Malian Empire Research Paper

The Malian Empire
The empire of Mali, in western Africa, started in about 1240. The empire is also called the Malingo Empire and Manden Kurufa. The empire was founded by the Malinke people led by Sundiata. During his reign, he developed the city of Timbuktu. The city became the center of trade and culture in the empire. After Sundiata’s death, Mansa Musa became emperor of Mali in 1307. Mansa Musa was a devout Muslim. His pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, introduced Mali to the world. All the people that saw his caravan were flabbergasted. Many merchants came to the empire because of the empire’s gold surplus. The empire of Mali became rich because of the trade increase. Mali formed in the southern area of what used to be the empire of Ghana. Both the empires were rich of gold. However, the empire of Mali was larger than Ghana. The empire of Mali conquered the surrounding cities of what had been Ghana like Djenné and Gao. The empire had many and more trade networks because the empire’s expansiveness. Mansa Musa helped expand the empire. Mansa Musa also was in charge of the Trans-Saharan trade. Trade and merchants coming to the
Mansa is a Malinke word that means king. Musa is an Arabic word that means Moses. His name was Arabic because he was a Muslim. Mansa Musa wanted to accomplish one of the Five Pillars of Islam. He set up a grand caravan for his pilgrimage to Mecca. Mansa Musa brought 60,000 men, 12,000 slaves, organized horses, and handled bags. In front of him had five hundred slaves and heralds dressed in silks and bearing gold staffs. People who saw the caravan were astonished. More merchants wanted to go to the empire of Mali. West African gold granted financial support for the European Renaissance. When Mansa Musa came back to Mali, he brought an architect who designed the Sankore mosque in Timbuktu. The best poets and artists, like the architect, came to