1. Aim: Describe how Mansa Musa advanced Mali

2. Empire of Mali Sundiata: Mali’s first great leader
1235 CE: Kingdom of Mali emerged
Wealth built on gold
Most important trade routes move east
Sundiata: Mali’s first great leader
Came to power by crushing unpopular leader
Became Mali’s mansa (Emperor)
Proved to be a great leader in peace & war
Promoted agriculture & reestablished gold-salt trade 2

3. Mansa Musa Expands Mali
1255: Sundiata died
Mali’s next rulers became Muslim
Most famous was Mansa Musa
Was Sundiata’s grandnephew
Ruled from
Mansa Musa was a skilled military leader
Exercised royal control over gold-salt trade
Empire expanded 2 times size of Ghana
Considered a devout Muslim
Went on hajj to Mecca
After his return, Mansa built new mosques and universities in city of Timbuktu
Considered center for trading education 3

4. Travels of Ibn Battuta 1352: Ibn Battuta comes to Mali
Traveler & historian
Visited countries of Islamic world for 27 years
Was a Devout Muslim
Praised people for study of Qur’an
Criticized them for not strictly practicing Islam
Was impressed with Mali’s justice system
1353: Ibn Battuta left Mali
Within 50 years, Mali began to weaken
Mansa Musa’s successors lacked ability to govern well 4