http://www.vicentewolfblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/mali.jpg
http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/country/mali.html
I initially
became interested in studying Mali after reading Sundiata and learning that
Mali was once the center of a very powerful empire. Mali seems like a country with very rich heritage so I was
interested to explore that heritage and to also learn more about how Mali has
transformed since that time. More
generally, I chose a country in Africa because I have never done an in depth
study of that continent before, so I am interested to learn about how Mali’s
government is organized, what types of challenges the government faces, and
what the health and social problems are that the Malian people face.
The Ghana Empire
is the first significant cultural organization that Mali was a part of. This empire was a powerful trading state whose influence
flourished for over 300 years.
Following the dissolution of that empire, the first great leader who
shaped the history of Mali in a major way was Sundiata whose reign during the
13th century led to the formation of the Kingdom of Mali. During the rule of Sundiata’s successor,
Mansa Musa in the 14th century, Mali reached its peak influence as
Musa conquered neighboring lands including Timbuktu and Gao. The religion of Islam was proliferated
within the region, and the Islamic leaders who traveled to Mali built many
public buildings, particularly in Timbuktu. Consequently, the Kingdom of Mali became known as a hub for
Islamic learning.
During the next
century, Mali’s strength declined as weak rulers came to power and the Kingdom
ultimately lost a great deal of territory. Nevertheless, Timbuktu and its well-built learning
facilities and infrastructure had made a name for itself worldwide, and many
Europeans became infatuated with the idea of the idyllic city. Thus, desiring the riches and prestige
of a far away land that they could only imagine, Europeans began to flock to
West Africa.
Mali ultimately
fell under French colonial rule in 1890 as it became a part of the colony of
Soudan. That colonization,
however, was only successfully achieved after a decade of strong and effective
resistance on the part of Malian people. The period of colonization in Mali lasted for almost one
hundred years, finally coming to an end in 1960 when the French relinquished
control and Soudan proclaimed itself as the Republic of Mali.
Today, Mali is a
democratic country that is experiencing significant upheaval. According to a news article published
by the Voice of America, “hundreds
of “Tuaregs” recently returned to Mali from Libya. Many had fought
alongside troops loyal to former Libyan dictator, Moammar Gaddafi and they
returned home carrying tons of weaponry from the Libyan conflict. Upon
their return they renewed a long-simmering rebellion against the Malian
government with a series of attacks on towns in north Mali on January 17.
Since then, the UNHCR says about 30,000 people have fled into Niger,
Burkina Faso and Mauritania”
(Schlein).
Works Cited
"Mali-
History." Country Watch. Web. 9 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.countrywatch.com/cw_topic.aspx?type=text&vcountry=109&topic=POHIS>.
Schlein,
Lisa |. "UNHCR Fears Worst Yet To Come In Mali Crisis." Voice of America,
10 Feb. 2012. Web. 10 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/UNHCR-Fears-Worst-Yet-To-Come-In-Mali-Crisis-139102189.html>.
