Mansa Musa, Mali’s greatest leader, was said to be the richest man alive. He ruled for twenty-five years, from 1312 to 1337. During these times, Mansa Musa gained control of important trade routes and helped spread Islam. However, the question is, what contributed more, Islam or geography, to the wealth and power of the West African Empires. Most people would say that Islam was the main factor. But others would argue and say that geography was the main factor. It was proven, however, that geography was the main factor for creating the wealth and power in the West African Empires. The reason to why this is true is because of the salt and gold trade, when caravans from Djenne came to Timbuktu, and the trade routes. One reason to why geography …show more content…
Source #6 points out that, “people going to Djenne to trade, reaps a large amount of profit. So because of Djenne, many caravans came to Timbuktu as well. But because, new caravans came to Timbuktu, it was more people to tax, which also gave them a large amount of profit. The third reason to why geography was the main factor for creating wealth and power in the West African Empires, is because of the trade routes. The West African Empires were located near the Niger River. This gave them an advantage because people could travel by boat to trade. But according to the map on Source #4, the Empires were right between the salt and gold mines, which was a reasonable place for trade. Mansa Musa, Mali’s greatest leader, was said to be the richest man alive. He ruled for twenty-five years, from 1312 to 1337. But during these times, Mansa Musa gained control of important trade routes and helped spread Islam. Though, the question is, what contributed more, Islam or geography, to the wealth and power of the West African Empires. Most people would say that Islam was the main factor. Others would argue and say that geography was the main factor. But the answer is quiet simple. Geography was the main factor for creating the wealth and power in the West African Empires. The reason to why this is true is because of the salt and gold trade, when caravans from Djenne came to Timbuktu,
The main reason the Europeans imperialized Africa were their cultural and social beliefs in ethnocentrism. They believed “[the natives] needed European help, reform, or civilization” (Document K). The Europeans considered the Africans savages
The Mali Empire became a site of cultural exchange because of their immense wealth. According to an article “ Mali and the world Document C: Section from the Catalan Atlas” by Abraham Cresques created in 1375, it stated, “This king is the richest and most noble lord of all of this region due to the abundance of gold
In History of Africa, Shillington focuses on many aspects of African culture and factors that made Africa to be the continent that it is today. Chapter 5 primarily focuses on the Northern region of Africa and how empires took over and spread their ideology technology, and culture all through out the region. Even today some remnants of the Roman and Greek empire live on to this day (Shillington, 69.) Despite many people getting the impression that Northern Africa is only influenced by Arabic and Islam, these empires and their conquests are best understood through topics like intricate trading routes, farming, and the spread of religion. Shillington provides an in depth analysis of how many of these conquests affected Northern Africa centuries ago and today.
Another result of the Trans-Saharan trade and the increasing spread of Islam is that Mansa Musa, the king of Mali was able to become extremely wealthy and rule over a large empire. Mansa Musa was a very wealthy man who
The Empire of Mali was a wealthy and powerful dynasty in africa. During the Empire of Mali they had some of the most powerful leaders,it lasted from 1235 ce - 1600 ce,it was located in west africa near the sahara desert. Mali became a site of cultural exchange because people from different cultures came to mali to exchange salt for gold.one of the effects of the cultural exchange is that people got very rich,another effect is that there were religion changes, the last effect is that universities and schools were built to educate their people. One of the effects of the cultural exchange was that built schools and universities so they could get a education.
East and West Africa from 1000 to 1500 CE had profound differences in forms of government, with West Africa being kingdom based, and East Africa city-state based. The conversion of Eastern and Western African ruling elites compacted trading between themselves and Islamic traders from Mesopotamia, China, India, and as far away as Oceania. The relatively stable political environment from 1000-1500 CE in Sub-Saharan Africa attracted displaced peoples from the Abbasid empire in Northern Africa, with West Africa utilizing Trans-Saharan trade, and East Africa utilizing mariner trade routes. The East and West developed in clearly different ways, but paralleled each other in a way in which the political, social, and economic environments facilitated stable trade in the region, as well as a distinct blend between Islamic culture and African tradition.
Before the 1500 ce Africa had many trades, cultures, and also some encounters with Islam. In 1000 ce Islam invaded the West African State, in Dr. Mayers, 2012 study of Africa he stated that the spread of Islam revealed the power of the religion, commercial, and also the military qualities. Many civilizations were being change without being close to at least one Islamic statement. Islam had spread so much in Africa that Islamization had served to connect with Africa and connected more with the outside world through trade, religion, and
There was a high demand for luxurious goods that were special to each region which caused a great increase in trade. This also occurred on the Trans-Saharan trade routes with gold. Religion also played a big factor in why trade was increasing in these two trade routes. Increases in technology helped trade become more efficient and faster. For example, the compass helped people trade along the Indian Ocean sea lanes.
Some people lived in larger, centralized states, while other lived in simple village communities. Islam was one of the most widespread religions in Africa before missionaries came to convert them to Christianity. This might have been a more positive influence if the Europeans hadn’t viewed the Africans as a people in need of refinement and guidance instead of understanding and respecting their culture. However, one benefit of Europe’s growing control of Africa was that the transatlantic slavery slowly came to an end, but in East Africa, slavery continued to run rampant. Although the end of much of the slavery did rid Africa of much exploitation, it continued in other ways including the harvest of copper, ivory, and other resources taken from the Congo, civilians forced into hard labor for little compensation, and little to no control of the government was given to native
As for salt, it was seen as a major resource for its nutritional and preservation qualities. It was a vital resource that these Mali people used. The Niger river allowed the Mali empire to trade easily, as the current would calmly drift them into other civilizations. Both empires also utilized camels as the river was not always accessible. All in all these trade routes allowed these civilizations to expand their wealth, and distance of trade.
In this map, all of the trade routes go from either North/ South America to Europe (Evidence J). Clearly the exploration of the New World, had a profound impact on Timbuktu. Europe used to be TImbuktu 's main source of trade, but after exploration, Europe completely eliminated trade with Timbuktu, and instead got its goods from the New World. This was one of the big reasons for the downfall of Timbuktu because the city lost all of its trade, which resulted in a loss of
Mansa Musa, who ruled from 1312 to 1337 CE (often referred to as “the golden age of the Mali Empire”), was the tenth mansa, or king, of the Mali Empire, which was located in the Sahara Desert and “stretched across two thousand miles from the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Chad” (Alkhateeb; Tesfu). In 1324 CE, Musa, a Muslim ruler, decided to begin his pilgrimage to Mecca, called the Hajj, which is the fifth pillar of Islam. Mansa Musa’s visit to Cairo, Egypt during his Hajj to Mecca had an incredibly negative impact on the economy in Egypt for over a decade. Mahmud Kali, a native scholar and Islamic judge of Timbuktu, provided insight into Mansa Musa’s initial reason for deciding to set out on his pilgrimage to Mecca: Muhammad Quma, a scholar, had told Kali that “the Mali-koy Kankan Musa had killed his mother, Nana Kankan, by mistake. For this he felt deep regret and remorse and feared
Lessons from the Ancient Benin Kingdom In the example of the ancient Benin Kingdom, elements of both abolitionist and “trade interests” converged to explode a volatile situation that had been steadily nurtured by commercial ambitions and the abolitionist will of the colonialists and the sheer determination of the Benin rulers to uphold the status quo and protect their territory. As has already been mentioned above, the Ancient Benin Kingdom is on record to have covered almost the entire length and breadth of present-day Nigeria at its peak.(25) It had thrived on trade and military conquests to keep a vast region intact.
The religious influences helped empires to grow more wealthy and powerful. For example in the Mali Empire. Sundiata gained more power by taking religious authority of the mansa. The rulers after Sundiata were mostly Muslims. One of the most powerful and influential Muslim ruler was Mansa Musa.
Chapter Two ANYOGU’S CULTURAL HISTORY AND ANCESTORS Daun Juan – LXXXI 11 … ship off the holy three to Senegal and ask them how they like to be in thrall. The Lord Byron 1807 Most Ibo speaking people claim to have originated from at least two deities. The Onitsha people claim at least five deity origins whilst the UmuEzeAroli tribe of Onitsha claim to have originated from seven deities with inferences of nobility and linage. This chapter seeks to explain and tell the story of linage and nobility.