Rafiki’s Journey
By: Athena, Candace, Kirsten, Sydney,
Vanessa
Welcome to my journey!
Image Source:
A Diamond’s Eye View of the World, Amman, February 2007,
http://adiamondinsunlight.wordpress.com/category/amman/,
(Nov.28, 2013).
Justification:
We chose this photo of a camel to represent our main character,
Rafiki, because it was cute and it’s head was facing the camera.
Gold, Salt, and Trade… Oh my!
Sources:
Vanessa Lin
Economy
Image:
Mali Resource Website, Ancient Mali, January 2003,
http://www.fcps.edu/KingsParkES/technology/mali/malimap.htm
(Nov. 28, 2013).
Information:
Klobuchar, Africans of the Ghana, Mali, and Songhai Empires,
p.14, 28.
Justification:
Connection to themes:
Self-Sustainable - West Africa had many resources, such as gold and salt, to sustain itself. Other civilizations took
the initiative to start trading with West Africa because West Africa didn’t find the immediate need to trade with
others due to their self-sustaining resources and systems. However, West Africa often imported luxury and foreign
goods from North Africa because of their different resources.
Images:
The camels on the map represent the various trade routes across West Africa. Most of West Africa’s trading was
done within Africa and not overseas. Merchants often travelled across the Sahara desert on camels to trade with
other merchants from across Africa.
From salt mining to salt trading!
Sources:
Vanessa Lin
Economy
Image:
Hudson Valley Geologist, Men of Salt, December 2010,
http://hudsonvalleygeologist.blogspot.ca/2010_12_01_archive.html
(Nov. 29, 2013).
Information:
Klobuchar, Africans of the Ghana, Mali, and Songhai Empires,
p. 12, 14.
Kennedy, History of Africa: History of West Africa, p.41.
Justification:
Connection to themes:
Self-Sustainable - West Africa became self-sustainable off of their trade because of their numerous resources and
the economic opportunity it provided. The merchants had enough resources to trade that they could make a good
living off of only trade. Because of their wealth, merchants held a high position in society in ancient West Africa.
Images:
The image is a photo of a salt miner in West Africa. It is a modern photo because I couldn’t find any photos of
ancient tools used or a map indicating the location of mining activities. I chose this photo because it showed the
natural resources in West Africa that was used in trading and bringing wealth to merchants.
Sources:
I’m On My Way!
Athena Mpampas
Image:
Salt Mine Tour, Salt Mining in Taoudenni and The Growth of Timbuktu, January 2005,
http://www.uvm.edu/~inquiryb/webquest/sp07/mcmoore/Salt%20Mine%20Tour.html.
(Nov. 29, 2013).
Information:
Klobuchar, Africans of the Ghana, Mali, and Songhai Empires, p. 13.
Conrad, Great Empires of the Past: Empires of Medival West Africa Ghana,
Mali and Songhay, p. 53.
Justification:
Connection to themes:
Self-sustaining - The people of West Africa have been able to develop technology to allow them to efficiently extract
the mass amount salt and gold and be able to trade it. This allows many jobs in the industry and the trade allows
them to make a living and have access to products outside of Africa. Their skills in metalworking and in mines
allow West Africa to be self sustainable.
Image:
Emperor, Emperor!
Edwina Takahashi, Woodlawn Post, Story of Gold- Mansa Musa,
2011, http://woodlawnpost.com/?p=1540 (November 30, 2013).
Information:
Conrad, Empires of Medieval West Africa: Ghana, Mali, and
Songhay, p. 37, 38.
Justification
Connection to Theme:
Moralistic - In the Mali Empire, the Emperor (Mansa) was at the top
and the priests, aristocrats, merchants, and slaves followed. In
the Mali empire, social movement had been allowed, though the
slaves were not treated as fairly. The Mali empire had allowed the
spread of it’s language, laws, and even customs along the Niger
river, however, there was no emphasis toward equality in the Mali
empire.
This image depicts Mansa Musa returning from the Pilgrimage of
Mecca with his tens of thousands of slaves following, carrying
pounds of solid gold.
Kirsten Chan
Structure
Social
Kirsten Chan
Structure
What about the others?
Image:
Franko Khoury, Mali Empire and Djenne Figures, Works of Art, 1987,
http://africa.si.edu/exhibits/resources/mali/works.htm (November 30, 2013).
Information:
Conrad, Empires of Medieval West Africa: Ghana, Mali, and Songhay. p. 84.
Justification
Connection to Theme:
Moralistic - The social status of the ancient Mali people were based on their
identification with ancestors who participated with Sunjata in the founding of
the empire early in the 13th century. Members of some of these lineages
have the status of aristocrat, or horonw. Traditionally, they were proprietors
of the land and community leaders, and were expected to conduct
themselves with dignity and honour. The senior male members of the
families were eligible to be chiefs. Some lineages claimed descent from
distinguished ancestors described in The Sunjata Epic, including Sunjata
himself.
Social
Image:
The Mayor of Araouane and His Decision!
Sebastien Cailleux, The Guardian, Timbuktu’s ancient manuscripts to
get a new digital existence, 2006,
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/20/mali-timbuktumanuscripts-preserve (November 30, 2013).
Candace Yang
Government & Politics/Laws
Information:
Africans of the Ghana, Mali and Songhai Empires, p.39.
Mvuyekure, World Eras: West African Kingdoms 500-1590, p.205,
223.
Justification
Connection to Theme:
Moralistic - The Mali Empire had special military forces whose duty
was to keep order. These military forces were the bottom of the
moral “hierarchy”, where the king was at the top and the
government officials were in the middle. People would first go to
these military forces, who would in turn direct them to the proper
person to talk to. Each major city had a mayor appointed by Mansa
Musa, and if a citizen did not like the court or the mayor’s
decisions, they could bring their appeal directly to Mansa Musa,
whose palace was built in Timbuktu around 1325.
Self-Sustaining - The University of Sankore was also built in Timbuktu
after Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage to Mecca, and because of the
respect for human rights and people’s education that were
honoured during Mansa Musa’s rule, more people were educated
in reading and writing at the university, which led to the creation of
more manuscripts. Muslim scholars from all around Africa made
their way to Timbuktu, which led to the number of people leaving
Image:
A photo of the manuscripts in 2006, which resided in The
Ahmed Baba Centre in Timbuktu, Mali. They are evidence
of the respect that the Mali government gave people in
terms of their freedom of education regardless of their
position in society, which was a reform that began during
the Ghana Empire and was preserved throughout the Mali
Empire under Mansa Musa’s rule.
I Can’t Believe It!
Athena Mpampas
Sources:
Image:
Beautiful Mosque, Sankore Mosque in Timbuktu, November 2013,
http://www.beautifulmosque.com/sankore-mosque-in-timbuktu-mali/
(Nov. 29, 2013).
Information:
Klobuchar, Africans of the Ghana, Mali, and Songhai Empires,
p. 9, 18, 45.
Conrad, Great Empires of the Past: Empires of Medival West Africa Ghana, Mali and Songhay, p. 40.
Justification:
Connection to themes:
Ritualisitc - Mosques are used as a place of worship for Muslims, this mosque was built in the 14th century and is
still standing today. There were alot of mosques through out West Africa showing that religon was very important
to them.
Images:
Image:
To The King!
Erik Ortiz, New York Daily News, King Mansa Musa of Mali named
richest person of all time, 2012,
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/king-mansa-musa-namedrichest-history-article-1.1186261 (November 29, 2013).
Candace Yang
Government & Politics/Laws
Information:
Africans of the Ghana, Mali and Songhai Empires, p. 25, 39.
Conrad, Empires of Medieval West Africa: Ghana, Mali, and Songhay,
p.43, 76.
Mvuyekure, World Eras: West African Kingdoms 500-1590, p.205.
Justification
Connection to Theme:
Moralistic - in Ancient Western Africa, the citizens of the empire were
granted an audience with the king or their governor when they felt
they were wronged. The citizens would have to fall face down, slap
their chests and throw dust and ashes over their head before they
could approach the emperor. When crimes were committed, the
accused had to drink a bitter potion made with sap from the wood of
a particular tree, and if they threw the potion up, they were innocent;
if they didn’t, they were guilty. Theft was an especially serious
crime, and those convicted were sentenced to either death or
slavery, which led to the common knowledge of right vs. wrong. Due
to the fact that people usually knew about these laws, theft and
crime were rarely an issue in Western Africa during the Mali Empire,
which led to a smooth-running political system and widespread
respect for these laws.
Image:
The image depicts king Mansa Musa of the Mali Empire, who
ruled from 1312 to 1337 CE, taken from a map of Africa
called the Catalan Atlas.
Thanking Emperor Musa
Sydney Allison
Religion
Sources:
Image:
Brothers Making Plays, The BMP Series, Mansa Musa: Richest in History, Dec 15,2012,
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ARQAGekOkFQ/UMwJYzK_20I/AAAAAAAAAE8/X5If3w9MQ5Y/s160
0/Higgins-Bond_KankanMussa.jpg ,(Nov 29, 2013).
Information:
Africans of the Ghana, Mali, and Songhai Empires. Chicago: World Book Inc, 2009.
Page - 42
Justification:
Connection to themes:
Ritualistic - Rulers were priests because the people believed the rulers received power from the gods. From this the priests had
great influence among the people. The priests had special ways to communicate to the spirit world. They could then discover
the source of problems that their people and entire community had. Once the problem was found, the priests could find
solutions by conducting ritual sacrifices to communicate with the appropriate spirits.
Images:
The image shows the emperor Mansa musa of Mali. He was the emperor as well as priest.
To the Mosque
Sydney Allison
Religion
Sources:
Image:
Global Pride and Travel, Great Mosque Djenne Mali Africa, Feb 13, 2013, http://exploreafricanow.com/wpcontent/uploads/2013/07/Great-Mosque-of-Djenn%C3
%A9.jpg , (Nov 29,2013).
Information:
Conrod, David. Empires of Medieval West Africa. New York: Facts on File Inc, 2005.
Page -100
Justification:
Connection to themes:
Ritualistic - The religion of Islam was widely practiced in West Africa. Islam was spread into West African cities from
North African Arab traders. A mosque is a place of worship for the religion of Islam.
Images:
Ritualistic/ Self- sustainable - The image shows a picture of the Great Mosque Djenne Mali Africa. This Mosque
represents classical Arabian style mixed with characteristics of Malian style. It uses basic material of sun baked
mud. This picture is from present day.