April 09, 2014

The Mali Empire

April 09, 2014

Sundiata: _________________ ______________

Mansa Musa:________________ _______________

Griot:_______________________________

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.