Mali Empire

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/mali-empire

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the decline factors?Internal rebellions, succession disputes, and the military ascendancy of the Songhai Empire
2. Who started the Mali Empire?Sundiata Keita founded the Mali Empire by uniting the Mandinka clans and defeating the Sosso kingdom around 1230 CE. He also built a strong government system.
3. Why was the Mali Empire so rich?It controlled gold mines and salt trade. Gold was sold north to Europe and North Africa, while salt was bought from the Sahara, making the empire very wealthy.

Trans-Saharan Trade: The network of trade routes connecting sub-Saharan Africa with North Africa and the Mediterranean world across the Sahara Desert.
Mansa: A title meaning 'king' or 'emperor' in the Mandinka language, used by the rulers of the Mali Empire.
Madrasa: A traditional Islamic educational institution, often functioning as a college or university, that flourished in Mali.
Oral Tradition: The passing down of knowledge, history, and culture through spoken stories, songs, and proverbs, crucial in pre-literate societies.