HST 197 Chapter Notes - Chapter 19-20: Musa I Of Mali
Document Summary
By 10th century, kings of ghana converted to islam. Their conversion led to improved relations with muslim merchants from north africa, as well as muslim nomads from the desert, who transported goods across the sahara. It also helped bring recognition to ghana and support from the muslim states in north. But the kings made no attempt to impose islam on their society, unlike neighboring kings. They continued to observe traditional religious customs like practicing magic, keeping idols of wood in the forest surrounding the royal palace. Islam attracted converts in ghana because many people engaged with muslim merchants. The kingdom expanded to the north and became more vulnerable to attacks from nomadic peoples who wanted to seize some of the kingdom"s wealth. The mali empire emerged as the kingdom of ghana dissolved. Built the mali empire during the 13th century.
