Kingdom of Mali

By: Cole Amick, Christian Nichols, Kaelyn Short, Ashley Cox, Andy Derosset, and Kody Lawrence

Mali 800 C.E.- 1600 C.E.

• Small kingdom in the upper area of the Niger River

• Became and important empire after 1235 C.E.

• Sundjata organized a resistance against Ghana

• Remained powerful for nearly 2 centuries

• At it’s height, it was twice the size of Ghana

• The Niger River added in trade and helped to create a stable economy.

• Trade taxes helped in the empire’s prosperity. • The Malinese could transport bulk goods and large

loads by the Niger River. Other empires who only had camels, horses, and donkeys couldn’t transport large loads through the desert.

• Mansa Musa took the Hajj with 60,000 others who carried gold. They would stop at the oases so that they wouldn’t become dehydrated.

Trade and Travel

Economic Goods

• Stretched from the Atlantic Coast south of the Senegal River to Gao on the east of the Middle Niger bend

• Gold- Timbuktu, Djenne, Gao• Salt Mines- Taghaza• Rich farming area• Tribute- Rice, millet, lances, arrows• Slaves used• Grew: beans, rice, sorghum, millet, papaya, gourds,

cotton, peanuts• Cattle, sheep, goats, poultry

Leaders of Mali

• Sundjata-Great Religious and Secular Leader. Established himself as the gurdian of the ancestors.

• After Sundjata, Mali leaders were Muslim• Most famous was Mansa Musa

Mansa Musa-Haji

• Made the Haji to Mecca in 1324• Accompanied by 60,000 people• Carried large quantities of Gold • Traveled along the Nile river to Timbuktu and

across the Sahara via the salt mines of Taghaza to reach Cairo to go to mecca and Medina

• 500 slaves carrying a 4lb bar of gold • 100 camels carrying 100 pounds of gold dust

Mansa Musa-Ruler

• Wise and efficient• Divided empire into provinces– each had its own government

• Further divided into towns– Each had a mayor

• Huge army kept the peace– Put down rebellions at the borders– Policed the trade route

• Incorporated the achievement of the islamic civilizations in mali

Collapse

• Collapsed in 1500• Mansa Musa’s death started the empire’s

decline• Lasted about 200 years after Mansa’s demise• Succumbed to attacks from without and

within the empire• Surpassed by Songhai as center of West

African power.