1. Empire of Mali p

2. I. Beginnings of the Empire
A. Legendary king Sundiata,
1. mighty warrior
2. magician
3. son of previous king
4. land had been overthrown,
5. led people to win back
independence
B. conquered nearby kingdoms, including Ghana

4. II. Improvements in Mali
A. Sundiata
1. took over trade
2. improved agriculture
3. had soldiers work on farms, too, to feed everyone.

5. B. Consolidation of Power
1. took power from local leaders
2. took title of “mansa” – religious and political leader

6. III. Mansa Musa
A. Muslim king under whom Mali reached its height in 1300s.
B. Captured trade cities: Timbuktu, Gao, Djenne, etc.

8. C. Mansa Musa’s hajj
1. Went to Mecca with great wealth
2. Gave away gold in Egypt
3. Introduced Mali to world

9. D. Learning & Religion in Mali
1. Supported education
2. Set up schools in Mali – most famous in Timbuktu
3. Wanted Muslims to be able to read Qur’an
4. Arabic main language
5. Built mosques
6. Did not force conversion, but Islam became very popular

11. IV. Fall of Mali A. Poor later leadership weakened empire
B. Raiders burned Timbuktu’s schools & mosques
C. Empire was too large so some broke away
D. Outside invaders
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