Mecca, a city of Saudi Arabia is a sacred place where the Muslims annual holy gathering called the Hajj takes place. It is believed that a Muslim is supposed to take a visit at this holy place at least once in his or her lifetime. Being a Muslim Mansa Musa an empire of the medieval kingdom of Mali also made such an important visit to Mecca during his reign. On his pilgrimage it is said that he carried a lot of gold with him, and he spent it lavishly. Though, the gold was spent in such a way, the result of his pilgrimage was of great significance to his kingdom. It brought in a great change to his empire. But still his lavish spending of gold brought a negative impact in Egypt. This paper will analyze Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage to Mecca by discussing its advantages and its disadvantages. I will start by discussing the advantages that this pilgrimage brought into the Malian Kingdom. These advantages were the recognition of Mali in other countries which contributed to trade, the strengthening of Islam and the promotion of education. After that I will discuss about its disadvantages which are spending gold at the expense of Malians and also the impact that it brought to Egypt’s gold trade.
To begin, with Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage is considered as one of the greatest in the medieval times. Rose E. Dunn (2004) has emphasized this view by stating that “[T] he hajj of Mansa Musa sum’s up Mali’s important place among the kingdoms of Africa and Asia in Ibn Battuta’s time” (p. 113). Obviously his pilgrimage to Mecca was really important to his kingdom. From his pilgrimage and the spending of gold made Mali to be recognized outside of Africa as one of the richest and greatest kingdoms of that time. This recognition may have led to the establi...
... middle of paper ...
...a promoted education in his Kingdom by bringing Arab scholars who helped him to build the Universities which made its Capital Timbuktu becoming the center of Islamic learning. However, his spending of the gold left a negative impact in Egypt’s gold market and Egypt’s economy became unstable for more than a decade. So his pilgrimage benefited his people at the same time it affected other states. Though that is the case, Mansa Musa left a legacy that will still be remembered not only in Mali or Islam but also in the World history.
Works Cited
Dunn, R. E. (2004). The Adventures of Ibn Battuta: Mali. In C. J. Korieh & R. C. Njoku (2nd Ed), African History (pp. 113-125). USA: Cognella-University Readers Inc.
BBC Worldservice.com. The Story of Africa: Mali. Retrieved January 21st, 2014 From http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/1624_story_of_africa/page79.shtml
Mazrui, Ali A. "The Re-Invention of Africa: Edward Said, V. Y. Mudimbe, and Beyond." Research in African Literatures 36, no. 3 (Autumn 2005): 68-82.
...ral and written methods. The important part is what can be learned from these sources. Though Americans might not be accustomed to hearing great details of their history recited to them as their only means of learning it, it certainly does not mean that other means produce false information. The griots of ancient Africa are sincere in their efforts to consistently pass down their countries' histories, and much of what they say should at least be taken into consideration, this includes the words of Mamadou Kouyate, the griot who tells of Sundiata and ancient Mali. The things learned from his wisdom, including how Sundiata came to power, are important not only to the people of Mali, but also to the world as Sundiata proved to be one of the greatest rulers of the ancient world (Niane 1-84).
All in all, this short selection of Usama’s writings does much to further the understanding of the effects on the crusades on many Muslims during this period, though since this was written by an affluent elite it does not describe much of the general populous’ experience. It also provides a good overview of the interactions between Muslims themselves. This was a time fraught with danger and division but Usama’s work shows that a common thread kept many together and preserved a civilization that still exists to this very day.
Rituals are held as a very important part of any society, including ours. They go back to ancient times or can be as simple as maintaining one’s hygiene. Non-western societies have rituals that may seem very foreign to us, but they have been engrained in their communities and are essential to their social structure. This interpretation will focus on the Great Pilgrimage, a ritual performed by Quechuan communities. We will be looking specifically at a community in the area of Sonqo.
Mali’s rise to fame can be attributed to its great trading networks and resources, Islamic faith, great leaders, and strong military. It also helped create stronger relationships with trading partners and allies as well. The Islamic people of Mali followed the lead of Mansa Musa and held academics and scholarly learning in the highest of regards. Many great works can be attributed to the people who learned and taught at Muslim centers of education.
Islam is presented in the Epic of Sundiata in a way that encourages listeners to embrace Islam over their indigenous belief systems. The epic accomplishes this by incorporating elements and practices of the indigenous beliefs into Islamic tradition; and by adapting certain Islamic mythology — such as the Jinn — to the existing West African culture. It also asserts the superior power and strength of those who derive their power from Allah and the Jinn, to those whose power is based in ancestral worship and fetishes. Through conflict, adaptation, and tolerance, the Epic of Sundiata presents an accessible version of Islam to the people of the Mali Empire; and promotes the acceptance of this new faith over the indigenous beliefs of the area.
In the novel Segu, Maryse Conde beautifully constructs personal and in depth images of African history through the use of four main characters that depict the struggles and importance of family in what is now present day Mali. These four characters and also brothers, by the names of Tiekoro, Siga, Naba, and Malobali are faced with a world changing around their beloved city of Bambara with new customs of the Islamic religion and the developing ideas of European commerce and slave trade. These new expansions in Africa become stepping stones for the Troare brothers to face head on and they have brought both victory and heartache for them and their family. These four characters are centralized throughout this novel because they provide the reader with an inside account of what life is like during a time where traditional Africa begins to change due to the forceful injection of conquering settlers and religions. This creates a split between family members, a mixing of cultures, and the loss of one’s traditions in the Bambara society which is a reflection of the (WHAT ARE SOME CHANGES) changes that occur in societies across the world.
Sundiata developed into a great leader of Mali through hardships, religion, and core/tributary/periphery relationships of states. The djeli who transmitted this information to the translators, is also a manifestation of an institution important in Sundiata’s epic, because without djelis these stories would be lost forever. Sundiata learned about the formation, running and maintenance of African states through interactions with the communities he was introduced to.
Equiano, Olaudah. The interesting narrative of the life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African: an authoritative text. New York: Norton, 2001. Print.
Moroccan traveler, Ibn Battuta, is well-known for being one of the greatest travelers of his time. Battuta’s descriptive account of his travels to East and West Africa in the fourteenth century provides important insight into African Islamic life at that point in time. Although Battuta and the peoples in black Africa shared the same religion, he comes to realize that sharing a religion is not enough to completely relate to a different group of people. The story of Ibn Battuta in Black Africa illustrates the difficulties he faced in relating to these peoples due to the non-traditional role of women, different religious customs, and frequent misinterpretation of situations.
During this time, Mecca was mostly populated with polytheistic followers. In 610 C.E, Prophet Muhammad, had his first revelations that advance the Islamic culture. His revelations became a way of life for his followers. When the religion started rising in numbers, Muhammad and his followers was exiled from Mecca. When the followers migrated to Medina, Islam began to spread. This religion had much influence in the locations it was practiced in. The Quran is the way of life to its people. The five pillars expressed in the Quran were the religious laws Muslims were expected to follow. They were expected to only accept there is one God and one messenger, Muhammad, pray five times a day, give the poor 2.5 percent of their savings, fast during the month of Ramandan, and pilgrimage to Mecca, where the Holy Ka’ba is located. Besides the religious impact, Muhammad also created a political empire. He united different tribes and customs. Muhammad was very influential that after his death, the religion faced a challenge. They did not have a successor or leader, so many followers left the religion, refused to pay taxes, and wars begun. In the mid- seventh century, the Muslims started wars with the Byzantine and Persian Empires and conquered them. Muslims ruled over many religious groups including Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians. As the Muslims became powerful, they created laws that taxed other religious groups to practice their faith. In the “Pact of Umar”, Christians agreed under extreme circumstances in order to practice their faith. They agreed to not fix the damages done to their churches, to not display any religious ornaments, to not spread the faith, and many more. The Muslims conquered and progressed in
The "DBQ Project" What Is the Driving Force Behind European Imperialism in Africa? (2012): 257. pp. 177-177. Print.
There was also a great city in Mali called Timbuktu. It was very important because it was a center for trade and it aided the Muslim art and culture which helped to spread Islam.
The Kingdom of Mali was an African hub of wealth, trade and education for over 225 years. Mali is an Arab version of the Mandinka word that means, “Where the king dwells”, and was vitally important in spreading trade, education, religion and culture along the Niger River. The rise of Mali into an Empire occurred in the early 13th century, when Sundiata defeated his enemies and won control of the West African gold mines. In 1312 Mansa Musa became ruler of Mali. During his reign which was known as Mali’s, “Golden Age”, he introduced Islamic beliefs to many communities along the Niger and enhanced education after his historic pilgrimage to Mecca. Mali’s rise was attributed to the Trans-Saharan Trade routes leading to and from Western and Eastern Africa. These trade routes contributed to the rise and fall of powerful African Kingdoms for hundreds of years, but for 250 years, Mali was the crown jewel of Africa.
Oxford 2017 describes pilgrimage as “a journey to a place of particular interest or significance.” In a religious sense, pilgrimages are sacred journeys used as a rite of passage to transcend one’s current spiritual position. A pilgrimage may be undertaken to have an emotional or holy experience or strengthen and further understand one’s faith in their beliefs. The profane form of pilgrimage is considered ritual tourism, which is to experience culture and recreate on a pilgrimage, but not as an actual religious pilgrim.