History Flashcards
Where was the Mali Kingdom?
The western part of Africa, south of the Sahara Desert.
It stretched across west Africa to the Atlantic Ocean
When was Mali at the height of its power?
The 14th century
What river flowed through the Mali Empire?
The Niger River
How long is the Niger River?
Over 4000km
What was mined in the Mali Empire?
Gold
The main trade routes went from Timbuktu to which 2 African Countries?
Egypt and Morocco
a procession of camels travelling together in single file is called…..
A Camel caravan:
What were used to transport goods and people along the Trans-Saharan trade-route through the Sahara Desert to West Africa.
Explain why.
Camels,
because they could go many days without water.
they could carry heavy loads of goods and people.
Their bodies were adapted to walking on desert sand, heat and sand storms.
Camel milk was rich in vitamins and minerals and was a source of nutrition
How hot can the Sahara desert get?
57 Deg C in the Summer
Why did traders travel together.
to keep safe from robbers and danger.
Why is the Sahara Desert one of the most difficult places to cross? (or be)
There is very little to no water to drink
Little to no vegetation - No shade or food
It is one of the hottest places on earth during the day
Dust storms and hot winds
Very difficult to navigate
Robbers
Where does a camel store its fat?
In its humps
Why did the Kingdom of Mali become rich and powerful?
As a result of the trans-Saharan trade
Sahara trade linked Mali to the Middle East and Europe
What items were brought into Africa from Persia and Arabia?
rugs, swords, daggers and glass
What Items were brought into Africa from India?
Spices, dyes, cloth and beads.
What would the Arabs trade their goods for?
gold, slaves, ivory, salt and ostrich feathers.
What was Mali very rich in?
Gold
Why was gold in great demand in Europe and the Middle East?
Gold was used to make coins, which was used as money.
How did the King of Mali make profits on gold trade?
by taxing traders who used trade routes that passed through the Mali Empire.
Why did the people of Mali need salt?
People cannot survive without salt. In the hot climate of Mali, people and animals need a lot of salt to replace what the body sweats out.
Salt is also used to preserve food.
Where did Mali get their salt from
The salt-rich village of Taghaza, north of Mali
Besides goods brought in to trade, what else did the Arab traders bring into West Africa?
They brought the religion of Islam to West Africa
What are followers of the Islamic religion called?
Muslims
Why did many west-Africans convert to Islam?
it enabled them to get better prices when trading with other Muslims.
It also gave them the chance to read and write
Who made Islam the state religion in the Kingdom of Mali, but still allowed religious freedom.
Mansa Musa
What is Mansa?
King or Emperor of Mali
Muslims believe that there is only one God, called …
Allah.
The holy book of Islam is the ….
Koran.
The building where Muslims worship is called a …..
mosque.
How often must Muslims must recite prayers, called Salah?
5 times a day
What are Material sources or artefacts.
These are objects made by people
and studied by archaeologists, e.g. buildings
What are Written sources.
These are books, newspapers and letters that have been written.
What are Visual sources.
These are photographs, maps and drawings.
What are Oral sources.
These are stories told by people, songs and poems
passed on to other people.
Historians study sources of information to find out how people lived long ago.
There are four different types of sources: what are they?
Material sources or artefacts
Written sources
Visual sources
Oral sources
Who ruled over Mali between 1312 and 1337?
Mansa Musa
What did Mansa Musa encourage the people of Mali to grow and mine?
He encouraged
people to grow cotton, beans, rice and onions and to mine gold.
What did Mansa Musa become known as?
Mansa the Magnificent and
The Lion of Mali
What is the lion a symbol of?
Royal power
Bravery
Strength
Did the people of Mansa like or dislike Mansa Musa?
They loved him
How did Mansa Musa divide his empire?
Mansa Musa divided his empire into provinces, each ruled by a governor.
Each province consisted of many villages.
Each village had a mayor.
What did Mansa Musa fund? (Give money to)
During his rule, Mansa Musa funded
the building of mosques, centres of learning and libraries.
How did Mansa Musa maintain his power?
Through taxes. He taxed imports and exports
Who did Mansa Musa employ to help him strengthen his control of the large empire?
He employed judges, scribes and civil servants.
What did Mansa Musa do that travellers and traders could move without fear of attack by robbers?
He had a strong army that was able to keep order
What became a more common form of money in Mali?
Cowrie shells
What is a pilgrimage?
a religious journey to a holy place
a black stone building in Mecca shaped like a cube. This is the most sacred Muslim pilgrim shrine.
Kaaba
Hadj is the Arabic word for the pilgrimage to __________ (in modern Saudi Arabia) to pray at
the place where Mohammed went up to heaven. It is the religious duty of every Muslim
who can afford it, to go on this pilgrimage.
Mecca
a person who designs buildings
Architect:
What is a Minaret?
the spire or steeple on a mosque
What is a World Heritage Site?
a natural or historical site, area or structure which has international
importance and needs special protection
Why did Mali appear on maps throughout the Middle East and
Europe for the first time ever?
Mansa Musa gave away the gold to the poor he met along
his journey on his pilgrimage to Mecca.
Wherever he stopped on a Friday, he paid for a mosque to be built.
He became famous for how much he spent and his generosity.
What was significant about the Djingareyber Mosque?
When Mansa Musa returned to Mali from his pilgrimage to Mecca, he ordered a new mosque to be built in the city of Timbuktu.
This building was called the Djingareyber Mosque.
The Djingareyber Mosque is a magnificent building, with two
minarets.
It is made entirely of heat-baked bricks of mud mixed with straw and rice husks.
There was enough space inside for 2 000 Muslims to pray facing East towards the holy city of Mecca.
What is the most famous mosque in Mali?
The Great Mosque in the city of Djenne.
The Mosque still stands today. It is the largest structure in the world to be made entirely out of mud.
Both mosques were declared World Heritage Sites in 1988.
Where is Timbuktu?
On the southern edge of the Sahara Desert.
Where was Leo Africanus born?
In Spain