CH 13.2 Guided Reading Notes
Mali and Songhai
The Big Idea
Between 1000 and 1500 the empires of and Songhaideveloped in Africa.
Main Ideas
•The empire of Mali reached its height under the ruler Musa, but the empire fell to invaders in the .
•The Songhai built a new empire in West Africa, conquering many of the lands that were once part of Mali.
Main Idea 1:The empire of Mali reached its height under the ruler Mansa Musa, but the empire fell to invaders in the 1400s.
•Mali lay along the upper River.
•The area had fertile soil and on the river.
•In the 1200s a harsh ruler conquered Mali. Sundiata was a boy at the time, but as an adult, he built up an , won back his country’s independence, and conquered nearby kingdoms, including .
•Sundiata took over the and trades, worked to improve agriculture, and introduced as a crop.
•He took power away from local leaders and adopted their title of for himself. This gave him both and religious authority in society.
•Sundiata died in 1255.
Q1: What changes were made under Sundiata in West Africa?
Mansa Musa
•Mali’s most famous ruler was a named Mansa Musa who ruled from 1312 to 1337.
•Mali reached the height of its wealth, , and fame in the 1300s, and Islam spread through a large part of West Africa.
•During his reign Mali added many important trade to its empire, including Timbuktu.
•In 1324 Mansa Musa made a pilgrimage to , spreading Mali’s fame far and wide.
•He supported education, stressed the importance of learning to read , and hired Muslim architects to build . A mosque is a building for Muslim prayer.
•When Mansa Musa died, his son Maghan, a ruler, took the throne.
•Raiders invaded from the southeast and set fire to Timbuktu.
•In 1431 the Tuareg, from the Sahara, seized Timbuktu.
•By 1500 only a small area of remained.
Q2: How did Mali decline following the death of Mansa Musa?
Main Idea 2:The Songhai built a new Islamic empire in West Africa, conquering many of the lands that were once part of Mali.
•From their capital at Gao, the kingdom participated in the same trade that had made Ghana and Mali rich.
•Songhai had been part of the Empire, but as the empire weakened in the 1400s, the people of Songhai .
•Songhai leaders shared Islam with the North African , so the Berbers were willing to with the Songhai.
•Sunni Ali, who became ruler of the Songhai in 1464, worked to , strengthen, and enlarge his empire.
•Sunni Ali encouraged everyone to work together. To build religious harmony, he participated in both Muslim and religions.
Q3: Who was Songhai able to have a good relationship? Why?
Askia the Great
•Muhammad Ture led a successful rebellion against a non-Muslim king.
–Eventually, he became known as the Great.
•Askia supported and learning.
–Timbuktu became known for its schools, particularly the University of Sankore.
•As Songhai’s Muslim traders gained influence in the empire, so did Islam.
–Askia encouraged the growth of Islamic influence.
•Askia set up provinces within Songhai with loyal appointed governors.
•He created a professional with specialized departments.
Songhai Falls to Morocco
•Morocco wanted control of Songhai’s mines.
•The army attacked in 1591, carrying advanced weapons, including the arquebus-a large rifle.
•The invaders destroyed Timbuktu and Gao.
•Overland declined as cities on the Atlantic coast became more important.
•Africans south of Songhai and Europeans both preferred trading at Atlantic ports to dealing with Muslim traders.
Q4: What led to the decline of Songhai?