MALI EMPIRE

MAP OF MALI EMPIRE

 MALI EMPIRE

 Founders: Mandingo/Malinke/Mandinka people (Negroes)

 Emergence: • After Ghana empire
• Controlled the gold and salt trade from AD 1200 to 1500
 Sources of Information: • Arab Muslim sources
• Excellent oral tradition (Griots)
 Flaws in Arab Muslim Sources: Biased against non-Muslim part of Mali (eg.
Barmandana – 1st Ruler of Mali)
 THE BEGINNING OF MALI EMPIRE
 Before its Prominence:
 Lived in scattered villages at the time of the Ghana empire
 12 clans formed Kangaba and selected a “Mansa” to lead them
 Capital was Kangaba
 Drought during the reign of Barmandana
 He converted to Islam in exchange for prayers
 Drought ended
 Many Mandinkas followed the leader’s religion
 Mandinkas praised for their “voluntary” conversion, unlike the Soninke and Susu
 Change in Mandinkas’ fortunes
 The epic Fight against Sumanguru Kante (a Susu Ruler)
 THE BEGINNING OF MALI EMPIRE CONT’D

 Sundiata (Hungary Lion)/Mari Jata:

 Father: Nare Maghan of Kangaba
 Mother: Sogolon (hunched-back & second wife of Nare Maghan)
 The two married under mysterious circumstances
 Prophecy of their son (Sundiata) being a great ruler

 Downside of Sundiata:
 Was slow to talk
 Unable to walk
 Despised by his step-mother (Queen) and step-brother and new king (Dankaran Touman)
 The queen envied Sundiata

 Planned his assassination

 Sundiata and mother escaped from Kangaba and settled at Mema

 THE BEGINNING OF MALI EMPIRE CONT’D
 Sumanguru Kante of Susu Conquest of Kangaba
 Killed all royal sons (11 out of 12)
 Spared the ruling King (Dankaran Touman), his mother and weak Sundiata

Sumanguru Kante
 THE BEGINNING CONT’D
Oppressive Rule of Sumanguru
 Increased taxes
 Seized food and wives
 Torture and oppression
 Attacked Kangaba: King and queen escaped
 Sundiata Keita invited by his people
 Battle of Kirina
 Good vs Evil
 Charm against Sumanguru (white roosters nail in blood fixed to an arrow)
 Vanished and was never seen again
 SUNDIATA, KING OF MALI (1230-1255)
 Rule
 Elders surrendered their states to him
 Acknowledged him as ruler
 25 years
 Mari Jata/Djata
 Founder of Mali
 Expansion
 Captured Susu and razzed it to the ground
 Captured Kumbi Saleh (1240)
 Crushed petty revolts in Mali
 Consolidation
 Change of Name from Kangaba to Mali (meaning “Where the King resides”)
 Built a new capital at Niani
 SUNDIATA CONT’D
Economy:
 Encouraged Agriculture, especially cotton production
 Conquered Wangara gold mines, salt mines of Taghaza, copper mines of Takkeda
 Annexed important trade centers such as Walata, Gao, Jenne
 Attracted North African merchants to Niani
 Died in 1253/54 – drowned in the Sanjarani River.
 By the time of his death he had succeeded in building an empire and ensured the wealth of the
empire
 SUNDIATA’S SUCCESSORS – DARK DAYS

 Mansa Uli/Wali (1254/55 – 1270)

 Mansa Wati & Khalifa (killed for amusement)
 Mansa Abubakar I (Sundiata’s Grandson)
 Mansa Sakura (1285 – 1300)
• A Freed slave
• Staged a Coup
• Restored law and order in Mali
• Conquered Takedda and Tekrur
• Killed on his return from Mecca
MANSA MUSA (1312-1337)
 MANSA MUSA (1312-1337)
 Status in Malian History
 A grandson/grandnephew of Sundiata
 A devout Muslim hence favorite of the Ulama: His reign described as greatest period of
prosperity
• Muslim Writers: Greatest Ruler

• Oral Traditions: Dwarfed him

 Most Popular of the Mansas

 Administrative Contribution
 Built on the achievements of Sundiata and Sakura
 Expanded the territory (Walata, Timbuktu, Gao, Taghaza)
 Submission of Saharan nomads (the robbers)
 Promoted trade and Education in Timbuktu
 Ensured economic prosperity and promoted Islam
 Benefited immensely from Islam in Mali
NB: Many of the conquests of Sundiata were attributed to Mansa Musa by the Ulama
 MANSA MUSA CONT´D
 Famous Pilgrimage And Its Benefits
 Made Islam more popular – Pilgrimage from 1324 to 1326
 500 slaves
 100/80 camel-loads of gold (Al-Umari and Ibn Khaldun)
 50, 000 oz of gold
 Excessive generosity

 Pilgrimage journey
 Started from Niani - Niger – Taghaza – Tuat – Cairo (July, 1324 and spent 3 months) –
Mecca (September, 1324)
 Moved from Mecca (after 4 months stay) – Cairo – Ghadames – Timbucktu - Niani
A MAP OF MANSA MUSA’S PILGRIMAGE JOURNEY
 MANSA MUSA CONT´D

Benefits Of Pilgrimage

Advertised the wealth of Mali: more traders and more scholars came to Mali

Mali put on the Mappa Mundi by Angelino Dulcert in 1339

Brought back Abu Ishaq Al-Saheli (introduced burnt-brick architecture – built

mosques and palaces in Timbuktu and Gao)

Established diplomatic ties with North African states (e.g. Fez in Morocco)

Brought Muslim scholars

Promoted Education
STRUCTURE OF MALI EMPIRE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Dugu-Tigi Village Village Village

 GOVERNMENT OF THE MALI EMPIRE
 Had a similar structure as the Ghana Empire.
 Mansa
The Divine King:

A strong ruler provided strong leadership

A weak ruler provided weak leadership

Islam helped to strengthen the rule of the Mansa (obedience & submission to earthly rulers)

 Succession: Unclear (matrilineal or patrilineal) hence succession crises

 Councilors: some heriditry / others appointive

some Muslims / others non-Muslims

 Provincial Governors and Ministers

were mostly relations of a Mansa
Had command over provincial armies hence posed a threat to a Mansa (revolts)
 GOVERNMENT CONT´D
 How Mali was Governed
 Mansa: ruler of the Mandingo areas
 Provinces: ruled by the Dya-Mana-Tigi

 Districts: ruled by Kafo Tigi

 Conquered Areas
 Ruled by their natural rulers but some had a rep of the Mansa (Fari-ba)
 Collected and paid tributes (goods and services)

Eg. gave servants, bodyguards, messengers

 Contributed quota to the army
 Duties of Local Government Heads
 Ensured that tithe on livestock were paid
 Ensured that local levies were collected
 Preserved peace and order
 Administered justice in petty cases
 GOVERNMENT CONT´D
 Administration Of Justice
 Mansa was the Chief Justice
 Impartial judge: punished/recalled officials if they were at fault

 Qadis: were in charge of justice in the provinces

 Sources Of Revenue
 Tithes
 Tributes
 Taxes
 Tolls used to maintain the court, finance the army and pay cost of administration
 Gold nuggets
 Spoils of war
 Royal estates
 ECONOMY OF MALI

 Agriculture (Farming): sorghum, millet, rice

 Animal husbandry: camels, sheep, goats
 T.S.T (gold Trade)
 Currency: cowry shells from the Indian ocean, gold dust and salt
 FACTORS FOR ITS RISE
Power vacuum created by the collapse of Ghana empire
Suppression/oppression by Sumanguru
Mandinke unity
Able leadership : Sundiata, Mansa Sakura, Mansa Musa
Efficient system of government
Monarchical system
Divine kings
Appointed ministers and provincial governors
The spread of Islam
Unity
Political system
Geographical location
Fertile lands
Grassland provided pasture for animals
Middlemen role in TST
Military powers
Vast financial resources
 DECLINE OF THE MALI EMPIRE: 14th – 17th Cs

 Dynastic struggles
 Weak and inefficient Mansas
 Royal bankruptcy due to extravagance ( Mansa Musa’s Pilgrimage)
 Ambition of powerful royals and nobles to usurp royal authority ( Succession
Disputes)
 Increased taxation
 Mossi attacked Mali from the south (captured Timbuktu)
 Tuaregs also capture Timbuktu and Walata (1400)
 Sunni Ali of Songhai captured Jenne in 1468