Page 34 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 32
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Community
Islam via such noted centres of learning as were bartered for or paid using an agreed
Timbuktu. In contrast to cities like Niani (the upon commodity such as copper or gold
capital), Djenne, and Gao, most of the rural ingots, set quantities of salt or ivory, or even
Mali population remained farmers who clung cowry shells (which came from Persia).”
to their traditional animist beliefs. The Mali
Empire collapsed in the 1460s following “Islam in West Africa really took off, though,
civil wars, the opening up of trade routes from the reign of Mansa Musa I. He famously
elsewhere, and the rise of the neighbouring went to Mecca and, impressed with what
Songhai Empire, but it did continue to control he saw on his travels, Mansa Musa brought
a small part of the western empire into the back home Muslim architects, scholars,
17th century.” and books. Mosques were built such as
Timbuktu’s ‘Great mosque’ (aka Djinguereber
“The Mali rulers had a triple income: they or Jingereber), and Koranic schools and
taxed the passage of trade goods, bought universities were established which quickly
goods and sold them on at much higher gained an international reputation. Studies
prices, and had access to their own valuable were actually much wider than religion and
natural resources. Significantly, the Mali included history, geography, astronomy, and
Empire controlled the rich gold-bearing medicine, making the city famous far and
regions of Galam, Bambuk, and Bure. One of wide for its doctors. Great libraries were
the main trade exchanges was gold dust for built up with tens of thousands of books and
salt from the Sahara. Gold was in particular manuscripts, many of which survive today.”
demand from European powers like Castille
in Spain and Venice and Genoa in Italy, where As always, every venture, whether good or
coinage was now being minted in the precious bad, will end at some point and so did the
metal.” Mali Empire. The Mali Empire was in decline
“Timbuktu, founded c. 1100 by the nomadic by the 15th century CE as trade routes opened
Tuaregs, was a semi-independent trade port up elsewhere and several rival kingdoms
which had the double advantage of being on developed to the west, notably the Songhai.
the Niger River bend and the starting point European ships, especially those belonging
for the trans-Saharan caravans. The city to the Portuguese, were now regularly sailing
would be monopolised and then taken over down the west coast of Africa and so the
by the Mali kings who made it into one of the Saharan caravans faced stiff competition as
most important and most cosmopolitan trade the most efficient means to transport goods
centres in Africa. Through Timbuktu there from West Africa to the Mediterranean and
passed such lucrative goods as ivory, textiles, the Middle East. In addition, by the mid-15th
horses (important for military use), glassware, century CE, the Portuguese had direct access
weapons, sugar, kola nuts (a mild stimulant), to the Akan Forest goldfield, reducing the
cereals (e.g. sorghum and millet), spices, trade possibilities for Timbuktu. The Tuareg,
stone beads, craft products, and slaves. Goods led by their chief Akillu, attacked and took
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