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Mali
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Delhi
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Dates
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1200-1500
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1206-1526
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Regions
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Western Sub-Saharan Africa
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Northern India
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Founding
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Indigenous African dynasty (elites) adopted Islam peacefully/willingly
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Invasion by Turkish & Afghan Muslims
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Violent attacks against Hindu & Buddhist temples-abducted women for harems, stole from temples, killed thousands
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Power consolidated through military expeditions
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Government System
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Islamic administration & military system
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more peaceful over time-granted protection to conquered in return for tax
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Relied on terror to keep subjects submissive
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Created bureaucracy & centralized political authority in India
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Economy/Trade
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Relied on long-distance Sub-Saharan trade
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highly developed agriculture
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conversion to Islam expanded commercial contacts
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Controlled gold fields of Niger
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Controlled gold & copper trade
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Contact w/ N. African Muslim traders (due to religious contacts)
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Extremely rich
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Slave trade
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Trade played minor role-private Muslim traders were important
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Effort to improve agriculture
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Effort to establish common currency
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Slave trade
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Society
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Multiple wives and concubines (harems)
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Slavery (Non-Muslims only)
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Huge social difference between ruler and ruled, but literacy promoted
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Showed signs of syncretism of Islam & older tribal religions/customs, (women weren’t veiled)
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Scholars held high status-books highly valued
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Included mix of people-Turkish adventurers and other Muslim conquerors.
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Uneasy because of hatred by Hindus
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One women (Raziya) was designated heir to the throne and she ruled for 4 years before she was overthrown and killed
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Network of spies, high taxes, brutality
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Slavery
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Female status determined by close-related male
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Mali
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Delhi
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Technology
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Crossbows and iron stirrups in conquest of India
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Papermaking introduced
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Internal Threats
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Incompetent rulers (Mansa Suleiman’s successors)
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Rebellions amongst various peoples governed by Mali
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Harsh military reprisals to put down rebellions
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Personal and religious rivalries amongst Muslim elites
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Discontent of Hindus
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Bengal broke off of empire
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External Threats
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Wealth attracted attackers
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Tuareg retook Timbuktu in 1433
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By 1500, Mali lost much territory
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Mongol threats from the NE
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1398 Mongol leader Timur captured the city of Delhi-left the next year with thousands of captives and large amounts of pillage-ruined the city
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Role of Islam
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fostered spread of Islam through political & trading elites
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United West Africa to Islamic world
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Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324-showed off Mali’s wealth/brought attention to the region
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Musa built mosques and Quranic schools (madrasas)
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Fostered trade contacts with other Islamic areas
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After decline of Mali, central Sudan city-states and empires adopted Islam as official religion
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Spread literacy
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Islam spread through conquest of Turkish & Afghan Muslims
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Initial oppression of Hindus and minorities
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Sometimes tolerant other times continued the oppression of Hindus, (high taxes)
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Buddhism virtually destroyed.
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Decline
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Cities along upper Niger survived collapse
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Trade and intellectual life moved to other African states in central Sudan
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