The Powerful Mali Empire

The Golden Age Empire

By: Ki’mya Chatman

Intro/ The Golden Trading System

The Mali empire was established in 1235 CE by Sundiata Keita. Sundiata Keita was also known as the “Lion King.” The empire flourished as he built the economy by controlling regional trade routes and gold fields. Although the empire’s wealth was heavily influenced by a variety of sources, trade was the main source in the Mali Empire prosperity. The empire traded with countries such as South Africa, which made up 60 percent of the exports, Switzerland, Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Ivory Coast. The traded goods included gold, which made 72 percent of total exports, salt, ivory, slaves, and copper. Another mechanism that was used to increase their affluence was the taxing of citizens and the taxing of the entirety of goods transported in and out of the empire. The establishment of trade, agriculture, and taxation led the empire to a period known as the "Golden Age".

Powerful Mansas of the Empire

Mansa Musa, who is shown above holding a sword, is stated to be the richest man to have ever lived. He net worth stands at 400 billion dollars.

Over the course of the Mali Empire’s reign, various mansas, also known as kings, have ruled. The power was passed down from the current ruler to their related hereditary heir. Sundiata Keita and Mansa Musa were the most popular among them. Sundiata Keita was credited with various achievements such as the creation of the empire, establishment of their prosperous trading system, and the establishment of their form of government. The empire was founded after the Battle of Kirina which occurred in the year 1235 CE. In the Battle of Kirina, he fought against Soumaoro Kante with an army he formed with the Mandinka people. Sundiata Keita continued to rule over the Mali Empire until his death in 1255 CE.

Mansa Musa is another well-known mansa or king of the Mali Empire. He is credited with achievements such as the advancement of education and culture, the involvement of the Islamic religion into law, and the establishment of diplomatic relationships with other African countries. One major accomplishment within Mansa Musa’s span of leadership was the construction of buildings in the city of Timbuktu. He constructed buildings such as the Great Mosque and the Sankara Madrassa, which contributed to the furthering of the intellectual and religious aspects of the empire.

The Sankara Madrassa was the largest library at the time as it carried around 250,000 to 700,000 manuscripts. The Great Mosque was a religious building that was inspired to be built after Musa’s pilgrimage to Mecca. Various outcomes resulted from his pilgrimage, which included buildings and Muslim scholars, architects, and books being brought into the empire. Also, he is credited with guiding the empire to a second golden age during his reign which lasted from 1312 to 1337 CE.

The Wondrous Government of the Mali Empire

The Mali Empire was quite organized, when concerning the political aspect. The empire established a monarchy government, bureaucratic administrations, and territorial governors. Although there were various other leaders within the empire, the mansa held the most power. Due to the tremendous size of the empire, it was divided into provinces. A governor, also known as a farba, was assigned to a specific province. The farbas were accountable for local taxes, justice, and settling tribal disputes. Under the farbas, there were tribal chiefs and clan leaders. The tribal chiefs and clan leaders were elected by the people and were responsible for enforcing policies at the local level. The Mali Empire had a variety of systems established for their political system such as record keeping in the city of Niana and having the state power be within the hands of court officials in the case of instability and poor leadership.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Mali Empire is viewed as one of the few golden empires of Africa. The economic specialization, government organization, and military power it held allowed it to prevail greatly. Unfortunately, the empire fully collapsed by 1600 due to conflicts such as the opening of other trade routes, rise of the Songhai Empire, and civil wars. Although the empire came in contact with numerous conflicts, it was the most powerful empire in West Africa from the fall of the Ghana Empire until the rise of the Songhai Empire.