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African, Medieval Kingdom Of Mali, Questions And Answers

Satisfactory Essays

1. Were you surprised by anything you read in the sources on the African, medieval kingdom of Mali? I was surprised by how big the Mali Empire was, and how many people lived in the land (roughly size of western Europe, 50 million people). I was also surprised by how rich Mansa Musa was- so rich that 500 slaves could go before him caring golden staffs that were four pounds!
2. As the people of medical West Africa did not generally record information through their own written language, how do you think historians know so much about Mali? A lot of the information known about the Mali Empire probably came from foreigners that visited a few of over 400 cities in the Mali Empire. Since Mansa Musa built large-scale projects, like palaces in Timbuktu and Gao, architectural scholars and enthusiasts most likely visited them, and left detailed records. Simerly, Musa also promoted education, as he built a university. Because of this, foreigners would have come to the Mali Empire to study. During their stay, the students would also have written about the empire. Finally, traders would have also have helped historians learn about the Mali Empire. By recording what items were traded, and how much of each item was traded, historians would know about the wealth of Mali. …show more content…

Based on the sources you have read thus far, what role does trade appear to play in cultural and economic progress in the civilizations you encountered in these readings and perhaps in those you studied in the 8th grade? In most cases, trade provides wealth to the region, which in turn stabilizes and fortifies it. With the security the region has, the people start to flourish, and arts, learning and technology grow. For example, when trade started to flourish in Europe, towns were established, new farming techniques were discovered and people could start to specialize in jobs other than farming. Also Venice, Marco Polo’s hometown, was established, and also flourished, because of

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