An Epic Of Old Mali

An Epic Of Old Mali
History often times never really comes from the proverbial horse's mouth, but rather from written
testimonies require translation, or verbal traditions passed down through generations. Both forms
have their own strengths and weakness'. Oral histories are often influenced by culture, plus religious
beliefs affect the way the history is told. Primary sources are often times influenced by the author's
own culture, as well as the motive they have for creating the record of the time. One I not better than
the other. Rather, each can be used for different lenses of analysis into different periods of time and
research.
Oral histories may come in many forms. Music depicting a decade long war, or nighttime stories
warning children from the animals of the night around them, as well as epics chronicling the rise of
a great king. Sudiata: An Epic of Old Mali gives a glimpse into many aspects about the ideals,
beliefs, values and culture of the people who originally told the story. Concerning the values of
Mali, the characteristics the teller's portray for their king are telling about what is considered
necessary qualities for a good king and warrior. Sundiata was born crippled, unable to walk, but
showed incredible strength in his arms early in life, a sign for the strength he would grow into later.
He also demonstrates enormous skill and bravery in battle, qualities deemed ideal in a warrior. A
good warrior is not the only characteristic seen as definitive for Sundiata, but also a
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

West African Empires
"West African societies were shaped by competition for wealth and the search for independence
from more powerful kingdoms" (History 2011). Most of Africa's oldest kingdoms originated from
West Africa. These old kingdoms contributed to the development and growth of Africa in many
ways, especially trade and economic growth. As the new kingdoms replaced the old ones, they
experienced a vast change. Conquest and warfare along caused these transformations to occur. It
was also influenced by the patterns of trade. The earliest civilizations were in West Africa south of
the Sahara desert. These civilisations grew at a time when most of the outside countries were
experiencing The Dark Age. "After the fall of the Western half of the Roman Empire around ...
Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
However, the Mali Empire's power was weakened due to quarrels about orderly succession of the
emperors. When the Songhai Empire realized that weakness at the center of Mali, they started
rebelling. In 1375, Geo rebelled. Soon Songhai Empire began its expansion at the expense of Mali.
They conquered Mema, Timbuktu from the Tuareg. The military commander responsible for these
victories, Sunni Ali Ber, was considered the first great ruler of the Songhai Empire. He continued to
expand and build the empire by taking control of important Trans–Saharan trade routes as well as
other cities and provinces of Mali. Trade had a significant influence on the history of these empires.
The riches made through these trades contributed to build larger kingdoms and empires. In order to
protect their trade, they build even larger armies. The slave trade was the most important contributor
to their economic development. "The Songhai kingdom under the rule of Askia Mohammed used
slaves as soldiers. Slaves were trusted not to overthrow their rulers. Sometimes, slaves were given
position such as royal advisers because "Songhai rulers believed that slaves could be trusted to
provide unbiased advice unlike other citizens who held a personal stake in the outcome of
decisions" (Tesfu 2015). Fall of Songhai Empire: The wealth and power of Songhai empire was
drastically affected by the environmental changes, which caused droughts and diseases. In the 16th
century, Songhai empire went into civil war. Following the fates of Ghana and Mali empires. They
too started to fall apart. Even though, they survived the environmental changes. They fell prey to
Moroccans, who wanted to control the sub–Saharan gold trade. In 1591, the Moroccan army
invaded and Songhai were defeated. The economic and administrative centres of which remained in
Moroccan

United Nations Security Council ( Unsc ) On The Effort Of...
Mali Terrorism
"Of the 28,328 people killed in terrorist attacks in 2015, 6,924 (24%) were perpetrators of terrorist
attacks," the report says. "Perpetrators were killed intentionally in suicide attacks, accidentally while
attempting to carry out attacks, or by security forces or victims responding to attacks"(cnsnews).
This is what terrorism has done all across the world. Terrorism has become a never ending
occurrence in Mali that has caused major issues economically and physically. Throughout this paper
there will be main ideas on what has happened in Mali with terrorism. Following with what leads to
the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the effort of terrorism in Mali. To follow up with
why the realist critique fits the terrorism in mali. Ending with the proof if the UNSC response and
current issues and if the UN is still there to this day. Wrapping it all up with a final conclusion of my
research and thoughts.
In nations there is always confrontation on differences of life. The most radical and severity of this
confrontation is Terrorism. Terrorism being described from Dictionary.com " The use of violence
and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes. The state of fear and
submission produced by terrorism or terrorization. A terroristic method of governing or of resisting
a government(Dictionary.com). This is any act of violence that comes from any group of people to
make serious threats to attack anything or anyone. To make a statement

History: The History Of Ghana, Mali, And Songhai
The histories of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai are not well documented much of what we know is a
mixture of legend, stories, and 2nd hand accounts. According to Mr. Clifton's lecture notes,
"Empires of Ancient West Africa", Ghana started as the first empire to establish of the three empires
and rose to power in the 1400's. Ghana was located where several trade routes came together. The
origin is unknown of how the empire began. According to legend, Odinga's son had found the
empire of Ghana. The empire had succeeded because Ghana's people had possessed gold and salt
mines, and controlling valuable trade routes. Once Ghana weakened, Mali conquered them. The
empire of Mali began with the fall of Ghana. According to the legend of the lion king,

1300s Bubonic Plague Research Paper
D1 – "The 1300s Bubonic Plague epidemic changed the path of world history": agree/disagree,
explain, then argue. The 1300s Bubonic Plague, also known as The Black Death was the greatest
epidemic known to mankind. This Plague started in 1347 and proceeded up until 1351, executing an
estimated amount of 25 million individuals. It was relatively difficult to keep one from catching this
infectious disease. The virus traveled not only through inflicted flea bites, but it was airborne as
well. Attacking the rich, the poor, newborns and elders, everybody was an easy target. I firmly
believe that the 1300s Bubonic Plague changed the way of world history. Biological Warfare was
first seen as a result of this event. Jani Beg, also known as Janibek Khan was a Khan of the Golden
Horde, during the same time The 1300s Bubonic Plague was spread. Mongols practiced Muslim
beliefs and the Italians practiced Christianity. These outstanding differences caused strains and
battles between the two. The tension rapidly grew worse when it left one Muslim dead in the town
of Tana in 1343. Italian Christians escaped to the city of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Trade is the transaction of buying or selling of goods and services from one country to another.
Because of trade, international consumers now have a wide assortment of products placed directly
in front of them that their region cannot provide. For instance, one can walk around the Bronx and
come to the zoo where there will be a giraffe from South Africa showcased for all to see. There are
no safari like animals such as the giraffe freely roaming around America. This is all possible due to
the trading system that has been

Mali Empire Research Paper
How did a small band of chiefdoms, barely distinguished from countless others, rise to become a
massive trading ground for not only gold, but tradition? The Mali Empire, founded in the 1200s by
Mansa Sundiata, was a powerful, influential kingdom that inevitably housed the transfer of
countless cultures. Since it was founded atop gold fields, the Empire of Mali quickly established
control over trade in Africa. Although there were numerous causes why Mali was a place of cultural
exchange, the Empire of Mali's wealth was the main origin because it constructed the University at
Timbuktu, raised the Great Mosque of Djenne, and nourished beneficial trade.
To begin, Mali's wealth allowed it to construct the University of Timbuktu, which attracted scholars
from around Africa. For context, the Sankore Madrasah, or the University at Timbuktu, was
constructed in the early 15th century, where professors taught about the Quran, Islam, logic, history,
and astronomy. Citing UC Davis, "The university was known and respected throughout the Muslim
world" (CHSSP). From this, we can conclude that students flocked to Mali to enroll in the Sankore
Madrasah, bearing ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Muslim Chief of Djenne, Koy Konboro, built the Great Mosque of Djenne in the 13th century,
where it stood with incredible prestige. Quoting the California History–Social Science project, "
[the] mosque is 4 stories high with minarets that are 60 feet high. It was built of blocks of rice
husks, earth and water" (CHSSP). Not only was this mosque 60 feet high, which was renowned as
remarkable at the time, but it was built with husks of rice and common earth, showing Mali's
architectural heights. Furthermore, the Great Mosque of Djenne by nature attracted Muslims, as it
was a religious place of high stature. Clearly, Mali's wealth and prosperity attracted people through
the Great Mosque of

The Mali Empire
Checkpoint 4: Essay Outline
Essay Question (highlight one):
Why did Mali become a site of cultural exchange? What were the effects?
How did Mali influence other parts of the world? How did other parts of the world influence Mali?
Directions:
Place your essay outline in the space below.
Your teacher will provide you with feedback on the Cognitive Skills:
Introduction/Conclusion
Informational/Explanatory Thesis
Selection of Evidence
Organization
Place your outline here:
In the modern day, there are numerous places that are popular for trade. China, United States and
other parts of Asia are these places, but let's go back to a earlier time. A time were trade was very
scarce and there was only one place to trade. I am talking about the Mali empire.Malian empire was
founded 1230 CE by Mansa ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
According to an article by Met Museum created in 2000, it states, " Gold, sought from the western
and central Sudan, was the main commodity of the trans–Saharan trade. The traffic in gold was
spurred by the demand for and supply of coinage. The rise appears to be related to the beginnings of
the trans–Saharan gold trade in the fifth century." This proves that, trade of gold was very common
and encouraged in the mali empire. This made the Mali empire a site of trade and cultural exchange.
According to an article by malitradevseuropeantrade created in 2012, it stated " Ancient Mali Gold
Trade Routes. In the ancient empire of Mali, the most important industry for trading was the gold
industry. Much gold was traded through the Sahara desert, to the countries on the North African
coast. The traders would travel by caravans, on camels." This provides the information needed to
see that the Empire of Mali had encouraged trade during their rule. Therefore, the Empire of Mali
had an encouraged trade through the trade routes and merchants of their

Sundiata Epic
Throughout the history of mankind, almost every culture has an epic poem, a poetic narrative about
significant event, often featuring a luminary. The epic of Sundiata is a story that was memorized
orally and passed by griots for centuries. Mamadou Kouyate the original griot who tells the story
explains that Sundiata's father Maghan Kon Fatta was the king of a city called Niani. A soothsaying
hunter tells the king that he produce an heir that would become a significant leader through
impregnating an ugly woman. The hunters offer the king a woman named Sogolon to be his wife,
the hunters received her by the means of defeating a repulsive buffalo. Sogolon is described as
hideous and has a hunchback. The king takes Sogolon as his second wife and ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Muslims controlled the trade routes in Mali which made it easier for Battuta in order to maneuver
around the empire because of the fact that he is also a Muslim and traveled throughout the Islamic
world. Some Malians would use salt as a medium of exchange even though gold and silver were
used mostly everywhere else. Gold, copper, salt, kola nuts, and spices were immensely crucial to the
Malian economy, its gold is very important around the world. Battuta explains on the occasion of
former king of Mali Mansa Musa went to Cairo two years prior before him and the king "flooded
Cairo with his kindness" which would upset their gold market for many years. Social inequality was
an issue in Mali, prisoners that were capture were made into slaves, especially women, they were
gathers and served as concubines for example, Battuta illustrates how women servants and slaves
girls are practically naked in front of everyone including Mansa Suleyman daughters. Men either
hunt or maintain the structure of the house. Battuta also expressed his dislike of the way Malian's
were not ritually slaughtering their animals. However he praises how clean the natives are in the
mosque on Fridays and memorizing the Quran by

Essay about Sundiata
If you want a taste of West African History Sundiata will give you exactly what you want and more.
Sundiata was an interesting piece of literature to read. Unlike the previous two books we have read
this semester I found this book much more simple. This book was much easier for me to
comprehend and actually get into. This book exposed me not only to the West African history, but
also a new religion. The story of Sundiata depicts the story of the foundation of the Mali Empire in
West Africa. This story takes place during a transitional time period, when the trade network that
linked towns and villages across western Africa attracted north African merchants who brought
increasing Muslim influence. The Mali Empire was one of the great ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
He gives special attention to Lahilatoul Kalabi, the first black prince to make the Pilgrimage to
Mecca. On his return trek, he was robbed by brigands, and his entourage split. Allah saved his life
and made him a king once he returned to Mali after seven years of wandering. They state, "After
seven years' absence Lahilatoul was able to return, by the grace of Allah the Almighty" (Sundiata,
2). Another important role in this epic was the importance of long distance trade. After the exile of
Sundiata it gives him a chance to learn about the trade routes and people of his region. An example
of this long distance trade was in the chapter of The Baobab Leaves. Sundiata's sister, Kolonkan,
now of a marriageable age took on the role in society as a woman. "She was at the market she
noticed a woman who was offering for sale nofiola, and gnougou, condiments unknown to the
people of Mema" (Sundiata, 43). She recognized the baobob leaves and many other vegetables
which her mother used to grow in her garden at Niani. The merchant questions Kolonkan on how
she knows about the baobab leaves, due to her offering at the market in Mema for days, but no one
wanting them. While over hearing the conversation a man draws near offering the princess a cola.
"We are merchants and we going from town to town"(Sundiata, 44). The details of trade in this
chapter greatly illustrate the existence of trade in the West African

Un People, Un But, Une Foi
Un People, Un But, Une Foi
After going through a rut during the Middle Ages, culture, exploration, and power boomed all over
the world during the Renaissance. European explorers traveled down the coast of Africa, and in one
of the least explored areas, which became known as Mali, they found a culture not replicated in the
rest of the world. Mali never wanted to be oppressed, and this led to a lot of conflict throughout its
history from ancient times to as recently as today. Though Mali has had a tumultuous past, buried
underneath the rubble of many wars and conflicts is a culture unlike any other in the world, a
foundation not based on government but on traditions dating back almost two thousand years.
Archaeologists know from ruins that Mali has been populated for about 50,000 years. During
ancient times, part of the Sahara was a fertile grassland, and farming was introduced to this land in
5000 BCE. The earliest traceable civilization in Mali is the Ghana Empire, which began in 300 BCE
(Baxter 1). Lasting until the thirteenth century A.D., the Ghana Empire ruled most of northwestern
Africa. Ghana, defined as leading or first, controlled from the Niger basin to the Atlantic until its
collapse and the establishment of the Mali Empire in the thirteenth century (African History: An
Illustrated Handbook 1).
The Mali Empire, one of the most powerful empires in the country's history, ruled until 1591 and
gained their success by trading gold, salt, and slaves to the Europeans. The

Golden Age Of Ghana Essay
Known as the "golden age" of West African history, ancient Ghana can absolutely be classified as
great. The word great implies power. Ghana amassed this power, and therefore greatness through
many ways. One thing this greatness can be attributed to is wealth amassed from its valuable
location. Another explanation is the complex organizational skills that contained law and leadership
to control citizens, and a tax system that played into the class system. Lastly, elaborate relations
with other peoples, that used foreign policies and advanced weaponry to promote peace made
Ghana great. These three things; wealth due to their location, complex organization skills, and
diplomatic international relations contributed to the greatness of Ghana and its exceptional power. ...
Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Dumb barter or silent trade allowed Ghana to control trade by being a middle man and amass its
wealth. Ghana was a thriving trading center by the year 800. This trade system allowed Ghana to
control trade, even without producing the products itself. Comparable to a stock broker, this system
allowed for Ghana to play as a middleman between trade. Two notorious goods traded were gold
from the Wangara and salt from Subsara Dessert and North Africa. Ghana attributed so much of its
wealth from gold that Ghana was even referred to as "the land of gold" and "a country where gold
grows like plants" . Although this wealth helped Ghana, for example in feeding its people, wealth
can be harmful in other instances. For example, Mansa Musa of Mali "ruined the value of money"
on his pilgrimage to Cairo by giving too many gifts to the people of Egypt. This inflation was
harmful to Egypt. This being said, in Ghana's case, wealth helped the

How Did Sunni Ali Influence The Songhai Empire
Sunni Ali Impact on Songhai Empire Before the 14th C the Songhai Empire was in danger and was
in major need of rescue. They had lost everything and were about to lose their empire. One of the
greatest Emperors who helped them get back up on their feet was the man Sunni Ali. He had many
achievements that increased the empire's influence. The king Sunni Ali had a positive impact on the
Songhai empire, because of him freeing them from the Mali Empire, making a powerful military
system, and expanding the land. Sunni Ali made a positive impact by freeing the Songhai Empire
from the Mali Empire. He "founded what became the greatest empire in west Africa history. Using
superlative military and administrative skills, he developed the Soninke state ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
He also "fought over the next three decades to expand and consolidate his hold over the empire.
From Timbuktu, his armies, headed south to conquer the niger port of Jenne. The city captured after
a large siege. Then in 1480, Sonni Ali attacked the Mossi states south of the Niger. Though he did
not conquer the Mossi, he was able to end their threat to his expanding empire"(World History:
Ancient and medieval Eras). Ali cleary conquered many parts of Africa and it helped the Songhai
Empire grow bigger and make it stronger. Ali was a good and very determined emperor because he
kept the Empire growing from one city to another. Not just stopping at one point, but fighting till the
end. After he was"shortly taking power, Sunni Ali launched an invasion of the important trading city
of Timbuktu, which was controlled by tuareg raiders. He subdued the target and bought the city
under his rule, there by funneling the ride trade of the Sahara into his Kingdom"(World History:
Ancient and medieval Eras). Just from taking out one city Ali took control of the whole Sahara. Not
only did Ali extend the Empire but continued a revolution. He took one journey to a never ending
conquest. Sunni Ali Ber impacted the Songhai Empire very positively by not only Expanding the
empire but increasing the population, making Africa have more culture, spreading the language and
many more. Ali turned this small city to a humongous almost country like figure. The king Sunni
Ali had a positive impact on the Songhai empire, because of him freeing them from the Mali
Empire, making a powerful military system, and expanding the land. Without Sunni Ali Ber Songhai
would not have not even existed, it still would have been a part of the Mali. He also showed the
world amazing ways to conquer an army and how to grow a Empire, he truly accomplished a lot for
the

Sundiata's Influence On American Culture
The Empire of Mali was the "Land of Gold" to all of Eurasia. Their huge abundance of gold brought
many people from all around the world in seek for this valuable treasure. The Empire of Mali was
founded by Sundiata after the Ghana Empire fell. Sundiata created a new society that involved
powerful warriors and elite craftsman. He also created a society with religious freedom. Sundiata
ultimately helped Mali grow and prosper in the beginning years. Mali developed into a site of
cultural exchange because of the gold–salt trade, which quickly resulted in religion being mixed
together and many merchants becoming eager for a large profit.
Mali became a site of cultural exchange because of the gold– salt trade. The gold –salt trade allowed
many

Sundiata Characteristics
Adrian Aviles
September 7, 2017
Dr. Lehman
African American History Sundiata an epic of old Mali is a story about Sundiata Keita who was the
founder of the Mali Empire in West Africa. This story is an oral tale of a young king's rise to power
and is narrated by Djeli Mamoudo Kouyate' who was a griot or traditional storyteller. Griots are
known to be ancient historians, keeping track of their culture and passing down this information
which lasts, generation after generation. In Sundiata an epic, Kouyate' expresses how important it is
to the Malinke culture to preserve this oral history. "I teach kings the history of their ancestors so
that the lives of the ancients might serve them as an example, for the world is old, but the future
springs from the past" says Kouyate' ( 1 ). Preserving Malinke culture and history was ideal in
teaching the younger generation of their rich heritage and what it means to live the life of a Malinke.
Among numerous different qualities, Sundiata an epic of old Mali is certainly an investigation of
what qualities characterize Sundiata as a hero, and by augmentation, what excellencies are heroic.
The most glaring is his strength. As a youngster, notwithstanding when he is disabled, unable to
walk, his strong arms have the strength to pull roots from the ground. Be that as it may, when he at
long last stands, he astounds everybody, bowing a tremendous pole to a bow and pulling a tree up by
its foundations. Another heroic quality is

Analysis Of The Epic Of Old Mali
Erica Pangburn
Professor Timothy Fitzgerald
March 21, 2015
Primary Source Analysis
An Epic of Old Mali
Sundiata: an Epic of Old Mali was written by D.T. Niane and translated by G.C. Pickett. D.T. Niane
was a historian who received this version of Sundiata's epic from Djeli Mamoudou Kouyaté, a griot.
In fact, there is not a true author for this epic due to the fact that it has been transmitted orally for
many years. This epic justly showed the type of culture Africa had at the time taken place and has
defined the type of people who use to reside there. Sundiata: an Epic of Old Mali withholds many
themes, but only some of importance: the transmission of the epic, politics, religion, and destiny.
It can be argued that the orality of Sundiata versus the written translation is an important theme of
the epic of old Mali. This story has been translated several times into several different languages.
The epic of Sundiata originated as an oral epic performance that was performed by various African
griots or bards. It was a challenge translating the oral tradition into written form. Thus concluded
that orality is a better form of transmission than writing. Transmitting oral passages into writing can
be easily falsified. Oral communication is more unquestioning than writing. Interesting enough, the
griots are important persons who transmitted Sundiata: an Epic of Old Mali through many lineages.
Griots were not only historical orators, but they were also important political figures.

The Glorious Mansa Musa Essay
Mansa Musa, the venerable emperor of Mali, famous throughout Africa, revered by his people, was
a true renaissance man. Why has history forgotten such a man when it has remembered Julius
Caesar, Henry VIII or Napoleon, but not this man? It is because small minded white men only
respect other white men, they see all others as inferior. The white dominance of history is obvious
when only recently are Asians being recognized, only recently people have heard of men like
Genghis Khan or Confucius. Yet Africans have also had great people who need to be recognised and
acknowledged. Now is the time to be rid of old prejudice and to acknowledge Mansa Musa, who
was not only a great African but a king of one of the most enlightened empires of the ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
In addition, Mansa Musa had a baggage train of 80 camels, each carrying 300 pounds of gold."
(Coleman De Graft–Johnson).
His caravan, the finest ever seen, was magnificent. He did not just bring his riches to spend, but
freely gave it away. Word of his generosity spread, wherever he traveled throughout. Mansa Musa
became a legend in the eyes of the people, a man so rich, but generous, powerful, yet humble, and
intelligent, but not aloof.
Mansa Musa had a vision of making Timbuktu the educational center of Africa. While on his hajj he
collected the greatest scholars in Africa. He convinced some of the of the finest minds of Cairo to
come, for Mali would only have the best. The mosque of Sankore became the primary "teaching
centre and laid the foundations of the University of Sankore" (Coleman De Graft–Johnson). With
Musa's patronage the University of Sankore became one of the finest universities of the time. The
university unlike European universities at the time had no central administration or required courses,
instead students focused on specific topics such as religious studies, law and literature(Khiar,
Zulkifi). Because of the University of Sankore today colleges and universities allow people to major
in a certain field.
Under Mansa Musa, Mali became the the largest and one of the most renown kingdoms in Africa.
Gold was abundant and the empire was prosperous; what more could one ask for? Though as it turns
out fame and prosperity can be fleeting. The empire

What Is The Difference Between Medieval Mali Culture And...
Culture The people of medieval Mali had a unique culture. When talking about the culture of the
Mali people, we should definitely address their families, early beliefs, traditions, oral history, and art
forms. As for families, a typical West African family was an extended family consisting of a father,
mother, children, and close relatives. But, in some areas people took part in another type of group
called age sets. People, in both families and age sets, had the duty to help and be loyal to one
another. Early West African beliefs consisted of traditional beliefs that showed the importance of
families, and animism that reflected the people's dependence on the natural world for survival. One
example of a traditional belief is that if

The Empire Of Mali : The Most Powerful Empire Of Old Africa
The Empire of Mali was one of the largest empires in West African history, spanning from the
Atlantic Coast to the central parts of the Sahara Desert. It was historically known as the Manding
Empire or the Manden Kurufa. From 1235 to 1600, the Empire of Mali has been described as "the
most potent empire of old Africa," and by looking at the history, prominent people, and various
events throughout its existence, show how this empire was able to thrive and earn this title.
Originally, the Mali empire was founded by a federation of Mandinka tribes called the Manden
Kurufa. These tribes all spoke in the same tongue and set the oral traditions of the Manding
languages during unification. These tribes were soon conquered by King Sumaoro Kante of the
Ghana Empire, along with several neighboring states. It was an area that provided protection and
resources for their hunters in the forest, mountains, and savannah. There was a boy named Sundiata
Keita, and when he was a little boy, he watched as King Sumaoro Kante conquered the Mandinka
tribes. It was believed that Sundiata was once a headman of the village Kangaba. During this time,
he organized a private army gaining their trust and respect before challenging the powers of the
neighbouring Susu people. In 1235, he and his army were able to defeat King Sumaoro Kante in the
Battle of Kirina, forcing the former tributary states of Kaniaga to acknowledge his suzerainty.
Eventually he was able to raze Kumi, the former capital of

Migrations Of Afric The Maasai, And The Bambuti
The continent of Africa has many diverse groups filled with astonishing and heartbreaking historical
records. To start off, the Maasai, the Tuareg and the Bambuti are three major cultural groups
belonging to Africa. The Maasai and the Tuareg are nomadic pastoralists, and the Bambuti consist of
four groups; the Sua, the Aka, the Efe, and the Mbuti. These four branches of the Bambuti are
known to be quite short and stocky. It is also believed that humankind migrated from Africa to the
rest of the world. Africa is known as the birthplace of humankind, due to the first ever human fossils
being found on the continent. There were than three major migrations from Africa, as follows. The
Bantu Migration was a massive migration of many groups early

Gender Stratification
Gender Stratification
In this paper, I am going to address gender stratification in relation to Marriage, Sexuality, and
Reproductive health issues. I am going to use Monique and the Mango Rains written by Kri
Holloway as ethnographic data, which she collected in Mali. My interpretations of gender
stratification in Mali are women did not have the rights to choose their husband; women did not
have ways to control the sex life and do not have ways to do birth control; women had to face
extremely hard reproductive health issues.
To start with, I would like to give some background analysis about gender norms and stratification
in Mali. Mali is landlocked in the West Africa and it is one of the poorest countries in the world.
According ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The country's Gender Inequality Index is 0.712, which is really poor. Therefore, Mali had an
extremely gender stratification and inequality towards women.
Next, I would like to address gender stratification in relation to marriage. Marriage is a term to
describe a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. They address each
other as spouse. In Mali, a discriminatory family code stopped women to have the rights to choose
their own partner. They could not be married with a guy they fall in love. Their marriage was
arranged. For example, Monique was arranged to marry her husband when she was a little kid. Kri
kept asking herself how her life would be if she had known that who she would be married with
when she was five years old. The culture was so different and Kri was never take marriage seriously.
The next example I found from the book was Korotun's unhappy marriage. Her husband Dramane
was an alcoholic. One day when he came back to home and was not able to find his wife. He was
pissed and thought his wife cheated on him. He was always jealous and insecure. At night, he went
out and found out his wife was selling sweet potatoes in the middle of the town and he was drunk
and pissed. He slapped her at her face and dragged her back and screamed at her, saying she was
flirting with the men (page 47). The third example I want to share was from the Week 7 lecture,
which were the

Mali Aguay Culture
Stephen Lavely
3–22–16
Col–299
Jacqueline Gray Culture of Mali and Paraguay
Culture is essentially a way of life. All countries around the world encompass its own culture or it
includes a diverse set of cultures. No matter how different a set of countries seem to be, they all
have their own cultures. Their cultures include their architecture, food, clothing, gender roles, and
religion among many other aspects. Their culture also includes their music. For example, Mali and
Paraguay seem to not have much in common. Both of them, however, passionately integrate music
as a part of their culture. Mali is a country that exists in northern Africa and is the eighth largest
country in Africa (People & Our Culture). It is home to about fourteen ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The harp is thought to have originated from somewhere in Africa and eventually made its way to
South America. The harp has become the official national instrument of Paraguay (Agordoh). A
Paraguayan harp typically has 36 or 37 strings and has essentially become a cultural and national
emblem (Agordoh). One of the most notable harp player is Félix Pérez Cardozo. Cardozo spread his
music by playing at large musical festivals and night clubs. Eventually he gained a lot of public
attention and had a lot success as well. One of his recordings, often considered his masterpiece,
gave him international recognition. This piece was called "Guyra campana." He greatly contributed
to the popularization of the harp and solidified it as a national

Mansa Mali : The Greatest Leader Of The Mali Empire
Mansa Musa
Mansa Musa was one of the most extravagant emperors of the early 14th century. He was born in
1280 and he died in the year of 1337 (Musa I of Mali). The Mali empire was originally founded by
Musa's grandfather, Sundiata in the early 1200s. Scholars believed that Mansa Musa had a net–
worth of over 400 billion dollars and that he was the richest man in history. Mansa MusaHe Musa
was the strongest greatest leader of the Mali kingdom, and he effectively established a wealthy
economy for Mali, which would last over a lifetime for his people.e increased literacy and he
effectively established a successful economy for Mali that would last over a lifetime.
Musa decided to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca in order to help him gain spiritual insight on how to
create a united and rich empire. According to John Coleman de Graft Johnson, he went on the
pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324, after 12 years of his rule. During his journey, he invested in the
economy of Cairo and spent an immense amount of gold as part of his philanthropy. He was known
for being a wise, kind–hearted man who treated everyone with respect, no matter their race or
religion. Because of his donations, he almost caused the downfall of all surrounding economies. The
abundance of gold made the prices decrease, so merchants and people of trade were not making
enough money. It was believed that Mansa Musa took at least 100 camel loads of gold and 60,000
people with him on the hajj (Mansa Musa and Islam in Africa).

The Trade Routes And The Spread Of Islam
The Malian Trade Routes and the Impact on West Africa Through the Spread of Islam Along These
Routes The trade routes of Mali are not as well known as others like the Silk Road, but they were
influential in the trade of North Africa and forever influenced history. These trade routes conveyed
gold, salt, and, to a lesser extent, copper to empires in the Middle East and Mediterranean. However,
the most influential effect of these trade routes was the spread of Islam throughout West and Central
Africa. The empire of Mali rose in the early 13th century and soon expanded. The empire controlled
all of the main trade routes throughout West Africa, which are collectively referred to as the Malian
trade routes. These trade routes were vital to most of the world. Berber traders from northern Africa
came along these routes to get gold and salt, vital for the flavoring and more importantly the
preservation of food, to trade to the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean empires. In addition, traders
from northwestern Africa brought salt along these routes to major trading cities in Mali, to trade to
the Berber traders and merchants from Central Africa. Mali had so much gold and the trade of gold
was so important to the rest of the world that maps of the ancient world depicted Mali with a gold
nugget or with a man wearing a gold crown sitting on a gold throne and holding a gold spear in one
hand and a gold coin the size of his head in his other hand. The salt trade was also very

Mali Cultural Exchange
Did you know that during its time, the Empire of Mali was one of the richest kingdoms of its time?
Resources, trade, and interaction with Muslim scholars allowed Mali to become a site of cultural
exchange. Mali was a kingdom of West Africa that ruled from 1200s to 1464 CE. They had access to
tons of gold through gold mines, which they traded with people like Arab merchants. Muslim
Scholars also traveled to Mali, and spread Islam there. In this essay, I am going to tell you why Mali
became a site of cultural exchange.
One reason that Mali became a site of cultural exchange was because of there salt and gold supply.
According to a PDF by UC Davis from 2014, Berber people lived as nomads and crossed the
Sahara, taking gold north, and salt south. Arab North Africans ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
These universities were built by Islamic Scholars to help spread Islamic religion. According to UC
Davis, the University at Timbuktu was built in the 15th century, at the time it was a large Muslim
scholar community. It was organized into separate colleges, each of them run by one teacher.
Students would learn and study with that one teacher subjects like The Quran and Islamic religion,
logic, astronomy or history. This shows how Islam was spread through universities, and how
communities were created for these universities. Another artifact, also according to UC Davis, an
artifact that is two pages from a mathematics and astronomy book, that is from Timbuktu. The pages
show lots of writing, and what looks like a form of graph or design, in the middle of each page. It is
one of the 700,000 manuscripts that, throughout the 12–17th centuries, were collected by scholars.
This shows how many people were being educated and studying at universities. 700,000 is a very
big number of manuscripts, so that shows how influential Islamic scholars were. In total, you can
see how universities being built was a big effect of Mali's cultural

Sundiata Historical Accuracy
The story of Sundiata, well reproduced by the Guinean historian Niane, relates how this king
managed to found the second famous Western African empire, the empire of Mali, in the thirteenth
century. This tale is still very popular in Mali and other surrounding areas, and is especially used as
a way to exacerbate the national pride and identity. The epic of Sundiata helps people to integrate
themselves in an historical ensemble and to get a hold on their history. Historical accuracy might
seem necessary for such a thing to happen. At least, that is what our Western standards would expect
to find in an historical written tale, as if every written historical text was accurate in the first place.
This debate fits within the whole discussion ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
There is a strong importance of castes, like griots, who are somewhat still the keeper of traditions
and history and who used to serve the rulers as reminders of the past to help them take decisions and
orators who relayed the words of the king to the rest of the population, but who are mostly today
musicians. The smith caste is also really important in the tale, there were the first to master the work
of iron. In modern Mali, they are less important, but some old families, like the Keitas, Sundiata's
own family, managed to remain prominent in politics. The actual president of Mali is, for instance,
Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, comes from the same large Keita family, just like many former presidents.
It is just a further proof that family in the 13th century was just as important as it is today. Indeed,
family still determines one's social status, friendships, activities and to some extent, destiny and in
the case of Sundiata's tale, his destiny was clearly determined because of his father and mother's
families. These families, just like today, were mixed, since one man could have several wives in
traditional beliefs and according to Muslim laws. The gender roles were strict, women were
supposed to raise children, cook, manage the livestock, whereas men handled the structure of the
house, relations with other families and certain food (baobab leaves,

History Griot Research Paper
– Lucy Ulrich History 94 3/15/16 Word Count: 1173
– Griots were an essential part to Mali history as they both performed and preserved Mali past
through song and stories and were responsible for entire histories of Kings and their ancestors
(Griots). There were no written documents so the history of a kingdom came from only the
knowledge of the griot responsible for it. "Listen to my word, you who want to know; by mouth you
will learn the history of Mali" (Sundiata page 1) as said by Djeli Mamoudou Kouyate, the griot who
recounts the entire in the story of Sundiata, epic of old Mali by DT Niane, a tale depicting the
creation of the Mali empire through the events of the king Sundiata's life. This epic is a source that
provides great insight ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Oral history is the recording, preservation, and interpretation of historical information (What). The
key word is this definition is interpretation, while oral history can state events and people from past
generations it is more the personal experiences and opinions of the person telling it. Like many
other forms of sources, it does not always state straight facts. Numerous stories in the form of oral
history can be folktales which is a tale passed down from a group of people, these tales are usually
based on superstition (Written). Instead of paper being passed down through generations in a book,
oral history is passed mouth by mouth (What). A good analogy for this way of conveying stories is
the game 'whisper down the lane'. While a the general idea of the words or story can reach the end,
or the present generation, words can be changed, and so can the truth of the story. It is not, however,
only oral history which may not be completely accurate, all documents of past stories add personal
viewpoints and adjusted storylines. A book like Sundiata may not be one hundred percent accurate
to the reality of its time, but it is useful

Sundiata An Epic Of Old Mali Summary
The sacred traditions, customs, and beliefs of ancient Mali is a story of epic proportions. To retrieve
the great lineage of the First Kings of Mali and learn the history behind certain rituals told by an
exquisite narrative that is perfectly woven together through different stories. The legend of Sundiata
stresses the importance of understanding and respecting one's history. In D. T. Niane's "Sundiata An
Epic of Old Mali," the African history of Mali is presented through tribal customs, honor, and
jealousy between brothers.
Years and years ago in Africa, certain customs and traditions were set in place that governed
different regions and tribes. People in Mali had a unique tradition bearer. In the first chapter of
Niane's "Sundiata An Epic of Old Mali," the reader is introduced to a "griot" who explains his role
and his ancestor's knowledge on ancient Mali. "The art of eloquence has no secrets for us; without
us the names of kings would vanish into oblivion,... by the spoken word we bring to life the deeds
and exploits of kings for younger generations." (Page 1) In a humble but guaranteed tone, the griot
assures the reader that he is the keeper of all. His knowledge expands beyond what is now and
covers what has been. Everything that has occurred in the kingdom of Mali is imperative for the
griots to remember so the future kings would understand their heritage. They are the overseers of
knowledge and without them there is no way the kings of Mali would have flourished.

Silk Road And Mali Civilization Essay
In order for Mali to trade with different civilizations they have to have supplies that the other
civilizations would want. The chinese have silk which is really valuable so if the chinese don't want
supplies that the other civilizations sell, the chinese won't sell them silk. What your going to be
learning about is two different civilizations, The Silk Road, and the Mali people. In these
civilizations there is history, geography, lasting impact, and trade. This essay talks about how these
two civilizations are comparable.
Did you know that the Silk Road goes across all 7 continents across the whole world? Did you know
that the Mali civilization was located in the bottom of West Africa? The empire of Mali was founded
around 1235 B.C.. Mali covered regions of the modern day ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The most famous emperor of Mali was Mansa Musa. The Silk Road was over 4,000 miles long past
all 7 continents. The name Silk Road was founded in 1877 by a german geographer. The Silk Road
helped other civilizations and empires to get along and trade with one another so not everyone's
fighting all the time. The silk trade significantly grew in 206 B.C. to 220 B.C.. The Mongols
controlled a portion of the Silk Road and trade route for a long time. When Mongol ruled the trading
route, the merchants got more privileges for a long time back then. There were a lot more routes
than just one and not all of them were the same length. Mali was located in West Africa and the Silk
Road was located in all 7 continents. Mali was founded in 1235 B.C. way back before the Silk
Road, and the Silk Road was founded in 1877 by a german geographer. Mali has Niger, Senegal,
Mauritania, and Guinea, and the Gamba, the Silk Road has all 7 continents including Australia,
Africa, China, Europe, North America, South America, and Antarctica. Mali's emperor was Mansa
Musa and the Silk Road's emperor was the chinese people. Mali had more than one emperor and the

Written Documentation Of Mali By Ibn Battuta
Historians rely on oral sources to study and understand Ancient and Medieval Africa. The African
people never adopted the practice of written documentation for events. Instead, individuals would
memorize the clan's history and recall it orally. Because of this lack of written primary sources,
historians experience numerous issues when interpreting oral sources. For example, a foreigner or
visitor may not understand the background information of procedures and values the natives
practiced. While oral sources can provide insight into the cultures of African lives, they can also
remain silent in explanations. One example of this issue includes the written documentation of Mali
by Ibn Battuta.
The Mali Empire started during the reign of Sundiata ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Although his source lacked the in–depth explanations of certain practices and roles, he presented the
basic information of the civilization. Despite this lack of information, historians still extract
information from these types of sources to identify the lifestyles, politics, religions, and economics
in these cultures. In the same way, Battuta brought attention to the culture of Mali in order to
provide historians the sources needed to discover and understand Ancient and Medieval African
cultures. Ultimately, historians will continue filtering sources for the enlightening details, hoping to
place the pieces of documentation into a bigger picture of

Essay On Health Systems
Comparative Health Systems
We have covered a total of 21 national health systems and have learned some unique systems on
each of them. We have learned some fascinating things for example, Japan having the highest life
expectancy than any other country at birth, or France being nominated the number health care
system in 2000 by the World Health Organisation, or Has a universal system that is facing
challenges from aging population and an increase in prevalence for behavior based conditions, but
my favorite system was india! I was amazed by how far their system has come and how good
they're doing. Their system had success in the 20th century with communicable diseases, which has
resulted in a population explosion which they are currently ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
("Mali Health Insurance", 2017, Para. 2). The country became independent of France in 1960. Being
present day french colony, many diplomatic affairs exist between Mali and France as Mali is
dependant of France since colonial years. Mali and France enjoy close relations of confidence, not
only for historical and cultural reasons but also because of the large Malian diaspora in France. Mali
is dependent on a lot of international development. Mali accounts for over 50 Ethnologue languages,
then speak French as the official language and Bambara which I also speak is the most widely
spoken. The According to the French diplomatie, "During the early 2000s, Mali enjoyed a major
influx of FDI; french diplomatic influx, which increased more than twenty–fold, making it the
third–largest recipient country in the sub–region, with a stock of $3.4 billion (31% of GDP) in
2013". (France Diplomatie. 2016). Now let's find out how how health is managed in Mali, one of the
10th poorest countries in the world. Mali's health care system is slowly evolving but not nearly
comparable to those in developed countries, for example, life expectancy at birth is only 55 years in
Mali while there is over a 30 year difference in developed countries like in america where it's 89 and
expected get even higher by 2020 according to the world health organisation. (WHO, year).

Ancient Mali Research Paper
Ancient Mali was a country located in North–West Africa. It was a country that had once thrived as
one of the biggest empires. Their location also had an impact that made them known for trading
because of the surrounding resources. Taking advantage, as well as their ruler, who led them to be
rich, ruled at his peak. So, ancient Mali represents history, geography, and trade/economics, because
it was a part of what changed their empire as a whole.
Ancient Mali was an empire that had started when Malinke conquered the Soso in 1240, and there,
the Malian people started their empire. With this their empire grew in size reaching nearly all of
what there is of West Africa today. Overtime their empire grew to its height as the rulers of Mali
brought themselves together and formed a kingdom. Their trading heavily influenced their ranking
in society, and made ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Many came to trade here, as Mali had grown in wealth. Mansa Musa flourished Mali, and travelers
and traders came to his empire. But of course, his wasn't the only city to be known to trade. But he
was one of the major in North Africa. Mali traded with empires that were also North of Africa. ¨The
Mansa reserved the exclusive right to dispense justice and to tax both local and international trade.
That trade was centered in three major cities, Timbuktu, Djenne and Gao.¨ (Black Past). These were
the places known, and shown on the map.
Materials, valuables, and other items Mali would receive would be involved in trading between Mali
and Egypt. They would import and export to each other for the advancement of each others empires.
They had worked together for a while, each advancing their trading areas, and gaining more
supplies. Mali would import were things like gold, and in return they would trade and get things
they weren't able to get themselves. Other than that, they would trade things with gold. Gold was
Africa's currency and was a great deal, for wealth and

Analysis and Commentary on The Epic of Sundiata
The Epic of Sundiata The Epic of Sundiata is a tale about the ancient kingdom of Mali in Africa and
the legendary king and founder of the Mali Empire told by Djeli Mamadou Kouyate a griot, which
is equivalent to storyteller. Before the griot begins the story he introduces himself as a "master in the
art of eloquence." He explains how his family had played an important role in preserving the history
of the Mali Empire. By serving the princes of the Mali Empire. He says a griots job is to protect
secrets, memorize the names and accomplishments of the great kings and preserving "the memory
of mankind." It is the griot that teaches kings their history so they can use lessons of their ancestors
to guide their decisions. There is an obvious tone of importance in his introduction as well as a
theme of power that resonates throughout the epic. The griot presents himself in the introduction to
the audience in a way that gives him prestige. He is persuading his audience to believe that he has
the credentials to tell a valid story.
Why did The Epic of Sundiata become so significant and popular? Griots most have known of
countless stories to enlighten and entertain their audiences with. the stories can be swayed
depending on the audiences reactions to the stories. The stories that did not hold peoples attention,
uninteresting,, or disrespectful to culture or beliefs were not passed along or altered by griots to get
the audiences' attention. But I wonder, since griots are

Significance Of Restoring African World History
Ryan Kelly
A. Mogre
2127 words
Ancient Africa and Kemet
Discuss the Significance of Restoring African World History.
Does Africa have any history? Have the people of Africa made any significant contribution to
humanity? With the knowledge that the birthplace of humankind is Africa (Sanz, 2012, p.6), it does
make one wonder how a place that is home to millions of people was not able to establish a civilised
system until the European interactions that started in the 16th century. In this piece, I will explain
how the European imperialistic distortions of Africa's past has led to this general belief that Africa
has no history. I will also be using examples of some of the achievements of ancient Africa, to show
the vital part they have played in the advancement of humanity and civilisation for thousands of
years. Finally, I will be looking at the controversy surrounding the ancestral heritage of ancient
Egypt, Kemet, and how this view has changed over time.
It is important to note that Eurocentrism is not some sinister entity or collective, orchestrating a
master plan to brainwash everyone. There are positives and negatives to having a Eurocentric
viewpoint, but for the sake of this piece I will be focusing on the points of western culture that had
an influence on African history.
I
Firstly, to understand why the worldview of Africa is inaccurate, we first need to understand the
terms Eurocentric and Eurocentrism. These terms are used to describe the focus on European

Ghan The Empire Of Ghana
To start off, Empire Of Ghana was one of the most important civilizations that lived, a thousand
years ago, Ghana was also a very powerful empire until it ended. When this civilization began was
around 750 C.E. and Ghana ended around 1076 C.E. At one time, The Empire of Ghana got bigger
than ever, which that was in the eighth century. The Empire of Ghana also made a shift in Western
Africa. Kumbi Saleh was what Ghana's capital was built on Sanara in a region, which is called
Sanel, which was about 820 C.E. What the name Empire Of Ghana was a traditional honorific title
of leaders in Wagadou. What that means is that the term that Ghana Empire relates to the title of the
emperor, and that isn't a geographic area. The Kingdom Of Ghana, ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The city of Ghana is around 1067 E.S.T. and 1,600 Km2 long. Ghana was established around 350
A.D.C. The Ghana Empire was located in Western Africa, which is today the one of the countries of
Mauritania , Senegal, and The Mali Empire. Ghana is just on the south side of the Sonora desert and
also mostly around the Savanna Grasslands. Next, Ghana was the word that soninke used for their
king. The word Ghana came from "Warrior King" . Ancient Ghana was important because they
derived power and wealth from gold and The Introduction of the camel, during the trans– Saharan
trade increased the quantity of goods which were transported somewhere to the east. If a country
pays a debt to the kingdom of Ghana through their name, no physical territory was shared within
that country and the Kingdom Of Ghana. Folklore said the nominal link was due to migration of the
survivors with the empire of Ghana which involves the attack. People believe that The Ghana
Empire chose that name because it's supported to be respectful. The biggest impact that ghana made
was that Ghana made bigger land because when Ghana became under attack, they had a drought,
and when that happened they had to get on boats and go to a bigger land. To continue again, The silk
Road was found in in 200 B.C. and ended in 1300 A.D. The Silk Road people may think that it's just
one road. The Silk Road

The Importance Of The Heroic Tale Of Sundiata
Throughout history, storytellers have used fantastic fables to entertain his or her audience. Filled
with larger than life characters and amazing tales of heroism, on the surface these fables simply
seem like mass entertainment much in the same way comic book heroes entertain us today on the
silver screen. However, most of the time these epic, fantastic tales have a much deeper purpose for
both the storyteller and the audience. While the stories aim to entertain, more importantly, the epic
tales exist to hand down crucial histories from generation to generation. This is important to the
culture in which the story takes place, and is a true observation for the story of Sundiata, the
founding of the Mali Empire, and the descendants of these Mali people. While on the surface, the
story is a heroic tale of Sundiata's early life as he overcomes many obstacles, defeats mystical and
magical foes, and finally emerges triumphant, it is really a tale designed to teach the audience the
history of the Mali Empire and the values and culture of the Mali people. This is tremendously
important to the Mali people back when the story was first told and is still important to them today.
As a historical oral epic, the tale of Sundiata tells the reader the story of the creation of the Mali
Empire. The events of the tale take place during the early 13th century and detail the early, difficult
life of Sundiata up until his final victory over the evil Soros. After this victory, Sundiata

The Historical Context Of West African History
For our final paper, we were to read Sundiate. This was my favorite book to read due to the fact that
I have an interest in West African history. From reading this book we should know the historical
context, who Songolon Kolonkan and Balla Fasseke are and what roles they play, what details show
existence of long distance trade, what the universal religion is, and what we learned about West
African history. The book really gave me a broad idea of what life would be like during that time. I
can only imagine seeing thousands of traders coming into Mali with their camels and donkeys
carrying what they had to trade. What is the historical contexts? Sundiate was born in the kingdom
of Mali. He lived was born in 1217, and lived a short 38 years ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Balla was there to help Sundiata whenever he got put into bad situations. The father of Sundiata
,Maghan Kon Fatta, also had a griot who went by the name of Gnankouman Doua (Sundiata, xvii).
An interesting fact about griots is that their position moves down to their child. Balla basically was
to teach and pass on the traditions of the Mali culture. Balla also played a major role in how
Sundiata began to walk. Sundiata was tired of constantly having to crawl everywhere he went and
had enough of everybody talking about him. Sundiata requested the Balla bring him an iron bar to
assist in holding him up. It takes a lot of courage for someone to do that. Sogolon Kolonkan was the
sister to Sundiata. She also protected and guided him. They have the same parents, so they are full
blooded brother and sister. Sogolon wached over him. There were witches who were going to test
Sundiata , but he ,unknowingly, had nothing to worry about. "Sogolon was very well versed in the
art of witchcraft and watched over brother" (Sundiata, 26). Sogolon was not going to let anything
happen that she did not think Sundiata couldn't handle. What details shows existence of long
distance trade? Mali sat right in the middle of the trade route that runs through West Africa. Trade
was a booming in Mali. Traders traveled for hundreds of miles because of the variety of resources
and items that were coming through. Due to that fact that the traders needed to carry many goods
across far distance they

Mansa Musa
Advertising at its Finest The three different accounts that we get of Mansa Musa of his pilgrimage to
Mecca all give a similar description of fourteenth–century Mali and its sultan; they were extremely
wealthy and powerful. Prior to Mansa Musa's pilgrimage, most of the world outside of the African
continent not only did not know the extent of Mali's power, but had no knowledge of the empire at
all. Upon arriving in Cairo in 1324, Mansa Musa showed the wealth that Mali held to the rest of the
world with the large mass of people and crates of gold that he brought with him. With this exposure,
the ruler was able to establish new diplomatic relations with his generosity and Mali was set out on
the world stage for the first time in history. By being ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Mansa Musa knew that by building his relationship with the governor of Old Cairo Ibn Amīr Hājib,
he was able to verbally express what Mali had to offer if they were to be introduced to the world
stage. He told the governor of Old Cairo a good amount about himself and this is how a friendship
and soon a diplomatic relationship was built. The sultan of Mali described in detail the
characteristics of the land, the army of Mali that was formed by one–hundred thousand individuals,
the resources and livestock, and most importantly the vast amounts of gold that they had to offer. In
addition to having all of these resources in their possession, Mansa Musa further impressed Ibn
Amīr Hājib by telling him that "by his sword and his armies he had conquered 24 cities each with its
surrounding district with villages and estates." (CR 89) He was making the most of his hajj by
having a full out promotion of the empire of Mali. Mansa Musa did not go into his pilgrimage with
the intent of bowing to any king that he met on his path though he had been showing much respect
and care for the land and people he was meeting for the first time. After outright refusal to kiss the
ground in honor of the sultan, Mansa Musa established Mali's position in world rankings not as a
close second to these other empires, but rather on an equal level or higher level than all. With this
exposure of Mali's power, "high–ranking statesmen of the two kingdoms were exchanged as
ambassadors" and diplomatic relations were set to be fully active. (CR

King Sundiata Research Paper
One of the most powerful Kings of the Kingdom of Mali in the 1200s was Sundiata Keita. He was
known for many different things throughout history such as taking back the Kingdom of Mali,
where he grew up. He was also known for establishing the city of Niani as the capital of the empire.
These are a couple things Sundiata Keita is known for during his tenure as King. When Sundiata
was a child, Mali was a very small kingdom at the time. While he was still a child, the Soso people
captured Mali and took control of the empire. Sundiata became a captive member of the Soso, he
lived with the leader of the Soso (see "Sundiata Keita of Mali" ). When he was seven years old,
Sundiata began to become stronger. He learned how to walk and started exercising every day. In just
a few years, he changed himself into a strong warrior. He was determined to free Mali from the
Sosos and fled into exile. While in exile, Sundiata became famous as a feared warrior and fighter.
After several years, he decided to return to Mali in order to make Mali a better place. The people of
Mali were tired of the high taxes that the Soso rulers asked of them and wanted to revolt. After
1240, Sundiata led no further quests but consolidated his hold on the states already under his
control. His ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Although Sundiata was a Muslim, he allowed the people to practice whatever religion they pleased.
After defeating the Soso, Keita merged his power towards the people of his empire and established a
strong centralized monarchy (see "Sundiata Keita, Hero of the Mali Empire" ). When Keita died, his
son Uli became the mansa, or King, of Mali. The Malinke people of west Africa continued to regard
Sundiata Keita as a national hero. His death was estimated to have taken place around the 1260's.
Ibn Khaldun and other fourteenth century North African historians indicate that Sundiata Keita ruled
Mali for roughly 25 to 30

Sundiata The Griot Analysis
Traditions are passed down from generation to generation. A family's past, present, and future is told
to each member of a family with the idea that it will be passed down. Our traditions teach us about
the way we live; including why we eat certain food, why we talk a certain way, and why we tell the
stories we tell. In the MalianAfrican culture, a Griot is the person responsible for teaching the
younger children and citizens of Mali Africa the stories of their ancestors. Through oral traditions,
they are responsible for making sure their community is well versed in the culture of their people
and understand why they act the way they do; and therefore, the Griot could be considered one of
the most important roles people in the community due ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It is a story that has been told through the generations and should be taught all over the world;
however, it sadly is not, but there are certain stories that relate to Sundiata. These stories remain
classics; timeless and universal narratives told with the purposed of educating our children. This
purpose is seen in modern culture. For example, "Little Red Riding Hood" teaches children to be
careful who they trust, Shakespear illustrates that anything is possible with perseverance, and 1984
expresses the importance to stand up for what we believe in. All of these stories are classics, they
are integrated into our popular culture and are considered to be educational. They present morals,
teach us the lessons that we are supposed to know, and are placed on a pedestal. Although Sundiata:
An Epic of Old Mali is not a fairy tale or a play, but rather an oral history of their country, it is a still
a story told time and time again. Therefore, the accessibility of Sundiata can be looked at the same
way we look at our classics. The Griots are the books, the history, the guides we are supposed to
learn from. They are held on a pedestal because they deserve to be there. They deserve to be
respected because they "teach the kings the history of their ancestors so that the lives of the ancients
might serve them as an example" they are Mali's story tellers, history teachers, and keepers of

An Epic Of Old Mali

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

More from Mia Malone

More from Mia Malone (8)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

An Epic Of Old Mali