Medieval Africa: Mali and Songhai
West African empires grew rich from gold and salt.
About this topic
West African kingdoms grew rich on the trans-Saharan trade, exchanging gold and ivory from the south for salt, cloth and horses from the north, carried by camel caravans. Ghana came first, then the Mali Empire, founded by Sundiata Keita around 1235, which controlled gold fields and trading cities such as Timbuktu, Gao and Djenne.
Mansa Musa, Mali's most famous ruler, made a famous pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 with so much gold that he is said to have lowered its value in Cairo. He brought back scholars and architects, built the Djinguereber mosque, and made Timbuktu a centre of Islamic learning with a university and thousands of manuscripts. Later the Songhai Empire under Sunni Ali and Askia Muhammad took over and grew even larger until Moroccan forces with guns defeated it in 1591.
Rulers governed through governors and a strong army, and many practiced Islam while retaining local customs. Example: salt was valued as much as gold because people need it to live. A misconception is that Africa had little history before European contact; these empires were wealthy, organized and well known across the Mediterranean world, as shown on the Catalan Atlas.
Key ideas
- Mansa Musa's pilgrimage 1324
- Timbuktu was a centre of learning
- Trans-Saharan trade
Quick check
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Studying the past helps explain today’s politics, borders, cultures and institutions.
Frequently asked questions
What is Medieval Africa: Mali and Songhai?
West African empires grew rich from gold and salt.
What will I learn in Medieval Africa: Mali and Songhai?
Mansa Musa's pilgrimage 1324. Timbuktu was a centre of learning. Trans-Saharan trade.
Is Medieval Africa: Mali and Songhai part of World History?
Yes. It is one of 80 World History topics on LearnViz HighSchoolEdu, with 3 key ideas, a live animation and a quick check.
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