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Achievements of african empires before the europeans arrived
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As rich as people today may seem, nobody has ever been as wealthy as Mansa Musa, as his name translates to sultan of the wealthy. Mansa Musa ruled Mali from 1312 to 1337 BCE, and during his reign helped bring a golden age to his empire. Mali was known as the main source of gold in the world because if it’s tax on the gold that came in and out of the empire. Mansa Musa had managed to conquer 24 cities that he used for trade as well as lengthen his empire. (Empires of Medieval West Africa) But possibly the most well-known accomplishment of Mansa Musa was his hajj to Mecca, where he traveled through Egypt with an entourage of 60,000 men, with one fifth of them being slaves to carry his gold. (World Eras) Mansa Musa had a large impact on the Afro-Eurasian …show more content…
community through his value on education, how he spread Islam, and his hajj to Mecca. Mansa Musa had captured Timbuktu which would become a center of education in Mali’s reign over it. Following him capturing the city, he built a palace in his name which would be called Musa’s palace. (Civilizations and Societies: The Ancient and Modern Worlds) Mansa Musa had always been fond of education, as he had been taught the Muslim religion from a young age, giving him a passion for knowledge. (Middle Ages Reference Library) This is described through the quote “Musa loved learning and is reputed to have been the founder of the Sankore University in Timbuktu. Through the patronage of Muslim learned men and clerics, he helped to spread Islam in Mali. He attracted scholars from as far away as Egypt and the Near East.” (World Eras) Although Timbuktu was already a well-rounded trade city, Mansa Musa took it to the next level by making it a center of knowledge for research into religion and past empires like the Greeks and Romans. All of this caused Mansa Musa’s interest in knowledge, creating one of the greatest knowledge centers of all time. Mansa Musa was one of the first Muslim rulers of his time, making him an icon for his Islamic subjects.
His interest in the muslim religion came from him being taught it when he was young. His devotion to Islam is one of the reasons why he is remembered today, his hajj was one of the more important ways of him putting Mali on the map as many countries near it had no idea it had existed. Mansa Musa’s devotion to Islam can be seen through the quote “Islam had taken hold in Mali around 1000, but historians disagree as to whether Sundiata was a Muslim or not. As for Musa, he later became famous for his devotion to the faith. Like many Muslims, he would undertake the hajj (HAHJ), the ritual journey to the Islamic holy city of Mecca in Arabia, a duty for all Muslims who can afford to do so. He was apparently the third Malian ruler to do so.” (Middle Ages Reference Library). Mansa Musa may or may not have been the first Islamic ruler of Mali, but was the one of the first ones to undertake the hajj. The most powerful man ever who was also muslim made others want to be a part of that too. His subjects respected him so much that some converted to Islam. His devotion to Islam was one of the most important way that Islam was spread in Africa. Mansa Musa’s devotion to Islam caused many people who wanted to be like him join the religion …show more content…
too. Mansa Musa’s hajj was one of the most influential trips of all time, as it made the Egyptian economy nearly crash, it put Mali on the maps of many traders, and showcased his true wealth.
His pilgrimage lasted from 1324 to 1325 but had much more of an impact that a regular hajj on his way through Egypt. He gave away so much gold that he nearly destroyed their economy, bringing the price of gold down from 25 dirhams to 22 dirhams. Which translates to a whole dollar deficit in USD. (Kingdom of Mali Primary Source Documents) A quote that describes the fall of gold prices in Egypt can be seen here. “Gold was at a high price in Egypt until they came in that year. The mithqal did not go below 25 dirhams and was generally above, but from that time its value fell and it cheapened in price and has remained cheap till now. The mithqal does not exceed 22 dirhams or less. This has been the state of affairs for about twelve years until this day by reason of the large amount of gold which they brought into Egypt and spent there. …” (al-Umari) Mansa Musa’s charity of his gold made an entire empire’s gold price drop by 3 dirhams. The supply went so high up and the demand was so low that the economy in Egypt began to go down. His fleet included 60,000 companions, 12,000 slaves carrying 4 pounds of gold each, and 80 camels laden with 50 to 300 pounds of gold each. He gave all of that away. His hajj caused one of the worst economy crashes cause by a man ever, showcasing his true
wealth. through his value on education, how he spread Islam, and his hajj to Mecca, Mansa Musa had a great impact on the culture of Afro-Eurasia. Mansa Musa’s impact on the economy, religion, and knowledge in Africa caused a golden age in Africa.Mansa Musa caused an economic, religious, and intellectual boom in Africa causing a golden age all caused by one man. The richest man the history of the world caused a golden age in Mali and Africa through his smarts in trade.
In the 1300s Mansa Musa, king of Mali took his holy pilgrimage to the city of Mecca as a devout muslim, traveling through scorching deserts and bustling cities, although there might be other reasons he took his religious Hajj. The pilgrimage of Mansa Musa traveled all across Northern Africa and Arabia, stopping in cities along the way where Mansa Musa gave out gold to all he saw. The journey from the Empire of Mali to the city of Mecca was not only a faithful religious journey to the holy city, but also to create a name for Mali as the wealthy and powerful empire it was.
African society used bodies of water such as the Nile, the Red Sea, and many more to transport goods across the continent and generate profit. For example, the city of “Aksum reached its height between 325-360. Aksum’s location made it an important international trading center.” After analyzing the map of trade routes in Document 1, it is clear Aksum was strategically built to have ties to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. These two bodies of water give the city the freedom to import and export goods. Additionally, this work of trade did not come without reward. Cities who succeeded in the business became overly wealthy and had surpluses of gold and other riches. A king, Mansa Mansa, who expanded the Mali kingdom to be twice the size of Ghana, was not afraid to show his wealth as he showered other cities in riches out of generosity. In Cairo, Egypt, “there was no person, officer of the court, or holder of any office of the Sultanate who did not receive a sum of gold from him.” This is just one of the many examples of wealth in african cities and empires. What is impressive is the fact that before European trade became an influence, African people had already created a successful and very profitable system of
There was also a Kingdom called Mali that broke off from the Ghana Empire. At this time they had embraced the religion of Islam and had been under the great rule of Mansa Musa. This empire had the job of protecting the caravans or shipments carrying the goods, so that they can trade. They helped towards the function of trade so that both the importer and exporter gained something. In document 3 it explains how their wealth was great because of their trade. The document also talks about the fact that they had exhibited the characteristics of an advanced divination like sufficient food to feed its people, a strong army equipped with advanced weapons and income derived from taxes. Even though the Mali Empire had wealth there was very little corruption if there was with the ruler. He did not go mad with power but he was generous. In document four it states they there was no person who did not receive a sum of gold from him.
Islam is presented in the Epic of Sundiata in a way that encourages listeners to embrace Islam over their indigenous belief systems. The epic accomplishes this by incorporating elements and practices of the indigenous beliefs into Islamic tradition; and by adapting certain Islamic mythology — such as the Jinn — to the existing West African culture. It also asserts the superior power and strength of those who derive their power from Allah and the Jinn, to those whose power is based in ancestral worship and fetishes. Through conflict, adaptation, and tolerance, the Epic of Sundiata presents an accessible version of Islam to the people of the Mali Empire; and promotes the acceptance of this new faith over the indigenous beliefs of the area.
Moroccan traveler, Ibn Battuta, is well-known for being one of the greatest travelers of his time. Battuta’s descriptive account of his travels to East and West Africa in the fourteenth century provides important insight into African Islamic life at that point in time. Although Battuta and the peoples in black Africa shared the same religion, he comes to realize that sharing a religion is not enough to completely relate to a different group of people. The story of Ibn Battuta in Black Africa illustrates the difficulties he faced in relating to these peoples due to the non-traditional role of women, different religious customs, and frequent misinterpretation of situations.
Mediterranean and Mecca which was a great trading post at the time. As an experienced
Few things have impacted the United States throughout its history like the fight for racial equality. It has caused divisions between the American people, and many name it as the root of the Civil War. This issue also sparked the Civil Rights Movement, leading to advancements towards true equality among all Americans. When speaking of racial inequality and America’s struggle against it, people forget some of the key turning points in it’s history. Some of the more obvious ones are the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves in the North, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s march on Washington D.C. in 1963. However, people fail to recount a prominent legal matter that paved the way for further strides towards equality.
While adding up all the gold mentioned in Document D, and adjusting the prices for inflation, the reader was left with the impression Mansa Musa had approximately $571,860,000 worth of gold with him in Cairo during his Hajj. After adding in all the other luxury goods Musa brought with him, another $247,080,000 is added to the amount of money he brought with him, ending with a total of $818,940,000. This is around $399,000,000,000 off from the original estimate. One could quite logically assume that Mansa Musa would not have brought his entire life savings with him to Cairo, but since he was a Muslim on Hajj, Mansa Musa most likely brought more than the average person to complete the third pillar of Islam; charity. Still, one billion dollars is very far off from 400
As a youth, Olajuwon predominantly played handball and soccer (Bethel). He was raised as a Muslim in Lagos, Nigeria. Today, 45% of Nigeria’s population is Muslim (Kapit). Islam is a religion that’s foundation is based on the messages received by Muhammad in the 600’s AD. Muhammad was born in 570 AD in Mecca. Muhammad is God’s messenger in the Muslim faith. Muslims believe that Muhammad was visited in a cave by an angel and the angel said, “Recite in the name of your Lord who created, created man from clots of blood! Recite! Your Lord is the most bountiful one; who by the pen taught man what he did not know” (Salter 172). Olajuwon ended up setting a good example for Muslims on how to live this faith.
To begin, with Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage is considered as one of the greatest in the medieval times. Rose E. Dunn (2004) has emphasized this view by stating that “[T] he hajj of Mansa Musa sum’s up Mali’s important place among the kingdoms of Africa and Asia in Ibn Battuta’s time” (p. 113). Obviously his pilgrimage to Mecca was really important to his kingdom. From his pilgrimage and the spending of gold made Mali to be recognized outside of Africa as one of the richest and greatest kingdoms of that time. This recognition may have led to the establi...
Therefore, traders don’t have to carry as much food specifically for the camels. The camel was used to spread the religion of Islam. As stated in document 2, the powerful new force of North Africa was Islam. Islam is a religion that originated in the Middle East and is very popular in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Mansa Musa had used the camel to spread Islam and go on a hajj to Mecca. This is an example of ecological effects. Timbuktu also benefited from the arid climate of the Sahara as well as the use of camels. Timbuktu had become very wealthy due to the Gold and Salt trade which took place during the fifth century CE. Gold and salt had a very high demand at the time and lead to a golden age in Timbuktu. They were the center of trade and education due to long distance trade along the Trans-Saharan trade routes. The Sahara desert is not completely waterless and many cultures have developed from the Mediterranean Sea and Niger River. As stated in document 1, the desert has excellent supplies of water to support rich culture and gain livelihood. Many successful cities have
achieved unprecedented popularity in both Egypt and the Arab world. He was said to be
The town of Mecca was the birthplace of Islam, at first the leaders of the city refused the changing of this new religion and forced Muhammad to leave. Muhammad returned and preached to the people about what he had heard, that there is only one god. Islam spread quickly for two main reasons they are the message and military conquest.
The Kingdom of Mali was an African hub of wealth, trade and education for over 225 years. Mali is an Arab version of the Mandinka word that means, “Where the king dwells”, and was vitally important in spreading trade, education, religion and culture along the Niger River. The rise of Mali into an Empire occurred in the early 13th century, when Sundiata defeated his enemies and won control of the West African gold mines. In 1312 Mansa Musa became ruler of Mali. During his reign which was known as Mali’s, “Golden Age”, he introduced Islamic beliefs to many communities along the Niger and enhanced education after his historic pilgrimage to Mecca. Mali’s rise was attributed to the Trans-Saharan Trade routes leading to and from Western and Eastern Africa. These trade routes contributed to the rise and fall of powerful African Kingdoms for hundreds of years, but for 250 years, Mali was the crown jewel of Africa.
The spread of Islam in Africa had taken course from a number of factors, including external and internal forces. After my analyzing of the spread of Islam in Africa, I have gather three main themes that stuck out during the expansion of Islam: Islam and trade, the conversion conditions of Islam, and the economics/political development involving Islam. These three themes provide great insight on how Islam started to spread through out Africa. Through trade the culture and religion of Islam was spread to many different areas. This correlates to the conversion of different people, which helped spread Islam. By these conversions Islam was able to establish Islamic states, which played a factor in the development of strong economic and political