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Upon the death of Mansa Musa, his son took over the Empire. Unable to handle wealth, disputes between new leadership, deepening of drought conditions, and newly formed provinces caused the Malian Empire to collapse. By 1600ce, Mali was completely finished and would not flourish as it once had. Photo credit:
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On the way to make his pilgrimage, Ibn Battuta traveled through Mali. He met Mansa Sulayman and participated in some of their ceremonies. He admired the religious practices and some of their qualities, but he despised their treatment of women. Photo Credit:
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The main source of trade was gold, slaves, iron, copper and salt. The rulers relied on water transport to ship/trade their goods. Photo Credit:
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Mansa Musa, nephew of King Sundiata Kieta, died of natural causes in 1337. He is considered to be one of the wealthiest men that ever lived. His fortune was estimated to be worth $400 billion dollars. His fortune was mishandled upon his death. Photo Credit:
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Mansa Musa founded a college and library in Timbuktu. The educational services provided by the college afforded the students to study Islamic law, geometry, geography, and astronomy. Timbuktu was considered to be one of the largest educational sites in the world. Photo Credit:
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The Malian army consisted of recruits from other clans, as well as imported horses, chain mail, lances and swords. Their military was not considered to be elite, as they did not have solid equipment, nor the strength in numbers to support larger scale activities.. Photo Credit:
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Mali was one of three West African Empires and at its peak, it was considered one of the largest. Sundiata Kieta's conquest was considered the founding point of the Malian Empire. Photo Credit:
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Timbuktu was founded in 1100ce and was used as a camp by a group of Touareg nomadic people. During that time, the nomadic people also used Timbuktu as a trading post. Photo Credit:
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Animism was the religion that most people in Mali believed in during 1000ce. They believed that inanimate objects, and supernatural powers were responsible for the outcome of their lives. Islam was eventually introduced, as trade and travel began to flourish in Mali. Photo Credit:
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My timeline will give you important information on the creation and existence of the Malian Empire before 1600ce
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Today, Mali is in a state-of-emergency, due to the violence that plagues the country. Recently, a criminal court sentenced a Malian fighter for destroying historical sites in Timbuktu. Photo Credit:
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