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With the booming spread of the Islam religion from Mecca to Africa, through trade of ideas and goods, many Africans began converting to the new, growing religion (Department of Arts Africa 1). At first, the Sudanese merchants were the first Africans to convert. Later on, the African royalty began to convert to Islam but most of the citizens of Africa did not convert to Islam until later on (1). Among these Muslim leaders was Mansa Musa, an African king who ruled the kingdom of Mali from 1307 to 1337 (Knight 230). Musa became the first widely known African ruler due to his wealth, power, and devotion to the Islam religion (229). Overall, Mansa Musa was an important figure in history because he spread the Islam religion across Africa, he shared his wealth across Mali, and he maintained and strengthened the Mali kingdom.
A devout Muslim, Mansa Musa helped the growing religion of Islam spread across Africa. The Islam religion first arrived in Mali around 1000, 300 years before Musa’s reign (230). Not much is known about his childhood but it is believed that he
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was educated in the Muslim religion (230). During this time, many Africans in Mali did not convert to Islam and continued to practice their pagan religion (230). The practice of Islam and the practice of traditional pagan ways in Mali led to serious conflicts in Mali (230). One reason for the conflict was that many Malian emperors attempted to blend the two religions in to one religion (230). This eventually led to the downfall of Mali and its rulers (230). Despite this, Mansa Musa was able to avoid religious conflict during his reign because he only focused on the religion that he practiced, Islam, and did not try to blend religions (230). His devotion to the Islam religion caused many people in his empire to follow in his footsteps. In 1324, Mansa Musa participated in his well known pilgrimage to Mecca, called the Hajj (232). The Hajj is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims are required to participate in at least once in their life. On this journey he brought along thousands of advisors with him dressed in valuable clothing while riding animals wearing gold ornaments (232). Musa brought much of his wealth with him on his journey and spent most of it. Musa brought back many architects from Mecca to build mosques in Mali (232). Some of the mosques that Musa built still stand today in Mali (232). Musa proved his commitment to the Islam religion and caused many Malians to convert to Islam, spreading the religion. The Hajj would ultimately lead to financial problems in Egypt but would result in the strengthening of the Empire. Mansa Musa spread his wealth across Africa. Today, the modern country of Mali is considered one of the poorest countries in the world (229). The average weekly income of an American was equivalent to the average yearly income of the Mali citizen in the 1990s (229). However, during Mansa Musa’s reign, Mali was considered one of the richest countries in the world at the time (230). The main source of Mali’s wealth was gold and Musa controlled the gold fields of Bambuk and Bure (Hambleton 2). These gold fields contained thousands of ounces of gold which were used for trade by Muslim merchants (2). These Muslim traders used Musa’s gold to supply Europe with the gold to create golden coins (2). At this time, all of the world’s gold coins came from Mansa Musa’s great wealth of gold (2). In addition, Musa controlled the salt mines and the copper fields in Mali which added to his wealth and contributed to the economy of Mali (2). Salt was essential to life in the African desert due to its ability to preserve food. This created a huge demand for the good and was a huge factor in adding to Musa’s wealth (2). Despite salt and gold, Musa considered copper to be the most important trade item (2). Copper was the only good that was taxed and it was traded for gold (2). These three main goods helped Mali thrived during Mansa Musa’s reign. Although Mansa Musa’s great wealth was generously given to the poor, it did not always have a postive effect. While on his famous Hajj, Mansa Musa stopped in Cairo and spent and donated an abundance of gold (Knight 232). His spending of the great amount of gold caused an oversupply of it throughout Egypt (232). This caused the value of gold to drop and hugely and the economy of Egypt plummeted also (232-233). The economy of the the Middle East would take years to recover (233). Although his actions were out of generosity, Musa unintentionally wrecked the economies of many countries (233). Furthermore, Mansa Musa maintained and strengthened the Mali empire. Musa avoided religious conflict and did not try to blend the traditional, African, pagan, religion with the Islam religion (230). Musa’s army was always active and was constantly adding territory to the Malian Empire (230). During Musa’s pilgrimage to Mecca, his army continued to conquer and capture Songhai, even when he was away and not controlling the army (231). At the peak of his reign, Mansa Musa’s empire would control about 40 million people over a territory the size of the United States (231). Despite its achievements, Musa’s army was only partly the reason for his success (231). Besides, his impressive leadership, Mansa Musa’s powerful wealth was the main reason that his empire thrived under him.
While in Mecca during his Hajj, Musa was able to hire the best architects and bring them back to Mali (232). In Mali, they were able to build great mosques for worship (232). These architects also built cultural public buildings (232). Under Musa, the arts and education thrived in Mali (232). With his wealth, Musa was able to hire professors from Egypt to teach in the learning center of Timbuktu (232). Even the best professors hired by Musa were impressed by the learning level of the scholars in Timbuktu (232). Some professors not only taught at Timbuktu, but also stayed as students (232). In these times, nothing was more valuable than books in the markets of Timbuktu (232). Overall, Musa’s leadership, excellent army, and his wealth were key to his empire strengthening and thriving under
him. Mansa Musa, the most famous emperor of Mali, is remembered today for his great wealth, his devotion to Islam, and his great leadership and ability to strengthen the Malian empire. Musa used his great wealth to trade with Europeans which helped the Empire thrive. Also, Musa’s wealth was used to hire the best professors and architects to help education and the arts to thrive under him. In addition, Musa spread the Islam religion in his region by building mosques and by taking the Hajj to Mecca. Many Malians followed his footsteps and converted to Islam. Ultimately, Mansa Musa was an important figure in history because of the legacy that he left behind and because he paved the road for many Muslim Malians after him.
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.
Before the arrival of European traders, Africa had successful in maintaining complex civilizations. The cities of Timbuktu and Mali demonstrate this with their qualities. A Moroccan traveler journeyed to Timbuktu and described it as a land of “many doctors, judges, priests and other learned men, that are well maintained at the king’s cost. Various manuscripts and written
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.
For forty-one year’s Muhammad spread the word of the Nation of Islam, slowly but steadily attracting new members (biography.com). Muhammad built the religion from a small fringe group into a large and complex organization that attracted controversy along with its new prominence (biography.com). His legacy within the Nation of Islam intact, Muhammad, or simply “The Prophet,” is widely remembered for transforming a small temple into a nationwide movement with hundreds of thousands of devoted followers, culminating in an irrevocable effect on black culture and U.S. history (blackhistorynow.com).
“There is no god but Allah…” (41). This is what was taught to many African people during the emergence of the Islamic culture. Although many diverse religions existed before this emergence, Islam and its teachings spread quicker than people imagined. Its teachings were very formal and education-oriented. This was certainly evident through the emergence of Tiekoro, the son of Dousika Traore, who was the king’s most trusted advisor, but not a well-respected man. As Conde stated on page 41, Segu seemed like it became smaller everyday, as if it were an island surrounded by other countries, which have unfortunately lost the battle to Islam. Tiekoro, being a young man, realized these rapid changes in his society. He, unlike many other Bambaras, decided to convert to the majority, leaving the minority (his Bambara people) behind to ponder what their next choice will be.
Mali’s rise to fame can be attributed to its great trading networks and resources, Islamic faith, great leaders, and strong military. It also helped create stronger relationships with trading partners and allies as well. The Islamic people of Mali followed the lead of Mansa Musa and held academics and scholarly learning in the highest of regards. Many great works can be attributed to the people who learned and taught at Muslim centers of education.
He decided to improve the status of his land on his arrival from a pilgrimage from Mecca in 1324. Furthermore, he transformed his trading city of Timbuktu to a center of learning and religion and built a mass, which set a new style of architecture in West Africa. “Caravans of Gold” underlines the importance of Timbuktu because it concentrated on African scholarship, politics, teaching theology, and Islamic law. Timbuktu was a significant place in Africa during this time because it became a market right after and made a profit for the region. Likewise, it was a religious, cultural, and profitable center whose people traveled north across the Sahara through Morocco and Algeria to other parts of Africa, Europe, and Asia. According to The History of Africa, “Because of his devotion to Islam, Mansa Musa strengthened Islam and promoted education, trade, and commerce in Mali” (Asante, 2014, pg. 135). It was a successful center for the trans-Saharan gold and salt trade and grew as the center of Islam. This statement launches the truth that Timbuktu supported Islamic values and knowledge because it was a city most well-known for the education of important scholars whose backgrounds were of Islam. Asante supports the fact that Mansa Musa was effective in reforming the city of Timbuktu and the trade in that area. Asante also states that “Musa did not forget the control of the gold and salt; it was fundamental for the
...ral and written methods. The important part is what can be learned from these sources. Though Americans might not be accustomed to hearing great details of their history recited to them as their only means of learning it, it certainly does not mean that other means produce false information. The griots of ancient Africa are sincere in their efforts to consistently pass down their countries' histories, and much of what they say should at least be taken into consideration, this includes the words of Mamadou Kouyate, the griot who tells of Sundiata and ancient Mali. The things learned from his wisdom, including how Sundiata came to power, are important not only to the people of Mali, but also to the world as Sundiata proved to be one of the greatest rulers of the ancient world (Niane 1-84).
When looking at the Abbasid caliphate, the mere thought of an Islamic age of scientific learning characterizes the time period with several caliphs endorsing the arts passionately. These caliphs, specifically Al Mansur and Haroun Al-Rashid, all looked at the arts with an intense, burning awareness in that their values, priorities, and personality traits that distinguish their reigns differ quite significantly. Despite Haroun Al Rashid’s brief glimpses of rage that changes the view of the audience of the great caliph, the reign of Al Mansur was only slightly more brutal and hated; but its important to note that that the two caliphs did in fact usher in a new age of rulers who had an extraordinary amount of appreciation for the arts.
...o mathematics, the Banu Musa brothers were great engineers who perfected the waterwheel, and oversaw the construction of underground channels called qanats, that the then expanding Baghdad relied on.
The Suleymaniye mosque was truly a masterpiece during the time it was built in the mid 1500s. Today, it still never fails to captivate its audience through the complexity of its design and the intellectual analysis of its significance. The mosque was actually said to be as magnificent as the Seven Wonders of the World according to two European travelers, Freynes Moryson and John Sanderson, soon after its completion (Nelipogulu 221). The mosque is definitely symbolic in the city of Istanbul, sitting a top the highest hill, in that it represents central power and strength of the Turkish Empire (see Image 1) (Yayinlari 30). As we take a closer look at the Suleymaniye we see many aspects of religion through its sensual and visual experience. We also find a great deal of complexity, from the contradictory aspects Sinan applied to the mosque, throughout a more in depth intellectual analysis.
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.
Gaiya Musa A.B. Christianity In Africa’s Study In The Christian Presence In Africa Up To 1900. Jos: Ade
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
Mbiti observed in 1969 that Africa people are “notoriously religious” consciously or unconsciously, and is still true of a large majority of people, urban or rural, educated or less educated (Moyo 2013). No matter the time or what decade it is, religion will still dominate the world and especially Africa. Over the years’ religions from all over the world have formed and people from all over the world have taken up and practiced those religions, making some religions well known while others most people still don’t know about it. The main religions I wanted to highlight was the traditional African religions, Christianity, and the Islamic religion. I put African traditional religions in one category because they all seem to follow the same common