One of the most powerful Mali kings was Mansa Musa, from 1280-1337 CE, reigned from 1312-1337. Mansa Musa was a key leader in the cultural transformation of the Mali people and incorporation of the Islamic faith as a staple within the West African culture. In 1324, Mansa Musa traveled to Mecca, where he not only learned of the Islamic faith, but also made several key ties to the Islamic community throughout Africa and the Middle East. Mansa Musa’s interest in Islam, meant that the leader built mosques, encouraged school construction, brought books into Mali, and scholars to guide the Mali people towards the Islamic faith. The Mansa Musa transformation meant that Mali became a major intellectual center in West Africa. Like the Ghana, the Mali established themselves through the gold trade with the Berbers. The Mali cities were centers of wealth and prosperity. One of the most famous was Timbuktu, a trading city in the middle of the Sahara Desert that was so secretive in …show more content…
The development Africa’s eastern coast was through maritime trade with Muslims and Chinese as early as the 13th century. Central Africa, on the other hand, was slow to develop due to geographic and climate conditions. The East and Central Africa played a unique role in the formation and rise of new and diverse cultures in Africa between 1300-1450 CE. The climate of Africa’s east coast ranges from deserts, to plains, to tropical areas. The diverse climate makes it difficult to generalize about the individual people and cultures found in the region. While climate is important to understanding the various cultures in East Africa, it is the animals that are the primary factor in the establishment of groups of people between 1300-1450 CE. Animals such as the elephant and rhinoceros were resources that early traders were interested in acquiring for
The fame over Islam strengthened Mali in a couple of different ways. With Islam as the official religion of Mali it influenced the idea of a community and brotherhood which was a unifying force for Mali. Also it helped create stronger relationships with trading partners and allies as well. The Islam 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. While Islam was the official religion of the nation there was religious tolerance. Mansa Musa was adamant that those who held different beliefs were acceptable. While Mansa Musa most certainly wanted to spread what he believed to be the true word of God to the people of his country he gave people the choice. Many have suggested that Mansa Musa allowing other religions actually helped spread the Islamic faith by letting people choose for themselves and truly believing the faith they were more inclined to spread the faith. The Islamic faith exploded in Mali and brought the nation closer together not only with itself but with many other Islamic
As the world of trade developed over time, goods were not the only things that were traded throughout these routes. With the merchants that traveled the world, were the ideals and religions that had learned from foreign lands, and the major religions of Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism, spread like wildfire throughout the regions of Eurasia and Africa because of this. The spread of Islam throughout the continent of Africa acted as a major influence both politically and socially. After 1600, Islam began to make its mark on the newly centralized states in Africa and was spread through western land trade, and through merchants on the Swahili coast. The major gold trading center of the Kingdom of Ghana, attracted merchants, and was a center for the Muslim community . By the 10th century, the kings of Ghana had converted to Islam in order to improve the relation between the kings and merchants. The early converts of Central and West Africa did not e...
While there were many changes and continuities in religious beliefs and changes in religious beliefs and or practices between 600 CE- 1450 CE, There were significant changes and continuities in West Africa such as the introduction to Islam through the Silk and Sand road trade routes during 900 CE.
The history of Africa would contain a lot about religion, natural goods, and trade routes and trade. Mansa Musa was a man who was known as a leader and often thought as kind. He was a dedicated Muslim and a very important role for the kingdom of Mali. He was a great trader and was in an area where there was a lot of gold and salt. He was also known for having a good reputation. Mansa Musa had a social impact on Africa. In medieval Africa, Mansa Musa had a social impact on Africa because he impacted on the roles that people played and how many thought of him. He also was known for having a great and caring heart.
Accordingly, he describes the sultan as “miserly” (Gibb, et al. 957). The. In contrast, however, he appreciated the devoutness of those Malians who were Muslim (Levtzion and Pouwels 67), and generally praised the region’s wealth and gold reserves (which had, under Musa I, literally placed the region on the Catalan map). The importance of Ibn Battuta’s journey to Mali was limited. But his journeys, especially this one – to an Islamisized African nation with diverse cultural beliefs, brought home to Morocco and the rest of the Arab world where the Rihla was circulated a view of the wider world, stretching out upon a vast east-west axis and incorporating a diverse array of native cultures fused with the mighty force of Islam, for better or worse.
In the 1300s Mansa Musa, king of Mali took his holy pilgrimage to the city of Mecca as a devout muslim, traveling through scorching deserts and bustling cities, although there might be other reasons he took his religious Hajj. The pilgrimage of Mansa Musa traveled all across Northern Africa and Arabia, stopping in cities along the way where Mansa Musa gave out gold to all he saw. The journey from the Empire of Mali to the city of Mecca was not only a faithful religious journey to the holy city, but also to create a name for Mali as the wealthy and powerful empire it was.
Another example of Mali influencing other parts of the world to visit it was in 1324, Mansa Musa made a Pilgrimage to Mecca. Along the way, he brought gold, which he gave out too many along the journey, like the city of Cairo,
Mansa Musa was one of the most prestigious and wealthiest emperors of all time. As the emperor of the Mali Empire, Central West Africa of what is now known as Mauritania from 1312 to 1337, Mansa Musa ascended the kingdom into decades of prosperity and stability. During his reign, Mansa Musa conquered immense territories and stretched the Mali Empire from the Atlantic Ocean to the present-day states of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Mansa Musa was best known for his affluent, flamboyant lifestyle filled of over-the-top extravagances and lavish. To this day he is said to be the richest man of all time. Mansa Musa also played a significant role in the spread of education and Islamic Law to the people of Mali. During his earlier years of rule, his devotion to the religion of Islam put him at odds with groups who maintained traditional African religions, but he was able to avoid conflict being
African society used bodies of water such as the Nile, the Red Sea, and many more to transport goods across the continent and generate profit. For example, the city of “Aksum reached its height between 325-360. Aksum’s location made it an important international trading center.” After analyzing the map of trade routes in Document 1, it is clear Aksum was strategically built to have ties to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. These two bodies of water give the city the freedom to import and export goods. Additionally, this work of trade did not come without reward. Cities who succeeded in the business became overly wealthy and had surpluses of gold and other riches. A king, Mansa Mansa, who expanded the Mali kingdom to be twice the size of Ghana, was not afraid to show his wealth as he showered other cities in riches out of generosity. In Cairo, Egypt, “there was no person, officer of the court, or holder of any office of the Sultanate who did not receive a sum of gold from him.” This is just one of the many examples of wealth in african cities and empires. What is impressive is the fact that before European trade became an influence, African people had already created a successful and very profitable system of
Between the time period of 1492 to 1750, the regions of America and Africa, through the Columbian exchange, had experienced similarities in the spread of crops, people, and diseases, but differences when it came to the reason for change in population density, environmental change, and change of local ethnicities.
The Mandinko recall that their ancestors come from Manding which is the local name of the former Mali Empire. Mandinko means those who come from Manding, whose territory lies in today’s Mali. Mali was a province of the bambara, those who are called Mandinko and who came from the East. Mali was one of the major black African civilisation . The empire occupied a great part of the northern half of West Africa. Tumbuctu, one of the most important city of the empire was known for its mines of gold. According to Arab geographers, in 1324, the emperor Mansa Musa distributed such big amounts of gold in Egypt that the people were completely amazed. The Mandinko are not only inhabitans of Mali, they moved to the Gambia and Casamance led by one of the war chief of Sundjata Keita, the legendary king of the Mali empire. Indeed, many Mandinka Kingdonms along the Gambia and Casamance rivers pleaded allegiance to the king of Mali. Kabu, present-day Guinea Bissau, rose as a great power in the 16th century and drew under its influence the Mandinko kingdoms of Senegambia. These kingdoms would progressively become autonomous from the Mali and under the influence of British and France during the period of colonization in the 19th century.
The spread of Islam in Africa had taken course from a number of factors, including external and internal forces. After my analyzing of the spread of Islam in Africa, I have gather three main themes that stuck out during the expansion of Islam: Islam and trade, the conversion conditions of Islam, and the economics/political development involving Islam. These three themes provide great insight on how Islam started to spread through out Africa. Through trade the culture and religion of Islam was spread to many different areas. This correlates to the conversion of different people, which helped spread Islam. By these conversions Islam was able to establish Islamic states, which played a factor in the development of strong economic and political
West Africa prior to the arrival of the Europeans was a thriving and flourishing land at the peak of its wealth and prosperity. The land which they inhabited was filled with natural resources such as gold and salt. This led the people of West Africa to great wealth and riches. The government was also supportive and brilliantly strategic, coming up with an intelligent taxing system which also led them to an advancement in the wealth category. Although it provided some tough geographic obstacles, the location of the West African Kingdoms proved to be very beneficial to their society. These three features all made up the successful civilization of Western Africa before the arrival of the Europeans. The following paragraphs assist to portray just how significant this culture was.
Mansa (emperor) Kankan Musa is the most organized and reliable emperor but does not get acknowledged enough for his power and all of the things he has created and promoted in the golden of Timbuktu. The powerful leader extended his empire using his passion and intelligence. He is known to be one of the wealthiest rulers from his pilgrimage to Mecca while he was expensively spending his impressive amount of gold. His use of trade routes expanded his reputation. Mansa Musa impacted Technology within his empire because he built colleges, used trade technology, and used gold.
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.