Resources of Mali

Law Control of Mali as described by Ibn Battuta

"They are seldom unjust, and have a greater abhorrence [hatred] of injustice than any other people. Their sultan shows no mercy to anyone who is guilty of the least act of it. There us complete security in their country. Neither traveler nor inhabitant in it has anything to fear from robbers."
-Ibn Battuta

A Primary Source about Mali

"[The sultan] has a lofty pavilion, of which the door is inside his house, where he sits for most of the time. . . . There came forth from the gate of the palace about 300 slaves, some carrying in their hands bows and others having in their hands short lances and shields. . . Then two saddled and bridled horses are brought, with two rams which, they say, are effective against the evil eye. . . . Dugha, the interpreter, stands at the gate of the council-place wearing fine garments of silk brocade and other materials, and on his head a turban with fringes which they have a novel way of winding. . . . The troops, governors, young men, slaves, the Masufa, and others sit outside the council-place in a broad street where there are trees. . . . Inside the council-place beneath the arches a man is standing. Anyone who wishes to address the sultan addresses Dugha and Dugha addresses that man standing and that man standing addresses the sultan. If one of them addresses the sultan and the latter [the Sultan] replies he uncovers the clothes from his back and sprinkles dust on his head and back, like one washing himself with water. I used to marvel how their eyes did not become blinded."

-Ibn Battuta

This proves the wealth and power that the kingdom of Mali had during the years of its reign over that region of West Africa.

An Ancient Building in Mali

Timbuktu and Mansa Musa

Located at the point where the Niger River flows into the edge of the desert, the city of Timbuktu became a celebrated center for Islamic learning and for schools and education in general. Timbuktu’s strong economy drew the attention of the Mali king Mansa Musa. As a Muslim, he was impressed by Timbuktu’s Islamic legacy. On his return from his hajj, he brought back an Egyptian architect to build magnificent mosques.

Climate and Weather

Northern Mali is arid, a true desert, and a part of the Sahara. Southern Mali is wetter, and there is a lot more vegetation than northern Mali where little is found. The short grasses and shrubs that mark the Sahel give way to the tall grasses of the savannah further south. In Mali, winters are dry and summers are rainy. Rainfall is spotty, though, as in it’s heavy in one area, yet light only a few miles away. During the dry winter season, days are mainly in the mid-70s F. But at night, it gets extremely cold. The lack of clouds allows the heat that has built up during the day to escape from the earth's surface. During the April to June dry season, daytime temperatures become much hotter, sometimes more than 90° F. These times are followed by the wet season, when daytime temperatures become slightly cooler, around the mid-80s F.

Some pieces of Art from Ancient Mali

An archer and An equestrian

Historical Mali

The second great Sahelian kingdom was Mali. Mali was the successor to the kingdom of Ghana. The historical founder of Mali was the magician, Sundiata, who ruled Mali from 1230-1255, one of the most legendary figures in African history. Perhaps the most important of the Mali kings was Mansa Musa (1312-1337) who expanded Mali influence over the city-states of Timbuktu, Gao, and Djenné. Mansa Musa was a devout Muslim who built magnificent mosques all over Mali; his pilgrimage to Mecca made him an historical figure even through the eyes of Europeans.

Sundiata

Sundiata (c. 1217 – c. 1255) was the founder of the Mali Empire and is celebrated as a hero of the Malinke people of West Africa in the Epic of Sundiata. Sundiata came back from exhile to defeat the enemy leader Sumanguru. This brought Mali into power and Sundiata was the first ruler of the civilization. The epic of Sundiata later influenced the popular Disney children’s movie “The Lion King”.

Map of the Mali Kingdom