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Mali Empire
c. 1235–1672
Territory of the Mali Empire
Capital
Identification disputed; possibly no fixed capital
Common languages
Mandinka, Fulani, Wolof, Bambara
Religion
Islam (official)
West African religion (rural areas)
Government
Monarchy
Mansa
• 1235–1255
Mari Djata I (first)
• c. 17th century
Mahmud IV (last)
Legislature
Gbara
Historical era
Postclassical Era to Early Modern Era
• Conquest of Sosso
c. 1235
• State divided among emperor Mahmud Keita IV's sons
c. 1610
• Niani sacked and burned by the Bamana Empire
1672
Area
1250[1]
100,000 km2 (39,000 sq mi)
1380[1][2]
1,100,000 km2 (420,000 sq mi)
1500[1]
400,000 km2 (150,000 sq mi)
Currency
Gold dust (Salt, copper, silver and cowries were also common in the empire)
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Ghana Empire
Gao Empire
Pre-Imperial Mali
Songhai Empire
Jolof Empire
Kaabu Empire
Empire of Great Fulo
The Mali Empire (Manding: Mandé[3] or Manden; Arabic: مالي, romanized: Mālī) was an empire in West Africa from c. 1226 to 1670. The empire was founded by Sundiata Keita (c. 1214 – c. 1255) and became renowned for the wealth of its rulers, especially Mansa Musa (Musa Keita). At its peak, Mali was the largest empire in West Africa, widely influencing the culture of the region through the spread of its language, laws, and customs.[4]
The empire began as a small Mandinka kingdom at the upper reaches of the Niger River, centered around the Manding region.[3] It began to develop during the 11th and 12th centuries as the Ghana Empire, or Wagadu, declined and trade routes shifted southward.[5] The history of the Mali Empire before the 13th century is unclear, as there are conflicting and imprecise accounts by both Arab chroniclers and oral traditionalists. The first ruler for which there is accurate written information is Sundiata Keita, a warrior-prince of the Keita dynasty who was called upon to free the local people from the rule of the king of the Sosso Empire, Soumaoro Kanté. The conquest of Sosso in c. 1235 marked the emergence of Mali as a major power.
Following the death of Sundiata Keita, in c. 1255, the kings of Mali were referred to by the title mansa.[6] In c. 1285 Sakoura, a former royal court slave, became emperor and was one of Mali's most powerful rulers, greatly expanding the empire's territory. He made a pilgrimage to Mecca during the reign of Mamluk Sultan An-Nasir Muhammad (r. 1298–1308), but died on his voyage home. Mansa Musa took the throne in c. 1312. He made a famous pilgrimage to Mecca from 1324 to 1326, where his generous gifts and his expenditure of gold caused significant inflation in Egypt.[7] Maghan I succeeded him as mansa in 1337, but was deposed by his uncle Suleyman in 1341. It was during Suleyman's 19-year reign that Ibn Battuta visited Mali.[8] Suleyman's death marked the end of Mali's Golden Age and the beginning of a slow decline.
The Tarikh al-Sudan records that Mali was still a sizeable state in the 15th century. At that time, the Venetian explorer Alvise Cadamosto and Portuguese traders confirmed that the peoples who settled within Gambia River were still subject to the mansa of Mali.[9] Upon Leo Africanus's visit at the beginning of the 16th century, his descriptions of the territorial domains of Mali showed that it was still a kingdom of considerable size. However, from 1507 onwards neighboring states such as Diarra, Great Fulo and the Songhai Empire chipped away at Mali's borders. In 1542, the Songhai invaded the capital but were unsuccessful in conquering the empire. During the 17th century, the Mali Empire faced incursions from the Bamana Empire, who ultimately sacked and burned the capital in 1670. The Mali Empire rapidly disintegrated, being replaced by independent chiefdoms. The Keitas retreated to the town of Kangaba, where they became provincial chiefs.[10]
^ abcTaagepera 1997, p. 497.
^Turchin, Adams & Hall 2006, p. 222.
^ abKi-Zerbo, Joseph: UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. IV, Abridged Edition: Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century, p. 57. University of California Press, 1997.
^"The Empire of Mali, In Our Time – BBC Radio 4". BBC. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
^Davidson, Basil (29 October 2014). West Africa before the Colonial Era: A History to 1850. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-88265-7.
The MaliEmpire (Manding: Mandé or Manden; Arabic: مالي, romanized: Mālī) was an empire in West Africa from c. 1226 to 1670. The empire was founded by...
as salt. Mali was once part of three extremely powerful and wealthy West African empires that controlled trans-Saharan trade: the Ghana Empire (for which...
ninth Mansa of the MaliEmpire, which reached its territorial peak during his reign. Musa's reign is often regarded as the zenith of Mali's power and prestige...
The military history of the MaliEmpire is that of the armed forces of the MaliEmpire, which dominated Western Africa from the mid 13th to the late 15th...
The history of the eponymous MaliEmpire and of the Songhai Empire during the 13th to 16th centuries The borders of Mali are those of French Sudan, drawn...
Niani. There would be nine faamas of Niani prior to the founding of the MaliEmpire. Its first mansa would be Sundiata Keita. This is when Mari Jata is crowned...
MaliEmpire. Mali conquered Gao near the end of the 13th century. Gao remained under Malian command until the late 14th century. As the MaliEmpire started...
The national flag of Mali (French: drapeau du Mali) is a tricolour with three equal vertical stripes. From the hoist (the place where the flagpole meets...
time included Takrur to the west, the Malinke kingdom of Mali to the south, and the Songhai Empire centred on Gao to the east. When Ghana atrophied in the...
such as Baol. Jolof was a vassal of the MaliEmpire for much of its early history. It remained within that empire's sphere of influence until the latter...
The music of Mali is, like that of most African nations, ethnically diverse, but one influence predominates: that of the ancient MaliEmpire of the Mandinka...
prosperity, the empire began its decline in the second millennium, and would finally become a vassal state of the rising MaliEmpire at some point in...
and Sosso Occupation c. 1217 — c. 1230 Pre-imperial expansion of the MaliEmpire c. 1217 — c. 1255 Campaigns of Sundiata Keita c. 1235 Battle of Kirina...
Bonoman, Sijilmassa, and other Saharan cities. It became part of the MaliEmpire early in the 14th century. By this time it had become a major centre...
trade and grew into a small regional power before being conquered by the MaliEmpire in the early 13th century. Gao-Saney became well known among African...
and attracted many scholars and traders before it became part of the MaliEmpire early in the 14th century. In the first half of the 15th century, the...
منسا سليمان, romanized: Mansā Sulaymān; d. c. 1359) was mansa of the MaliEmpire during the middle of the 14th century. He was the brother of Mansa Musa...
The Gao Empire was a powerful kingdom that ruled the Niger bend from approximately the 7th century CE until their fall to the MaliEmpire in the late...
and north of Beledougou. The empire peaked under the reign of Soumaoro Kante, who was defeated by the rising MaliEmpire of Sundiata Keita. Sosso was...
was on the fringes of some states, including the Kanem–Bornu Empire and the MaliEmpire before more significant parts of its territory became included...
Diara, Lion of Mali, Sogolon Djata, son of Sogolon, Nare Maghan and Sogo Sogo Simbon Salaba) was a prince and founder of the MaliEmpire. He was also the...
title of governor-sultan of Algiers or sultan of Algiers. In Africa, the MaliEmpire functioned as both a constitutional and elective monarchy. The mansa...
Muslim. Towards the end of the 13th century, Gao became part of the MaliEmpire. In the first half of the 15th century the town regained its independence...
In 1751 he also conquered Niani, making the Mansa of the rump-state MaliEmpire a vassal.: 333 During this time he founded the city of Bla as an outpost...
largest urban center is Bamako, the capital of Mali. The Mandinka are the descendants of the MaliEmpire, which rose to power in the 13th century under...
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