120 Questions
Who was the brother who returned from exile with an army, gathered friends and allies, and marched against Sumanguru?
Sundiata Keita
Where did Sundiata and Sumanguru meet for battle?
Kirina
What did Sumanguru think Sundiata's army was when he first saw it?
A mountain of stone
What was the outcome of the battle between Sundiata and Sumanguru?
Sundiata emerged victorious after Sumanguru was struck with an arrow bearing the spur of a white cock.
What was the name of the city that served as the capital of Kangaba during Sundiata's time?
Niani
What was the result of Sumanguru's warriors fleeing to get behind Sumanguru after Sundiata's shout?
They were no match for Sundiata's army, and Sumanguru was eventually defeated.
How many heads would usually rise above Sumanguru's head when he shouted?
Eight
What was the administrative structure of Sundiata's empire?
It was governed through powerful and able men who were the heads of leading Mandinka descent-lines, each with a province under his control.
What did the name 'Mali' mean, and what name did it eventually absorb?
The name 'Mali' meant 'where the king resides', and it eventually absorbed the name Kangaba.
Who was the first king of Mali, and what did he do that was notable?
The first king of Mali was Barmandana, and he became a Muslim and made a pilgrimage to Mecca.
Who was Sundiata Keita, and what did he do during his reign?
Sundiata Keita was the founder of the Mali Empire, and he ruled for approximately 25 years, doing great deeds.
What title did Uli, Sundiata's son, take when he became king, and what did it translate to?
Uli took the title 'Mansa', which translates to 'lord' in the Mandinka language.
What event marked the end of Khalifa's reign, and what happened to him?
Khalifa's subjects revolted against him, and he was killed.
Who seized the throne of the Mali Empire in 1298, and what was unique about him?
Sakuru, a freed slave of the court, seized the throne of the Mali Empire in 1298.
Who was the great ruler who came to power in 1312, and how long did he rule?
Mansa Kakan Musa came to power in 1312 and ruled until 1337.
What was Mali's achievement, and how did it compare to Ancient Ghana?
Mali repeated the achievements of Ancient Ghana, but on a larger scale.
What was the main motivation behind the occupation of Timbuktu by Sunni Ali?
To reassert independence over the Songhay overlord and control the trans-Saharan trade
What was the significance of Jenne in the context of the trans-Saharan trade?
It was a vital market center for the trade in gold, kola nuts, and other goods from the southern forest lands.
What was the outcome of Sunni Baru's reign as the ruler of Songhay?
He was defeated in battle and deposed by a powerful rebel, Muhammad Turay, who became Askia the Great.
What was the impact of Sunni Ali's rule on the spread of Islam in Songhay?
He made concessions to Islam, but also oppressed Muslim leaders who failed to show political loyalty to him.
What was the significance of the lake region of the Middle Niger in the context of Sunni Ali's conquests?
It came under Sunni Ali's control by 1476, along with the west of Timbuktu.
What was the nature of the disputes that led to the rise of Muhammad Turay as Askia the Great?
Religious disputes were mingled with personal ambitions.
What was the significance of the market cities in Songhay during this period?
They were growing in wealth and importance, with leaders who were mostly Muslims.
What was Sunni Ali's approach to governance in Songhay?
He sought to balance the interests of Muslim townspeople and non-Muslim countryside dwellers.
What was the name of the powerful Songhay emperor who ruled from 1493 to 1528?
Askia Muhammad
Where was the traditional frontier of Songhay and Mali located?
Through the region of Sibiridugu, astride of the upper Niger, near the river-city of Segu
What was the name of the capital of the old Mali empire?
Niani
What was the name of the famous trading companies in Mali?
The Dyula companies
What was the extent of Mali's power by the end of the 15th century?
Mali had no power to the east of Segu
What was the significance of Sundiata Keita in the context of the Mali empire?
Sundiata Keita was the founder of the Mali empire, dating back over two hundred years
What was the name of the Songhay ruler who pillaged Niani in 1400?
The ruler of Gao
What was the purpose of the Mali emperor's ambassador to the Portuguese coast in 1534?
To seek help from the Portuguese
What was the state of the Empire of Mali when Sunni Ali became king of Gao and the Songhay lands in 1464?
The Empire of Mali was nearing an end due to its weakness and confusion.
What was the primary means by which Sunni Ali united Western Sudan during his reign?
War
What groups did Sunni Ali fight against during his reign?
The Mossi, Dogon, Fulani, and Tuareg
What was the significance of Sunni Ali's capture of Timbuktu?
He drove the Tuareg out of the city and secured a key trading center.
What religious disputes were at work in Timbuktu during Sunni Ali's reign?
The leading men of Timbuktu, who were strictly Muslim, had conflicts with the largely non-Muslim empire of Songhay.
Why did the leading men of Timbuktu not fight hard against the Tuareg occupation?
They were more focused on their trading partners from North Africa and Saharan oases, and the qadi regarded himself as an independent ruler of a Muslim city.
What was the significance of Sunni Ali's 34-year reign?
He was never once defeated during his reign.
What was the result of Sunni Ali's campaign against the Tuareg?
He drove the Tuareg out of Timbuktu and punished the city's leaders for not defending themselves.
Sundiata Keita returned from ______ with an army.
exile
Sundiata's army was thought to be a ______ by Sumanguru.
mountain
The battle between Sundiata and Sumanguru took place in ______.
Kirina
Sumanguru's witchcraft was less powerful than the witchcraft of ______.
Sundiata
Sundiata's capital was located at ______, near the River Niger.
Niani
When Sundiata shouted, the warriors of Sumanguru fled to get behind ______.
Sumanguru
Sumanguru was struck with an arrow bearing the spur of a white ______.
cock
Sundiata became the master of a new ______ after defeating Sumanguru.
empire
The name 'Mali' meant '_____________, where the king resides'.
where
Sundiata Keita was not the first king of Mali, but rather ______________ was.
Barmandana
Sundiata Keita ruled the Mali Empire for approximately ______________ years.
25
Uli, the son of Sundiata Keita, took the title of ______________, which translates to 'lord' in Mandinka language.
Mansa
In 1298, the throne of the Mali Empire was seized by a ______________ of the court.
freed slave
Mansa Kakan Musa ruled the Mali Empire from 1312 to ______________.
1337
The empire of Mali repeated the achievements of Ancient Ghana, but on a larger ______________.
scale
After 1400, the empire of Mali was ______________ to a close.
drawing
Sunni Ali became the king of Gao and the ______ lands in 1464.
Songhay
The Empire of ______ was nearing an end due to its weakness and confusion.
Mali
The Tuareg were raiding from the ______.
north
Sunni Ali made war often and with a ruthless ______.
skill
Sunni Ali drove the Tuareg out of ______.
Timbuktu
The leading men of Timbuktu had been strictly ______ for a long time.
Muslims
The qadi, or chief religious leader, tended to regard himself as the independent ruler of a ______ city.
Muslim
The leading men of Timbuktu did not seem to have fought very hard against the ______ occupation.
Tuareg
The Mali _______________________ was still a large and prosperous city.
capital
The famous Dyula companies were the most enterprising and successful _______________________ of all the western and central regions of West Africa.
merchants
By the end of the 15th century, Mali had no power to the _______________________ of Segu.
east
The traditional frontier of Songhay and Mali was still recognised as running through the region of _______________________.
Sibiridugu
The traders of Mali traveled far and wide, across the _______________________ and through the forests.
plains
The powerful Songhay emperor, Askia Muhammad, ruled from _______________________ to 1528.
1493
In 1400, the Songhay ruler of Gao is said to have pillaged _______________________ itself.
Niani
The Mali emperor sent an ambassador to the coast for help from the _______________________ in 1534.
Portuguese
Sunni Ali punished them for their disloyalty to the ______ overlord.
Songhay
Jenne was a vital market center for the trade in ______, kola nuts, and other goods from the southern forest lands.
gold
Sunni Ali died in November 1492 while returning from an expedition against the ______.
Gurma
Muhammad Turay, who became ______ the Great, defeated and deposed Sunni Baru.
Askia
The leaders of the market cities in Songhay were mostly ______.
Muslims
Sunni Ali tried to protect the interests of the ______ people of the towns and the interests of the non-Muslim people of the countryside.
Muslim
Sunni Ali extended siege to ______, the vital market center for the trade in gold, kola nuts, and other goods from the southern forest lands.
Jenne
By 1476, Sunni Ali had the whole ______ region of the Middle Niger, and the west of Timbuktu under his control.
lake
What was the main objective of the lesson on African empires and their role in the development of modern-day societies?
To describe the impacts of African Empires on modern-day societies
Who were the earliest people to put 'markers' on trans-desert caravan trails?
Berbers who lived more than 2,500 years ago
What was the peak period of the trans-Saharan trade?
Around AD 1500
Which group of trails linked Morocco with West African markets along the Senegal River and the upper reaches of the Niger River?
The western group
What was the impact of the rise of powerful Muslim states in North Africa on the trans-Saharan trade?
It made the trade much bigger and more important
What was one of the important groups of trails across the desert between West and North Africa?
The central trail linking Algeria with West African markets
What was the outcome of the rise of a big coastal trade with Europeans around AD 1650?
The trans-Saharan trade lost much of its importance
What was the significance of the trans-Saharan trade?
It was a major factor in the development of modern-day societies
What was the main export of West Africa along the Sahara trade routes?
Gold, ivory, and domestic servants
What was the significance of the route linking Kanem-Bornu with Darfur?
It connected West Africa to the Nile
What was the primary import of West Africa from the Sahara trade routes?
Salt and copper
What was the role of the Ghana Empire in West Africa?
It was a powerful empire based in modern-day Mali
What was the significance of the location of the Ghana Empire?
It was based in modern-day Mali and western Mauritania
What was the outcome of the battle between the Portuguese and the Moroccans at Al-Ksar al-Kabir?
Only a few hundred Portuguese escaped to tell the tale of that day.
What was the primary function of the trails linking Tunisia and the Fezzan?
They linked the markets of Kanem-Bornu with Darfur
What was Sultan Mulay Ahmad's nickname after the battle of Al-Ksar al-Kabir?
The Victorious
What was the significance of the route running west-east?
It connected the markets of Kanem-Bornu with the Nile
Why did Sultan Mulay Ahmad look to the Western Sudan?
To fill his empty purse
What was the outcome of Sultan Mulay Ahmad's initial raid on Taghaza?
He was unable to keep an army in that thirsty place
What was the primary language spoken in the West African trading states?
Mande language
Who led the army that set out in December 1590 to attack the men of Songhay?
Judar, a Spanish Christian turned Muslim
What was unique about the 4,600 strong army that set out in December 1590?
Half of them were infantry armed with arquebuses
What was the target of Sultan Mulay Ahmad's military campaign in 1590?
The men of Songhay in their own homeland
What was the motivation behind Sultan Mulay Ahmad's invasion of Songhay?
To plunder the wealth of Songhay and vastly enrich himself with West African gold
What was the reason for Timbuktu's failure to become the centre of an important state or empire?
Its geographical position was not strategic.
What was the significance of Timbuktu and Jenne in the context of the Songhay government?
They were centres of a many-sided civilisation with a focus on Islam.
Who deposed Muhammad and took over the throne?
His eldest son, Musa
What was the outcome of Muhammad's rule?
He became blind and was deposed by his son.
What was the significance of the market cities in Songhay during this period?
They were important trading cities.
What was the status of Timbuktu when it was founded about eight hundred years ago?
It was a small but important trading city.
What was the main reason for the Tuareg's failure to conquer the Songhay?
Not mentioned in the text.
What was the significance of the trade cities in the context of the Songhay government?
They were the basis of the Songhay government's strength and wealth.
What was the primary role of Jenne in the context of West African trade?
A middleman city between the traders of the Western Sudan and those of the forest lands to the south
What was the common language and faith shared by the Dyula traders?
Dyula language and Islam
Which group of traders settled in towns like Kumbi, Timbuktu, and Gao?
Berber traders
What was the significance of the Dyula traders in the West African trade network?
They were a vital link between the forest lands and the Western Sudan
What was the main commodity, besides gold, traded by the Dyula traders?
Kola nuts
What was the outcome of the exchange of ideas between the traders of the Western Sudan and those of the forest lands?
The exchange of ideas and cultural influences between the two regions
What was the geographical location of the forest lands in relation to the Western Sudan?
To the south of the Western Sudan
What was the significance of the trading activities in West Africa during this period?
They facilitated the exchange of goods and ideas between different regions
Study Notes
Sundiata Keita and the Founding of the Mali Empire
- Sundiata Keita, the brother of the exiled king, returned with an army and gathered friends and allies to defeat Sumanguru, the ruler of the Sosso kingdom.
- Sundiata's army was mistaken for a mountain by Sumanguru, while Sumanguru's army was thought to be a cloud by Sundiata.
- The two armies engaged in a fierce battle, with Sundiata using witchcraft to defeat Sumanguru, who was struck by an arrow with a white cock's spur.
- After the victory, Sundiata became the master of a new empire, governing through powerful and able men who were the heads of leading Mandinka descent-lines.
The Rulers of Mali
- Barmandana was the first king of Mali, who ruled around 1050, became a Muslim, and made a pilgrimage to Mecca.
- Sundiata Keita, also known as Mari Diata, ascended to the throne of the Mali Empire in 1245 and ruled for approximately 25 years.
- Sundiata's son, Uli, took the title of Mansa and ruled from around 1260 to 1277.
- Uli's brothers, Wati and Khalifa, ruled the empire, but were weak kings who ruled badly.
- Abu Bakr ruled the empire until 1298, and was followed by Sakuru, a freed slave, who ruled from 1298 to 1308.
The Mali Empire's Achievements
- The Mali Empire repeated the achievements of Ancient Ghana, but on a larger scale.
- The empire was known for its grand system of imperial rule, which was respected by many peoples.
- The Mali mansa was considered the rightful overlord by many peoples.
- The traders of Mali, known as the Dyula companies, were the most enterprising and successful merchants in West Africa.
The Decline of the Mali Empire
- By 1400, the empire was drawing to a close, and the Songhay ruler of Gao pillaged Niani, the capital of the old empire.
- The Tuareg rushed into Timbuktu in 1431, and the Mali emperor's power began to decline.
- By the end of the century, Mali had no power to the east of Segu.
- The Mali emperor sent an ambassador to the Portuguese for help in 1534, but it was too late.
The Rise of the Songhay Empire
- Sunni Ali, also known as Askia the Great, was a powerful ruler who extended the Songhay Empire's control over the lake region of the Middle Niger and the west of Timbuktu.
- Sunni Ali died in 1492, and his son, Sunni Baru, was named ruler, but was defeated in battle and deposed by Muhammad Turay, who became Askia the Great.
- Askia the Great was a wise ruler who made concessions to Islam, but also protected the interests of the non-Muslim people of the countryside.
- Askia the Great made war often and with ruthless skill, never once defeated in his 34-year reign.
Sundiata Keita and the Founding of the Mali Empire
- Sundiata Keita, the brother of the exiled king, returned with an army and gathered friends and allies to defeat Sumanguru, the ruler of the Sosso kingdom.
- Sundiata's army was mistaken for a mountain by Sumanguru, while Sumanguru's army was thought to be a cloud by Sundiata.
- The two armies engaged in a fierce battle, with Sundiata using witchcraft to defeat Sumanguru, who was struck by an arrow with a white cock's spur.
- After the victory, Sundiata became the master of a new empire, governing through powerful and able men who were the heads of leading Mandinka descent-lines.
The Rulers of Mali
- Barmandana was the first king of Mali, who ruled around 1050, became a Muslim, and made a pilgrimage to Mecca.
- Sundiata Keita, also known as Mari Diata, ascended to the throne of the Mali Empire in 1245 and ruled for approximately 25 years.
- Sundiata's son, Uli, took the title of Mansa and ruled from around 1260 to 1277.
- Uli's brothers, Wati and Khalifa, ruled the empire, but were weak kings who ruled badly.
- Abu Bakr ruled the empire until 1298, and was followed by Sakuru, a freed slave, who ruled from 1298 to 1308.
The Mali Empire's Achievements
- The Mali Empire repeated the achievements of Ancient Ghana, but on a larger scale.
- The empire was known for its grand system of imperial rule, which was respected by many peoples.
- The Mali mansa was considered the rightful overlord by many peoples.
- The traders of Mali, known as the Dyula companies, were the most enterprising and successful merchants in West Africa.
The Decline of the Mali Empire
- By 1400, the empire was drawing to a close, and the Songhay ruler of Gao pillaged Niani, the capital of the old empire.
- The Tuareg rushed into Timbuktu in 1431, and the Mali emperor's power began to decline.
- By the end of the century, Mali had no power to the east of Segu.
- The Mali emperor sent an ambassador to the Portuguese for help in 1534, but it was too late.
The Rise of the Songhay Empire
- Sunni Ali, also known as Askia the Great, was a powerful ruler who extended the Songhay Empire's control over the lake region of the Middle Niger and the west of Timbuktu.
- Sunni Ali died in 1492, and his son, Sunni Baru, was named ruler, but was defeated in battle and deposed by Muhammad Turay, who became Askia the Great.
- Askia the Great was a wise ruler who made concessions to Islam, but also protected the interests of the non-Muslim people of the countryside.
- Askia the Great made war often and with ruthless skill, never once defeated in his 34-year reign.
Timbuktu and Jenne: Middleman Cities
- Timbuktu and Jenne were both middleman cities between traders of different regions.
- Timbuktu was a middleman city between the traders of the Western Sudan and those of the Sahara and North Africa.
- Jenne, on the other hand, was a middleman city between the traders of the Western Sudan and those of the forest lands to the south.
Importance of Jenne
- Jenne was a crucial link between the gold-producing forest lands and the wider trading network of the Western Sudan and North Africa.
- The city was a vital point for the trade of goods, including gold, kola nuts, and other products, between the forest lands and the caravan traders of Timbuktu and other trading centers.
Mandinka Traders and Dyula Trading Companies
- The Mandinka traders of Mali, also known as the Dyula or Wangara trading companies, played a significant role in the spread and activities of trade in the forest lands.
- These traders, united by their language, Islam, and experience, were a vital link between the gold-producing forest lands and the trading network of the Western Sudan and North Africa.
The North-South Trade
- The north-south trade within West Africa was a long-established and important route that connected the forest lands to the grassland plains to the north.
- This trade was facilitated by the movement of goods and people between the two regions, which led to the exchange of ideas and influences.
Trans-Saharan Trade
- The trans-Saharan trade began over 2,500 years ago, but it became more significant after the rise of powerful Muslim states in North Africa around AD 650.
- The trade reached its peak around AD 1500 and declined in importance after the rise of coastal trade with Europeans around AD 1650.
Key Terms
- Explain: to make an idea or situation clear to someone by describing it in more detail or revealing relevant facts.
- Describe: to give a detailed account in words of something.
- Identify: to recognize or distinguish something, especially something considered worthy of attention.
- Location: a particular place or position.
- Ghana Empire: a West African empire based in modern-day southeast Mauritania and western Mali.
The Battle of Al-Ksar Al-Kabir
- The battle of Al-Ksar Al-Kabir was a decisive battle that took place in 1578, in which the Moroccans defeated the Portuguese.
- The battle led to the end of European conquest in North Africa and encouraged the Moroccans to turn their attention southward to the Western Sudan.
Sultan Mulay Ahmad and the Western Sudan
- Sultan Mulay Ahmad, also known as Mulay the Victorious, ruled Morocco after the battle of Al-Ksar Al-Kabir.
- He looked to the Western Sudan as a way to fill his empty purse and launched an army across the Sahara to attack Songhay in 1590.
- The army was led by a soldier named Judar and was composed of 4,600 picked men, but it was ultimately unsuccessful in plundering the wealth of Songhay.
Sundiata Keita returns from exile to confront Sumanguru in a battle, gathering allies and increasing his forces along the way. Learn about the legendary battle of Kirina.
Make Your Own Quizzes and Flashcards
Convert your notes into interactive study material.
Get started for free
