Mali Empire

Mali Empire, empire in West Africa that dominated the region in the 13th and 14th centuries. The Mali Empire was the second and most extensive of three great successive empires, including those of Ghana (c. 700-1240) and Songhai (15th-16th century). The Mali Empire served as a model of statecraft for later kingdoms long after its decline in the 15th and 16th centuries.

The Mali Empire was strategically located near gold mines and the agriculturally rich interior floodplain of the Niger River. Until the mid-11th century this region was under the domination of the Ghana Empire. As Ghana declined, several short-lived kingdoms vied for influence over the area. In 1235 the small state of Kangaba, under Sundiata Keita, defeated the nearby kingdom of Soso at the Battle of Kirina. Sundiata and his immediate successors created the Mali Empire which stretched west to the Atlantic Ocean, south to the gold-bearing lands of Bondu and Bambuk; east beyond the Niger River, and north to the salt and copper mines of the Sahara. The city of Niani may have been the capital. At its height, Mali was a confederation of 3 independent, freely allied states (Mali, Mema, and Wagadou) and 12 garrisoned provinces. The king reserved the right to dispense justice and to monopolize trade, particularly in gold.

Mali's renown spread to the Islamic and European worlds when its Kankans (ruler) Mansa Musa, made a spectacular pilgrimage to the Islamic holy city of Mecca (in what is now Saudi Arabia) in 1324 and 1325, laden with gold and slaves. During his reign (1312-1337) commercial centres such as Jenne and Timbuktu thrived under the influence of Islam, which penetrated the elaborate life of the court. In the following decades, however, political intrigue and succession disputes sapped the strength of the empire. By the early 14th century, the northern towns and provinces had begun to rebel. The Songhai were one of the first peoples to gain independence, and during the 15th century much of Mali fell to the Songhai Empire. The legacy of Mali is reflected in the enduring cultural similarities between the Mande peoples, especially between those who speak Malinke, Bambara, and Soninke and who continue to occupy the greater part of West Africa.