13.4 Life in the Empire pp. 366-367

Objectives: Identify Mansa Musa. Define griots. Account for the fall of the empire of Songhai.

A. Mansa Musa (p. 366) Mali’s most important ruler was Mansa Musa. He ruled from 1312 to 1337, when Mali was at the peak of power and wealth. Like many in the region of West Africa, Mansa Musa was a Muslim. The Islamic religion had been spreading through the region ever since the first Muslim traders arrived there in the 700s.

B. Pilgrimage to Mecca (p.366) In 1324 Mansa Musa fulfilled one of the Five Pillars of Islam. That year he made a pilgrimage to Mecca. The journey took one year to complete. On his pilgrimage to Mecca, Mansa Musa traveled with a retinue of 60,000 attendants, including 500 slaves, each of whom carried a 4-pound bag of gold to pay for travel expenses.

C. The Songhai Empire (p.367) During Mansa Musa’s reign, a small eastern territory called Songhai was growing. Within the next 150 years, Songhai would rise to take Mali’s place as the most powerful empire of West Africa. The empire of Songhai lasted from about 1490 until 1590.

D. Griots (p. 367) During the time when empires ruled West Africa, griots (pronounced GREE ohs), oral historians and musicians, told stories and sang songs for traders, villagers, and kings alike. These special stories and songs described the history, beliefs, and traditions of African families and of the land. They became the oral history, or spoken record of events, of Africa. This was important because many people could not read a written language.

E. Songhai’s Collapse (p. 367) In 1591 the Songhai empire collapsed when it was attacked by an army from the north. This army used guns against Songhai’s arrows and spears. These soldiers were from Morocco, whose leader wanted to gain complete control of the trade and perhaps of the gold mines as well.

F. West African Gold (p. 367) The great demand for gold affected life for many people in West Africa. Gold played a part in the lives of miners who recovered it, the traders who brought it to market, and the kings who used it to bring glory to their rule. West African gold was used in the coins of Venice and Florence, and helped pay for the great art projects of the European Renaissance.

Review Who was Mali’s greatest ruler? How did he demonstrate his devotion to the Muslim faith? What were griots and why were they so important to the empires of West Africa? What impact did gold have on the lives of West Africans?