the Ahmed Abba Institute, named after a
prestigious 15th century scholar.
In 2012 UNESCO declared heritage sites in Timbuktu, which included the great Mosques and
madrassahs that are under potential threat of being destroyed by militant rebels in the region.
Deforestation also poses a threat; drying out the mud that covers the buildings and causing
cracking due to a lack of moisture. This weakened the structures and caused sections to collapse.
Conflict in the area between 2012 and 2013 resulted in the Ahmed Abba Institute being set alight
and over 4000 texts being destroyed.
Trade and Timbaktu: Leo Afrikanus
Leo Afrikanus played an important role in documenting the history of North Africa, specifically
Timbuktu. Afrikanus travelled extensively across the region and documented what he saw in his
book, ‘Decryptions of Africa’.