8/14/23, 2:59 PM Mali Empire - Document - Gale In Context: For Educators
Mali Empire
Date: 2022
From: Gale World History Online Collection
Publisher: Gale, part of Cengage Group
Document Type: Topic overview
Length: 1,470 words
Content Level: (Level 4)
Lexile Measure: 1180L
Full Text:
The Mali Empire existed between 1240 and 1645. It was founded in Western Africa and Sudan by
Sundiata Keita after a victory over the Kingdom of Sosso. Not satisfied with a small kingdom, Sundiata
Keita planned for expansion. The combination of a strong government, diplomacy, and a well-trained
army allowed for major growth, making the empire the largest until that time to rule in Africa.
During the reign of Mansa Musa I between 1312 and 1337, the Mali Empire reached new heights in
territorial control, trade routes, wealth, and culture. They controlled territory from the North African
Sahara Desert in the north to the Niger River to the south.
The Mali Empire collapsed in the 1460s following civil wars, competition for trade routes, and the
dramatic expansion of the neighboring Songhai Empire. Mali continued to exist in a small western
pocket of the empire into the 17th century.
Main Ideas
Mali was founded in Western Africa and Sudan by Malinke Prince Sundiata Keita after a
victory over the Kingdom of Sosso.
The combination of a strong government, diplomacy, and a well-trained army allowed
for major expansion, making the Mali empire the largest until that time to rule in Africa.
The Mali Empire's second golden era happened during the reign of Mansa Musa I in the
first half of the 13th century. He controlled lands up to the Gambia and lower Senegal in
the west. In the north, tribes were subdued along the entire length of the Western
Sahara border region.
Islam in West Africa spread quickly during the reign of Mansa Musa I.
The Mali Empire collapsed in the 1460s following civil wars, competition for trade
routes, and the dramatic expansion of the neighboring Songhai Empire.
The Land
Portions of the adjacent dry grassland and savannah, which provided fertile land for agriculture dating
back more than three thousand years, were regularly flooded by the Niger River. Food was sourced
from crops, plants, and fruits, as well as cattle herding and fishing. Copper was mined and used for
trade.
Sundiata Keita
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8/14/23, 2:59 PM Mali Empire - Document - Gale In Context: For Educators
The rise of the Mali Empire began as Malinke prince Sundiata Keita launched a revolt against trade
restrictions imposed by the Kingdom of Sosso. Sundiata declared war against the Kingdom of Sosso
in the 1230s. Sundiata ultimately allied with other chiefs who grew tired of Sosso rule. They conquered
the kingdom in a battle at Krina in 1235. In 1240, Sundiata's troops captured the Ghana capital.
The Government
The assembly formed a centralized government of Arab merchants and tribal leaders and pronounced
Sundiata as the supreme monarch. An assembly of elders and local chiefs, as well as the chief of the
army and treasury and other key ministers, would assist the Mansa, or king. The king, being the
supreme source of justice, would also employ legal advisors.
The Mansa held a monopoly over key trade goods. For instance, only he could possess gold nuggets.
Traders were only able to deal in gold dust.
The king possessed certain mystical qualities and enslaved people who served him. It was prohibited
to be in his presence when he ate. It was also a rule to be barefoot, bow before him, and pour dust
over one's head when visiting him.
Many local chiefs were permitted to partially rule their tribes. They did so with assistance from a Mali-
appointed governor, often supported by a garrison. Tribute was demanded from conquered chiefdoms,
and there were additional guarantees of loyalty including taking royal hostages who were held at the
capital.
Niani, a town that was near the Sankarani River and was protected by mountains, was chosen as the
empire's capital. It was close to forests and waterways—the two key sources of trade goods.
As the federation flourished, it grew into one of Africa's richest empires over the next century. For the
ordinary people of Mali, travel was safe and food was widely available.
Trade
The Mali Empire prospered due to trade. It charged traders dealing in gold, ivory, salt, copper, and
enslaved people as they crisscrossed West Africa. It was in a prime location—between southern West
Africa's rain forests and North Africa's Muslim caliphates. The empire had easy access to Africa's
interior and Atlantic coast, thanks to the Niger River. It also had the assurance that valuable
commodities came from the north because of the Berber-controlled camel caravans that crossed the
Sahara Desert.
The Mali Empire controlled the Galam, Bambuk, and Bure regions, which were all rich in gold, and
gold was in demand from Venice and Genoa in Italy and other European powers.
All these brought triple income for the Mali rulers: the passage of trade goods was taxed; goods they
bought were sold at higher prices; and valuable natural resources were abundant and accessible.
Timbuktu
Timbuktu was a semi-independent trade port that benefited from being a starting point for trans-
Saharan caravans and was accessible from the Niger River. The city, founded in 1100, was taken over
by Mali kings, who transformed it into one of the major and most cosmopolitan trade centers in Africa.
Mansa Musa I
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The Mali Empire's second golden era occurred during the reign of Mansa Musa I in the first half of the
13th century. Mansa Musa expanded Mali's territory twofold, thanks to an army of around 100,000
men, including 10,000 cavalries. He controlled lands up to Gambia and lower Senegal in the west. His
control spread from the tribes along the entire length of the Western Sahara border region in the north,
Gao on the Niger River in the east, and the Bure region and the forests of what later became known
as the Gold Coast to the south.
A true empire, Mali came to include diverse peoples belonging to various ethnic, linguistic, and
religious groups. Mansa Musa divided the empire into provinces to govern these people. Each
province was ruled by an appointed governor, who was responsible for tribal dispute settlements, local
taxes, and administering justice. Record-keeping was sent to centralized government offices at Niani.
Wealth
Mansa Musa and the Mali elite gained immense riches, which set off rumors that the Mali Empire was
a kingdom covered in gold.
Mali Culture
The oral retelling of community histories and legends—passed down from generation to generation
into the 21st century—was a rich tradition among the Malinke. There were music and songs. Special
songs were reserved for certain people, especially renowned warriors and hunters. Religious festivals,
where masked dancers performed, also made use of music.
Spread of Islam
The Arab merchants who traded throughout West Africa helped spread Islam throughout some parts
of the region. Muslim merchants converted Mali rulers who spread Islam at centers of learning in
Timbuktu and elsewhere. However, most of the people in rural Mali cities remained true to their
traditional animist beliefs. Sundiata converted to Islam but never rejected his Malinke people's animist
customs, beliefs, and oral tradition.
In the 1260s or 1270s, Mansa Uli, the son of Sundiata, went on a pilgrimage to Mecca, a trend that
would be seen among many of the empire's rulers. Islam in West Africa spread quickly during the
reign of Mansa Musa I. He brought Muslim books, architects, and scholars to his empire after traveling
to Mecca. The Great Mosque of Timbuktu and other mosques were constructed. Koranic universities
and schools were established. University studies included geography, astronomy, history, and
medicine. Libraries were created with tens of thousands of manuscripts and books, many of which
survive in modern museums.
Islam came to be seen no longer as a foreign religion but one that was also accepted in Africa.
Despite the spread of Islam, the practice of ancient Indigenous animist beliefs remained, especially in
rural communities. Arabic, not native languages, was used in Islamic studies, impeding the religion's
popularity beyond the educated clerical class. The form of Islam that did take hold in Mali was a
particular variation that tolerated animism. Mali rulers could not bear to let go of the Indigenous
religious practices and beliefs that most of their people continued to honor.
The Empire's Decline
Civil wars often occurred due to ill-defined rules for royal succession, leading to the Mali Empire's
decline by the 15th century. As rival trade routes opened from Songhai, Saharan caravans had to
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compete with European ships for the most efficient means of transporting goods from West Africa to
the Mediterranean.
Beginning in 1433, the Tuareg and the Mossi, who controlled the lands south of the Niger River, were
attacking the Mali Empire. In 1468, the Songhai Empire conquered most of the Mali Empire, which lost
all but a small western portion of its territory. The Moroccan Empire would absorb what remained of
the Mali Empire in the mid-17th century.
Critical Thinking Questions
Mali expanded rapidly and included massive holdings. Did the Mali Empire become too
large to control?
How did the rapid spread of Islam impact the rise and fall of the Mali Empire?
What could the Mali leaders have done to prevent the near-total collapse of the empire?
Further Reading
Badru, Pade. The Spread of Islam in West Africa: Colonization, Globalization, and the Emergence of
Fundamentalism. Edwin Mellen Press. 2006.
Levtzion, Nehemia. Ancient Ghana and Mali. Methuen. 1973.
McKissack, Patricia, and Frederick McKissack. The Royal Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay:
Life in Medieval Africa. Square Fish. 1995.
Wisniewski, David. Sundiata: Lion King of Mali. Clarion. 1992.
Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2023 Gale, part of Cengage Group
Source Citation (MLA 9th Edition)
"Mali Empire." Gale World History Online Collection, Gale, 2022. Gale In Context: World History,
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p=WHIC&u=j043905002&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CFFVECY355332885&sid=bookmark-ICFE.
Accessed 14 Aug. 2023.
Gale Document Number: GALE|FFVECY355332885
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