Africa

Mansa Musa

The Mansa Musa (1280-1337) was the emperor of the Mali Kingdom, and is most known for his intricate pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324. The predecessor to Musa was Abu-Bakr II. The word Mansa is a title that means king. He was the first muslim ruler in West Africa to make the pilgrimage to Mecca. During his pilgrimage, he was so charitable to the poor along the way that when he stopped in Cairo, Egypt, he he gave out so much gold that he devalued the currency in Cairo slightly for a decade. On his return trip from Mecca, he brought Arab intellects that helped modernize Mali and its architecture. Timbuktu, Mali's largest city, had a mosque built designed by an Arab architect. Economy and education in Mali flourished under his reign, even getting attention from Europe, which when making maps would many times include Mali and refer to Musa.

Songhai Empire

(1464-1591) The Songhai Empire was the third and last major empire in pre-colonial West Africa. It was founded by Sonni Ali about half-way through the life of the Mali Empire. Its main capital was the city of Gao, which while it was often under Mali rule, during the Mali Empire's decline, Songhai reclaimed Gao and eventually would invade all of Mali and conquer it. Sonni was oppressive to the people of the Mali Empire, especially in Timbuktu, but due to the control of trade Sonni had across vast land, the wealth of Songhai would surpass that of the Mali Empire. The successor of Sonni was Askia the Great. He did many of the same things Musa did, including build many Islamic buildings and mosques and even hosted a hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). He did not force his religion on his people or people he conquered. Askia was very wise and expanded the Songhai Empire even more, although he never modernized his army. This mistake would be paid with the life of the Empire. After Askia was overthrown by one of his many grandchildren named Musa (no relation to Mansa Musa of Mali), highly advanced Moroccan troops unexpectedly invaded Songhai and with their firearms took over the entire Empire, with the goal of reinstating the trans-Saharan trade in salt and gold. However, although conquering the region was easy, governing it was not, and the Moroccans withdrew from the region. However, the empire could never be established again.

Ghana Empire

(ca. 750-1076) The Ghana Empire was the first of the three main empires of West Africa. Ghana flourished in the 8th through 11th Centuries because of its control of major routes of the Trans-Saharan trade of salt and gold. The origin of Ghana is uncertain although by the first century A.D. a number of farming clans of the Soninke, a Mande-speaking group, began to settle in the region. By 750 A.D. the Soninke came together under the leadership of Dinga Cisse, perhaps in response to nomadic attacks. Dinga Cisse is considered the first ruler of unified Ghana. He established a capital at Kumbi Saleh which sat along one of the emerging Trans-Saharan trade routes. Later the city of Audaghust became another major commercial center. The utilization of camels was introduced which allowed for much easier trade of the many resources of the Empire, including copper, salt, gold, ivory and some slaves. In order to support an Army and a bureaucracy, the people of the Empire were taxed. Islam was introduced to the empire in the 9th Century, and spread throughout, although not everyone converted. In 1076, the Almoravids, a Muslim group, conquered Ghana. This was in an attempt to make Islam the sole religion of everyone, while also taking control of the Trans-Saharan trade. They failed in both areas although the empire would never reform.

Mali Empire

Mali was the second of three major empires in western Africa. It lasted from 1235-1610 A.D. The empire is based around the Niger River. Sundiata Keita was the founder of the Mali Empire. Most of the people of the Mali empire considered themselves as Mande people, who had a similar language and culture throughout the empire. The main religion was Muslim, although it was not forced upon the people. After the reign of Mansa Musa, the empire began to slowly die, with lesser known empires eating away at the edges of the Mali territory. Then, in the 1500s, the Songhai Empire rose to power and eventually took over what was left of the Mali Empire, leaving Mahmud IV as the last Mansa.

Interesting Facts about the Empire of Ancient Mali

Some historians estimate that Mansa Musa may have been the wealthiest person in history. The great wealth of Mali came from gold and salt mines. The capital city of the empire was Niani. Other important cities included Timbuktu, Gao, Djenne, and Walata. The Mali Empire controlled important trade routes across the Sahara Desert to Europe and the Middle East. The city of Timbuktu was considered a center of education and learning and included the famous Sankore University, which was the first university in the world.