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The Mali Empire (Manding: Mandé [3] or Manden Duguba; [4] [5] 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).
There were many kingdoms and empires in all regions of the continent of Africa throughout history. A kingdom is a state with a king or queen as its head. [1] An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant centre and subordinate peripheries".
There are a few references to Mali in early Islamic literature. Among these are references to "Pene" and "Malal" in the work of al-Bakri in 1068, [1] [2] the story of the conversion of an early ruler, known to Ibn Khaldun (by 1397) as Barmandana, [3] and a few geographical details in the work of al-Idrisi.
During the 200 year period between 1301 and 1500 (the 14th and 15th century) the main civilizations and kingdoms in Africa were the Mali Empire, Kingdom of Kongo, Ife Empire, Benin Kingdom, Songhai Empire, Hausa City-states, Wolof Empire, Great Zimbabwe, Kingdom of Makuria, Kanem Empire,Ethiopian Empire, Kilwa Sultanate, Kingdom of Mapungubwe, Kingdom of Mutapa, and the Ajuran Sultanate.
The Mali Empire started in 1230 and was the largest empire in West Africa and profoundly influenced the culture of West Africa through the spread of its language, laws and customs. [15] Until the 19th century, Timbuktu remained important as an outpost at the southwestern fringe of the Muslim world and a hub of the trans-Saharan slave trade .
Starting out as a seasonal settlement, Timbuktu was in the kingdom of Mali when it became a permanent settlement early in the 12th century. After a shift in trading routes, the town flourished from the trade in salt, gold, ivory and slaves from several towns and states such as Begho of Bonoman, Sijilmassa, and other Saharan cities. [1]
The arrival of Islam in West Africa had seismic consequences for the history of the entire region. By the 10th century, the king of Gao had converted, possibly to Ibadi Islam. [ 158 ] In 1035 king War Jabi of Takrur became the first ruler to adopt Sunni Islam. [ 159 ]
A History of Sub-Saharan Africa. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-68708-9. Davidson, Basil (1971). Great Ages of Man: African Kingdoms. New York: Time Life Books. LCCN 66-25647. Davidson, Basil (1991). Africa In History, Themes and Outlines (Revised and expanded ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster.