Mali By Alex Natale, Jaimie Smith and Kyle Grant

Introduction  Many factors contributed to the rise of Ancient Mali. These factors included its geographic location, the way it was governed, religion and economy.

Geography  Mali was located in West Africa  Mali’s capital, Niani was on the bountiful agricultural floodplains of upper Niger  At its largest, Mali was 2,000 kilometers wide, and depended on the Niger River for trading

Law and Government  Mali was under the leadership of Sundiata of the Keita clan  Sundiata Keita came to power after he defeated the king of the Sosso  Mansa Musa commissioned design on important buildings such as the mosques at Gao and Jenne

Religion  The court of Ancient Mali converted to Islam  Muslim scribes played an important role in government and administration  Mansa Musa embarked on a hajj, and because of this Mali formed diplomatic and trading routes with Muslim states such as Egypt and Morroco. A mosque in Ancient Mali.

Economy  Trade was an essential element in the rise and fall of Mali  Gold made up a significant portion of the empire’s wealth  Gold and Salt were the two most important goods traded

Achievements  Commissioned the design and construction of many important buildings, such as mosques and universities  Responsible for the construction of the Cupola, a small domelike structure on top of a building  Timbuktu became a place of great learning

Conclusion  Ancient Mali’s rise was a result of many factors. Since it was close to the Niger River, it was able to use it as a trade route. Mansa Musa’s important hajj introduced Mali to the world as a successful kingdom. Mali also was influenced by Muslims, and based its belief system off the Quran. Trade significantly impacted the rise and fall of Mali. Mali’s city, Timbuktu became a place of great learning, and it drew in some of the best Muslim scholars in the world. All of these factors contributed to the rise of Ancient Mali.