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Mali Empire Facts & Worksheets

The Mali Empire was a West African empire from about 1226 through 1670. At its height, Mali ruled over the largest empire in West Africa, spreading its laws, customs, and language throughout the region and profoundly affecting its culture.

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The Mali Empire was a West African empire from about 1226 through 1670. At its height, Mali ruled over the largest empire in West Africa, spreading its laws, customs, and language throughout the region and profoundly affecting its culture.

See the fact file below for more information about the Mali Empire, or you can download our 28-page Mali Empire worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 

  • Early villages and settlements were established along the middle Niger River in the first millennium BCE. These included Dia, which peaked at approximately 600 BCE, and Djenne-Djenno, which existed from roughly 250 BCE to 900 CE. 
  • Pre-imperial Mali– Mali is mentioned a few times in early Islamic writings. A few of these are the accounts of the conversion of an early monarch, known to Ibn Khaldun as Barmandana, and references to “Pene” and “Malal” in the literary work of al-Bakri in 1068, as well as some geographical information in the work of al-Idrisi.
  • Sundiata Keita– In Niane’s adaptation of the epic, Sundiata originated in the early 13th century and belonged to the Keita clan during Kaniaga’s ascendancy. He was the son of Nare Fa, the handsome prince Maghan Kon Fatta.
  • Imperial Mali– Diverse oral traditions dispute with Ibn Khaldun and one another on Sunjata’s successorship after her death. It appeared that the Donson Ton, or hunter guilds, and the Gbara, or Great Council, were engaged in some power battle. After Sundiata’s death, the jomba, or court sla, might have ruled during the interim.
  • Musa Keita I (Mansa Musa)- Though an earlier date is feasible, Kankan Musa, better known as Mansa Musa, most likely came to power about 1312. His rule is regarded as Mali’s golden age. Among the first genuinely pious Muslims to head the Mali Empire was him. He followed the imperial custom of not imposing Islam on the general public, but he did try to make it the religion of the nobles. 
  • He also established Eid celebrations as a national holiday to mark the end of Ramadan. The most notable accomplishment of Mansa Musa Keita was his well-known Hajj to Mecca, which he undertook beginning in 1324 and ending with his return in 1326.
  • Obscure Lineages– Mali developed a multitude of mansas with mysterious origins starting in 1389. The history of Mali’s empire is least known during this time. A single, stable family does not rule the empire.
  • The progressive loss of its northern and eastern lands to the expanding Songhai Empire and the shift in Mali’s economic priorities from the trans-Saharan trade routes to the booming coastal commerce are the other characteristics of this era.
  • Envoys were sent back and forth between Portugal and Mali due to the expanding trade between the two countries in the western regions. The Portuguese envoys Pêro d’Évora and Gonçalo Enes were received by Mansa Mahmud Keita II in 1487. Mali’s fortunes appear to have turned around in the latter part of the 16th century. Mali invaded Bighu in 1550, hoping to recover its gold. By 1571, Bendugu and Kala were no longer under Songhai rule, and Mali might have been able to regain some of that control.
  • However, the swan song of the Mali Empire appeared in 1599, under Mansa Mahmud IV’s reign. Mahmud attempted to seize Jenne after the Songhai Empire had been defeated eight years earlier by the Saadi Sultanate of Morocco.

ECONOMY

  • A significant contributing factor to Mali’s growth and prosperity was trade. It peaked at the same time as the Mansa took control of Timbuktu. Every ounce of gold, copper, and salt that crossed the empire’s borders was subject to taxes.
  • The primary sources of Mali’s gold wealth were tribute payments and commerce with the gold-producing regions rather than direct control over those regions. The Mansa was the only owner of gold nuggets, and trading them inside his boundaries was forbidden. 
  • The imperial treasury immediately received all the gold in exchange for an equivalent amount of gold dust. At least since the Ghana Empire, gold dust has been measured and packaged for usage. Given how common the technique was in the area, Mali adopted it to combat inflation.
  • Nearly half of the gold shipped from the Old World by the start of the 14th century came from mines in Mali, specifically in Bambuk, Boure, and Galam. Sometime about the end of the 12th century, gold mines were discovered in Boure, which is located in modern-day Guinea.
  • Meanwhile, each year, traders travel from Oualata into Mali, bringing quantities of salt on camels to sell in the capital. One of the most significant salt mines in Mali, Taghaza, was described by Ibn Battuta as having solely sand and salt mines. 
  • Moreover, camel skins were used to cover the roofs of the salt-slab dwellings. After being extracted from the earth and sliced into thick slabs, two salts were placed atop each camel and transported southward over the desert to Oualata, where they were to be sold. The cost of transportation was the main factor influencing the salt’s worth.
  • In Imperial Mali, copper was also a prized metal. Ibn Battuta claims that copper was mined from Takedda in the north and exchanged for gold by the bar in the south. According to modern sources, 60 copper bars were exchanged for 100 gold dinars.

GOVERNMENT

  • Sworn allegiance to Sundiata and his descendants, the Twelve Doors of Mali were a coalition of captured or allied regions, primarily within Mandan. After the twelve kings had driven their spears into the earth before Sundiata’s throne, the kingdoms were given to the Keita dynasty.
  • The Mansa possessed absolute, unchallenged power. The monarch’s audiences were subject to rigorous etiquette. A farin, also known as a farin-ba or farba, was appointed by the Mansa as the immediate ruler of conquered territories. Farins were essentially military governors. 
  • The farm’s responsibilities included overseeing the local court system, maintaining the garrison, and collecting taxes and customs charges. If necessary, he may depose the native government and organize an army to defend the region and put down uprisings. 
  • The Gbara, or Great Assembly, served as the Mandinka deliberative assembly and council of state until the empire collapsed in 1645. Moreover, the Mali Empire spanned a more extensive region and lasted longer than any other West African power before or after. The decentralized nature of administration across the state enabled this. The empire covered the entire area between the Sahara Desert and the coastal woods. It covered what is now Senegal, southern Mauritania, Mali, northern Burkina Faso, western Niger, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, the Ivory Coast, and northern Ghana. 

MILITARY

  • The Mali Empire developed a semi-professional, full-time army to defend its frontiers. The whole country was mobilized, with each clan required to produce a certain number of fighting-age men. These individuals had to be part of the horon (freemen) caste and bear their arms. During the 14th century, the Mali Empire’s army was divided into northern and southern commands, led by Farim-Soura and Sankar-Zouma.
  • The Mali Empire’s army utilized a diverse range of weapons, depending on whence the warriors originated. The state provided only sofas, which were fitted with bows and poisonous arrows. Free warriors from the north were typically armed with giant reed or animal skin shields and a stabbing spear known as a Tamba.

LEGACY

  • Even after it reached its pinnacle, the Mali Empire significantly impacted the development of West African societies. Its expansion transmitted Mande culture and languages from the source of the Gambia River to what is now Burkina Faso. Nevertheless, political institutions with Malian organization and terminology persisted throughout the region during and after colonialism.

Mali Empire Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Mali Empire across 28 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about the Mali Empire. At its height, Mali ruled over the largest empire in West Africa, spreading its laws, customs, and language throughout the region and profoundly affecting its culture.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Mali Empire Facts
  2. Analogy Test: Empires
  3. Facts About the Mali
  4. Can You Spot It?
  5. 2M: Mines in Mali
  6. Rulers of Mali
  7. Trading Route
  8. The Mali Government
  9. Decoding Time!
  10. #PlanYourVisit
  11. 5-3-1

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the Mali Empire?

The Mali Empire was a vast West African civilization that flourished from the 13th to the 16th century. It emerged from the ruins of the Ghana Empire and became one of the wealthiest and most powerful states in the world during its peak.

Who was the most famous ruler of the Mali Empire?

Mansa Musa is arguably the most renowned ruler of the Mali Empire. He ruled from 1312 to 1337 and is famous for his extravagant pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324, during which he distributed gold so generously that it caused significant inflation in the regions he visited.

What were the main sources of wealth for the Mali Empire?

The Mali Empire derived its wealth from several sources, including gold mining, trade in gold, salt, and other commodities, as well as control over key trade routes across the Sahara Desert. The empire’s control over the trans-Saharan trade routes, especially those linking West Africa with the Mediterranean world, was crucial to its prosperity.

What were some notable achievements of the Mali Empire?

The Mali Empire was renowned for its rich cultural heritage, including the famous center of learning, Timbuktu. The empire also had a well-organized system of government, with a strong centralized authority, efficient taxation system, and a complex bureaucracy. Additionally, the empire’s architectural feats, such as the Great Mosque of Djenné, are still admired today.

How did the Mali Empire decline?

The Mali Empire began to decline in the 15th century due to a combination of internal unrest, external pressures, and the rise of rival states. Internal conflicts, succession disputes, and rebellions weakened the empire, while external threats from neighboring states and invasions contributed to its downfall. Eventually, the empire fragmented into smaller states, paving the way for the rise of other West African powers.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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