1. Ancient African Kingdoms
Ancient Mali
Story of Mansa Musa
1230 A.D.

2. Essential Standards
6.H.2 Understand the political, economic and/or social significance of historical events, issues, individuals and cultural groups.
6.C.1 Explain how the behaviors and practices of individuals and groups influenced societies, civilizations and regions.
6.E.1 Understand how the physical environment and human interaction affected the economic activities of various civilizations, societies and regions.

3. Clarifying Objectives
6.H.2.4 Explain the role that key historical figures and cultural groups had in transforming society (e.g., Mansa Musa, Confucius, Charlemagne and Qin Shi Huangdi).
6.C.1.2 Explain how religion transformed various societies, civilizations and regions (e.g., beliefs, practices and spread of Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism).
6.E.1.1 Explain how conflict, compromise and negotiation over the availability of resources (i.e. natural, human and capital) impacted the economic development of various civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., competition for scarce resources, unequal distribution of wealth and the emergence of powerful trading networks).
6.E.1.2 Explain how quality of life is impacted by economic choices of civilizations, societies and regions.

4. Essential Questions
Why was Mansa Musa an important key historical figure for both Africa & Europe?
What role did religion play in the trade between Africa & Europe?
Why do civilizations choose to write LAWS down?
How did NEGOTIATION lead to a trading network between the Africans & Europeans?
What is a GOLDEN AGE & what does it do with QUALITY OF LIFE?

5. Mansa Musa
Mansa Musa was the King of a West African Civilization called Mali
Many historians believe he was the richest man that ever lived
He was a devout Muslim believing in Islam

6. Making the Hajj
In 1324 Mansa Musa leaves his Kingdom of Mali to make the Hajj to Mecca
The Hajj was the pilgrimage (travel) that every Muslim was supposed to make one time in their life
Every Muslim was to make the journey to the holy city of Mecca

7. Entourage He didn’t travel light either
He brought with him about 50,000 servants
He also brought 100 camel loads of Gold

8. Mansa Musa’s Trip
On the trip to Mecca from his kingdom Mansa Musa spent freely & gave away lots of his riches
Most famously when he reached Alexandria Egypt he spent a ton of gold

9. Mansa Musa’s Trip
As he traveled through the world people started to realize that there was MONEY in Africa
Most people before Mansa Musa had made his journey thought Africa was very poor & had nothing to offer

10. Trip back to Mali
On the return trip back to Mali Mansa Musa brought back many things and shared his culture & religion to everyone that would listen
Mansa Musa brought back scholars to write down the Kingdom of Mali’s HISTORY & LAWS
He also brought back architects so he could build Islamic temples

11. Essential Questions Get with a partner and answer….
Why do civilizations choose to write LAWS down?

12. What is so important about Mansa Musa
Mansa Musa’s travels let the rest of the world know that there were very rich kingdoms in Africa
His travels also let the rest of the world know that Mansa Musa was Muslim
This meant that Islam must have spread to Mali in West Africa but how

13. Essential Questions Get with a partner and answer….
Why was Mansa Musa an important key historical figure for both Africa & Europe?
What role did religion play in the trade between Africa & Europe?

14. Trade Routes
Islam had spread to Mansa Musa’s Kingdom of Mali through trade
The Muslims from the Middle East had traveled to West Africa for hundreds of years trading salt to Mali
In exchange Mali would give them gold

15. Salt Trade
Salt trade was hugely important to the people of Mali because salt preserved food
It was so important that Mansa Musa would trade gold
If you don’t have salt you don’t live

16. Essential Questions Get with a partner and answer….
How did NEGOTIATION lead to a trading network between the Africans & Europeans?

17. Trade Routes They also shared their cultural value system
And even their religion too
Mansa Musa (king) had learned about the 5 pillars of Islam and had read the Qur'an

18. Islam in Africa
Mansa Musa worked very hard to increase the knowledge & practice of Islam in Mali
He built mosques (Islamic churches)

19. Timbuktu University
Timbuktu the capital of Mali starts one of the oldest universities in world history
He has the scholars he has brought back teach at the university
A large amount of knowledge is shared
All of it happens because of the salt & gold trade

20. Africa’s Golden Age
Mansa Musa’s Mali is the birth of the golden age of Ancient Africa
Much learning happens
Many things are invented

21. Essential Questions Get with a partner and answer….
What is a GOLDEN AGE & what does it do with QUALITY OF LIFE?

22. Lesson Summary
Mansa Musa was the king of a kingdom in West Africa called Mali
Mali had traded with Muslim traders for hundreds of years & eventually converted to Islam
He was a Muslim so he went on a Hajj

23. Lesson Summary
He spent lots of gold on his Hajj which made everyone realize African Kingdoms did have money and were not poor
He brought back scholars & architects and promoted the practice of Islam

24. EOG Questions Which was a long-term effect of ancient trade routes?
A) the spread of religions throughout the trade routes
B) the spread of unifying systems of government
C) colonization of weaker nations along the trade routes
D) use of silk throughout ancient and modern societies

25. EOG Questions
Why did some ancient civilizations write and publish their laws?
A) to allow patricians and plebeians to read and vote for the laws
B) to record the laws so that historians would understand ancient culture
C) to ensure that citizens of the civilization would read and understand the laws
D) to guarantee that each politician received a personal copy of the printed laws7Go to the next page.

26. Important Points
6.H.2.4 (Key Historical Figure) Mansa Musa revolutionized Africa by using his gold to trade & brining in scholars & new culture to Africa
6.C.1.2 (Religion) Mansa Musa was an Islamic Muslim & was making his pilgrimage to Mecca called the Hajj
6.E.1.1 (Trading Networks) Europeans saw how much gold that Mansa Musa had & began trading with Africa making both countries richer
6.E.1.2 (Quality of Life) African & European QUALITY OF LIFE was better after trade as both places experienced Golden Ages