Located in West Africa, the ancient Mali empire is stretched over 1,200 mi (1931.2 km) from Gao to the Atlantic Ocean.It is surrounded by the Ivory Coast, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mauritania, Niger, and Algeria while touching the northern boundary to the south of the Sahara Desert. The Mali empire was maintained by great emperors and a well-trained imperial army.From the 13th to the 17th century, Mali strengthened and dilated its influence, territory, and culture. Nowadays, the Mali Empire is part of the three Western African empires. It was dominated by the trans-Saharan trade of slaves, gold, and salt, among various commodities. Mali is a landlocked country without ethnic identities or rigid geopolitical borders. The ancient Empire was first ruled by the Ghana Empire or classified as ’the Soninke people’ by defeating Almoravids and later on by Mansa, a great ruler associated with Mali’s success. Located on the upper Niger River, the Malian Empire was flourished and gained its highest potential and prosperity during the fourteenth century. At the same time, the Empire of Mali was spread to the West Africa coast. Later, it was taken over by the Songhai Empire, and the Mali Empire began to be called ‘Nigeria.‘Don’t forget to check out our other articles about ancient Japan facts and ancient Mayan facts.Fun Facts About Ancient MaliThe Empire of Mali holds the youngest population around the world. According to 2017, nearly 67% of its people were below the age group of 25 years. Comprising of about 18 million people, the median age of the people in the Mali Empire is 15.9 years. Although the Mali Empire has the highest infant mortality rate as of 2007, 106 deaths per thousand. In contrast, the majority population resides in rural areas. However, around 10% are still nomads.The major languages are Bambara and French. However, the Empire of Mali has 12 national languages. It includes Hassaniya Arabic, Soninke, Tieyaxo Bozo, Mamara Senoufo, Maasina Fulfulde, and Bomu, but most of its population speaks Bambara, making it serve like the country’s lingua franca.Another interesting fact about the Empire of Mali is that the equator line divides the Empire into two parts. It means that the prime meridian passes from Gao, one of the capital cities of Mali. It divides the earth into two equal haves known as the Western and Eastern hemispheres. This means an individual can have one foot in the eastern hemisphere and the other in the western simultaneously.The Djenne’s great mosque is the world’s largest clay structure found in the Mali Empire. The biggest accomplishment of Sudano-Sahelian architecture, the building is made up using artificial clay. Djenne, being an ancient town and one of the most prominent cities, was the replacement of the first mosque. The grand mosque is a massive banco structure that was built under the French authority in 1907 and is one of the finest architects of mud bricks.Historical Facts About MaliThe first ruler was Sundiata Keita, who found the Mali kingdom in 1235 CE. Behind the powerful and wealthy African Empire, the legendary King was an 18-year old boy. Proclaiming the first charter of human rights, the Manden Charter, considered the city of Timbuktu as a center of learning and education. Moreover, it contains the famous Sankore University. Niani is the capital city of this region.The history of time shows that the kings of the Mali Empire were called Mansa Musa. Under the rule of Mansa, the kingdom started gathering its wealth and gained control over 12 kingdoms. However, it is believed that Mansa Musa was a wealthy king, and Mansa Musa gained popularity in Africa and around the world because of his lavish lifestyle. The extravagant trips of Mansa Musa to Mecca were quite popular.Mansa Musa’s richness can be understood by bringing nearly 60,000 people to pilgrimage. He was showing the greatness of the Mali Empire. Plus, Mansa Musa purchased dozens of camels dolled up with gold. Massive encounters with a display of gold and large entourage during his trips have made Mansa Musa, the kings of kings, the richest man of that time. During travels, Mansa Musa gave away a lot of gold. Although after king Mansa Musa’s death around 1337, the Empire began to experience a fall, especially a decline in wealth. All the glories and luxurious lifestyles decked with gold started fading away after Mansa Musa’s death, and soon the Empire became one of the poorest regions. Although various trade centers emerged, the commercial wealth which was once freely used in Mali was now used in civil wars because of poor leadership.Facts About Ancient Mali’s EconomyThe Mali Empire was very wealthy in its heyday. The richness of the Empire was mainly obtained through trade and taxes, which were mostly imposed outside the Empire. Vast gold reserves of Mansa Musa were added to the property and the prosperity of the Empire of Mali at that time.A sovereign state, Mali was subdivided into ten regions, and its economy was driven by mining and agriculture. Under the Mansa Musa, when Timbuktu came to control the Empire, the region reached its heights. Timbuktu made Mali a crossroads of trade, education, and entertainment. Heavy taxation was imposed on the commodities and items that were supposed to pass through the area of Mali, making the economy rich. Further, the Mali Empire managed to administrate all the vital trade routes across the Sahara Desert to Europe and the Middle East. One of the principal occupations of the people was agriculture.Although various other small cultural groups and tribes and culture within the Mali Empire has contributed a lot to the economy, most of these groups were given the title of the “Mande peoples.” The Mande people were divided into castes and shared common interests in language, culture, and economic activities. Agriculturists were considered as one of the most respected castes. Besides providing food to the country, some farmers were artisans. And the other common occupation included scribes, soldiers, slaves, fishers, and civil servants.Especially during the middle ages, Islamic Religion gained a lot of popularity and became a primary part of the Mali Empire. However, Mansa himself converted to Islam, but no one was forced to convert his religion under his rule, and everyone shared religious tolerance. It was common to find people who were following a version of Islam. It was a mixture of local traditions and Islamic values and beliefs.Facts About Ancient Mali’s Natural ResourcesThe presence of gold and salt trade added to the commercial assets.Mali has many large salt mines located in the oldest part of the desert region of northern Mali, called Taoudenni, which is about 403 mi (648.56 km) from Timbuktu. Salt from Taoudenni salt mines is hand-extracted. The ancient salt lake bed was divided into stone slabs and then carried to Timbuktu with the help of a camel or truck. Another primary salt mining site in Mali is Taghaza, situated about 93 mi (150 km) northwest of Taoudenni. Salt was exchanged for gold, especially when brought from northern Mali to the country’s south.Three gold mines within the Empire brought unfathomable wealth to the samurai. All gold entering or leaving the border was taxed. Until the start of the 14th century, Mali accounted for half of the world’s gold reserves. At that time, Gold nuggets were one of the properties of Mansa’s things. Hence, trading of bars was illegal within his borders. If any gold or such commodities were found, it was immediately handed over to the authorities for further evaluation, and the course of action was taken. In most cases, the value of the nuggets was measured, and the same amount of gold dust was returned to the citizens. This was considered one of the economic measures with the belief that it shall continue to curb inflation in the region.Along with both commodities, copper was also considered a primary mineral, enhancing the country’s richness, further being the symbol of making the nation powerful.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Learn About These Ancient Mali Facts For Your History Class, then why not take a look at ancient Persia facts or ancient Kush facts?
Located in West Africa, the ancient Mali empire is stretched over 1,200 mi (1931.2 km) from Gao to the Atlantic Ocean.
