During the 200 year period between 1301 and 1500 (the 14th and 15th century) the main civilizations and kingdoms in Africa were the Mali Empire, Kingdom of Kongo, Ife Empire, Benin Kingdom, Songhai Empire, Hausa City-states, Wolof Empire, Great Zimbabwe, Kingdom of Makuria, Kanem Empire, Ethiopian Empire, Kilwa Sultanate, Kingdom of Mapungubwe, Kingdom of Mutapa, and the Ajuran Sultanate. These kingdoms flourished in the first part of this period, especially the Mali Empire, which saw a cultural flowering within its empire centred on the University of Timbuktu.
Trans-Saharan Trade The years between 1100 ce and 1600 ce were known as the "golden age" of trade, when West African gold was in high demand. This led to an increase in the need and use for trade routes. From 1300 the Trans-Saharan trade routes were used for trade, travel, and scholarship.
Much of what scholars know of the Trans-Saharan trade routes comes from the historical writings of Muslim scholars such as Ibn Battuta and Leo Africanus who both crossed the Sahara Desert in the 14th and 15th centuries. These literary narratives combined with archaeological data provide much insight into 14th century trade.
Geography
Throughout the 14th century, much of African trade revolved around the Trans-Saharan trade routes. Geographically, the Sahara Desert extends over 3.6 million square miles and is the second-largest desert on the planet behind Antarctica. While the Sahara Desert was often viewed as a barrier between the African countries, it actually linked them together rather than separated them.
Empires While trade along the Trans-Sahara trade route was common in the 14th century, it was highly dependent on the powerful African Empires, such as the Mali Empire, Kingdom of Kongo, Benin Kingdom, Hausa City-states, Ife Empire, Great Zimbabwe, Ethiopian Empire, Kilwa Sultanate, and the Ajuran Sultanate.
Muslim Influence
Ibn Battuta
In 1352–53, Ibn Battuta embarked on a pilgrimage from Morocco to the Mali empire. Throughout his travels, he described many aspech the salt mines of Taghaza. The town of Takeda in the Niger Bend was a centre for copper mining and trade in Egyptian goods, like cloth. The routes from Morocco to Egypt were large distribution centres for gold.
In his memoirs, Battuta also described the dangers of the trade routes. It took months for merchants to cross the Sahara Desert, and they faced challenges ranging from natural disasters to lost caravans. Travelers who ventured too far away from their caravans and got lost often died from the elements. If scouts died or strayed away from their groups, the caravans would get lost in the desert and wander. Even worse, natural disasters, such as sand storms or fluctuating temperatures, often forced merchants to abandon their goods to save their own lives, yet causing them to lose everything. In his memoir, Battuta described the Sahara as a "desert haunted by demons."
Mansa Musa By the end of the 10th century, Islam had spread to many Northern and Western African empires. By the 14th century, empires such as Ghana and Mali, had strong ties with the Muslim world, and many of their most prominent leaders practiced the Muslim faith. Mali's most famous ruler, Mansa Musa, traveled across the Trans-Saharan trade routes on his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1325. Because Islam became so prominent in North and West Africa, many of the trade routes and caravan networks were controlled by Muslim nations. In the 14th century, prominent trade and travel routes had been firmly established.
Trade Goods During the 14th century, and later the 15th century, the primary trading goods along the Trans-Saharan trade routes were gold, salt, precious metals, such as copper and iron, ivory, spices, materials, such as skins, cloth, and leather, and also slaves.
Trade Routes
Trade among the Sahara Desert was highly influenced by the prominent Western empires and the local people living along the trade routes. In the 10th-15th centuries the major empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay influenced many of the trade practices. These powerful empires would extend their hand of power over African trade by directing trade routes through the major cities and taxing the travelling merchants and their goods. Through the power of the empires, many of the trade routes were secured and the merchant profession became a prosperous one. When travelling, traders could travel individually or in groups, or they could attach themselves to an annual caravan.
Along the trade routes, local or residential tribes would establish and maintain resting posts for the traveling merchants. The scouts often used these trading posts to guide the caravans along the correct trade routes.
The Spread of Islam Since the origin of the religion, Islam has had an evident influence in the culture where its followers would inhabit. Since the religion affects major aspects of its follower's lifestyle, this convert-focused religion would influence family values, social conduct, and even judicial practices of the surrounding communities. As Muslims conquered more land, the practices of Islam would spread wherever they went. Islam primarily spread its influence to the Northern and Eastern coast of Africa.
Northern Africa After the Nomadic Almohad peoples overthrew the Almoravids of Spain and North Africa, by the 13th century its government had collapsed from within and split into 3 different states, consisting of both Almoravid and Almohad groups. Then in 1415, the Spanish Reconquista forced most of the Muslims out of Spain and into North Africa. During this transition from the Almohad empire to the Muslim tri-state era, trade between Europe and North Africa increased the wealth of the primarily Muslim region, as well as their ability to maintain power in the Sahara. Their control of the gold trade routes led to the rise of the great Mali empire.
The Mali Empire The Mali Empire was one of the great empires of West Africa, reaching its peak in the 14th century. Mali was founded by the legendary Sundiata Keita in approximately 1230 after defeating the Sosso at the battle of Krina. Its capital was at Niani, in modern Guinea. After Sundiata's death in 1255, the kingship remained in the Keita family line until 1285. In 1285, after a series of weak kings, a freed slave named Sakura took the throne. Sakura was an effective ruler, but died while returning from his pilgrimage to Mecca.
14th Century Mali The Mali Empire's entrance into the 14th century was heralded by a return of the throne to the Keita family line with the reign of Mansa (king) Qu. Mansa Qu's successor was his son, Mansa Muhammad.
Mansa Musa
In 1312 the most famous Malian king, Mansa Musa, came to power. Mansa Musa's reign marks the golden age of the Mali empire, spreading its territory and fame far and wide. Under Mansa Musa, the empire reached as far as the Atlantic Ocean in the West and past the trading cities of Timbuktu and Gao in the East, encompassing the past kingdom of Ghana in its entirety, and was home to an estimated five to ten million people.
Pilgrimage to Mecca Mansa Musa's global renown came as a result of his Hajj in 1324. He set out with a vast entourage across the Sahara desert toward Mecca. In Cairo, he initially refused to visit the sultan, as the tradition at the time was for the visitor to bow before him, and Musa believed himself to be of superior rank and power. Eventually, he made a compromise and bowed before Allah in the presence of the sultan. After the encounter, the sultan honoured Mansa Musa by inviting him to sit beside him as an equal, and they spoke for some time.
According to the Islamic writer Al-Umari, Mansa Musa brought with him no less than 100 camels laden with 300 pounds of gold each, as well as 60,000 people wearing silk, 12,000 servants, and 500 gold-staff bearing slaves before him."Let me add that gold in Egypt had enjoyed a high rate of exchange up to the moment of their [Mansa Musa's] arrival. The gold medal that year had not fallen below twenty-five drachmas. But from that day onward, its value dwindled; the exchange was ruined, and even now it has not recovered. The mitqal scarcely touches twenty-two drachmas. That is how it has been for twelve years from that time, because of the great amounts of gold they brought into Egypt and spent there." — Al Umari
Mansa Musa's Legacy
On his return journey back to Mali, Mansa Musa brought with him many scholars, artisans, architects, and other men of learning. They built many magnificent structures, including the mosque of Gao, and buildings in Timbuktu. He also established a diplomatic relationship with the sultan of Morocco, with the two kings mutually sending ambassadors to the other's court. Mansa Musa had a lifelong dedication to education and sent many young men to be educated at the university in Fez, Morocco who eventually returned and began Quranic schools and universities in many Malian cities, namely Timbuktu. The tale of the wealth of the Mansa of Mali spread far around the globe, making the Malian Empire one of the most famous African empires of its time—even being featured on ancient European maps. Mansa Musa has been claimed to have been the richest person to have ever lived, with an estimated net worth adjusted for inflation of $400 billion (as of 2012). Mansa Musa's reign ushered in a time of peace and prosperity in Mali that would last through the reign of his eventual successor, Mansa Suleyman.
Mansa Maghan Mansa Maghan was the son of Mansa Musa, and was not a skilled leader. He ruled as Mansa of Mali beginning in 1337 but was in power for only four years before his uncle and Mansa Musa's brother, Suleyman Keita, became emperor in 1341. There was some question as to whether Suleyman had a hand in Maghan's deposition, and some internal conflict resulted from the change in leadership.
Mansa Suleyman Keita Mansa Suleyman Keita succeeded Mansa Maghan, and was a proficient ruler, though his reign was not as peaceful as Mansa Musa's, and some land east of Timbuktu and Gao was lost to the Songhai people. Despite the growing unrest in the region, Mali still enjoyed a great level of political stability and security as noted by the famed Islamic explorer and writer Ibn Battuta, who visited Mali in 1352."The negroes possess some admirable qualities. They are seldom unjust and have a greater abhorrence of injustice than any other people. Their sultan [the Mansa] shows no mercy to anyone guilty o the least act of it. There is complete security in their country. Neither traveller nor inhabitant has anything to fear from robbers or men of violence." — Ibn BattutaThe death of Mansa Suleyman marked the beginning of the period of decline in the Mali Empire. The time leading into the 15th century was characterized by weak rulers, short reigns, and disputes over succession.
15th Century Mali
Though the Mali Empire was now in the hands of weak kings, it continued to exist well into the 15th century. Timbuktu was an important point of both trade and learning in Imperial Mali, so its loss to Tuareg Berbers in 1433 was a significant blow to the weakening state. In addition to Tuareg rebellion, the Mossi people revolted and began raiding towns deep within Mali. Eventually, the city of Gao in the East broke off from Mali, as did the Wolof cities along the coast in the West. Throughout the 15th century, Mali progressively shrunk in size as many of its territories abandoned the empire, though it continued existing as an independent entity well into the 16th century. However, in 1546, the Songhai kingdom sacked Mali's capital, Niani, formally ending Mali's rule as an independent empire.
14th and 15th Century Marinid Dynasty
Origins