MANSA MUSA AND ISLAM IN AFRICA

• Most sub-Saharan African histories were preserved by oral tradition rather than written down
• There is a prejudice against oral tradition
• Evidence that oral tradition is important

  • Illiad of the Odyssey which were composed and memorized by poets before anyone ever wrote them down
  • Plato said that writing destroys human memory by alleviating the need to remember anything
• Mansa Musa

  Ruled the West African empire of Mali
• Mansa Musa's haji (pilgrimage to Mecca)


  • It tells us there were wealthy african kingdoms ruled by wealthy african kings, mansa was muslim, and relatively devout
• Mali under Mansa Musa

  It was a wealthy and powerful empire politically, and Islam played a significant role in both governance and everyday life
• Swahili city-states in east Africa

  • City-states such as Kilwa, Mogadishu, and Mombasa emerged, primarily engaged in trade and linked through maritime routes
• Scholars incorrectly believed the Swahili city-states in east Africa must have been founded by Arabs, rather than local Africans
• This bias stemmed from Eurocentrism and assumptions about African capabilities
• Goods traded through the Swahili city-states

  • Gold
  • Ivory
  • Slaves
  • Spices
  • Luxury items like porcelain and textiles
• Belief systems in 1200-1450

  • Influenced social structures, legal systems, cultural practices, and political organization
• Different African regions formed different kinds of states due to varied geographical, ecological, and cultural factors, shaping their socio-political development trajectories
• Mansa Musa's life demonstrates connections between societies through trade, diplomacy, and cultural exchange, highlighting the interdependence of regions during this period