Epic Of Sundiata Research Paper

Muslim geographers and historians have provided excellent records of Muslim rulers and peoples in Africa. Eminent Arab historians and African scholars have written on the empires of Ghana, Mali, Songhay, and Kanem Bornu. In the 8th century, trans-Saharan trade brought Muslim merchants and traders to West Africa. Over the next few hundred years, Islam spread among West Africans. various historical sources, such as the epic of Sundiata and Islamic sources agree about the role, particularly the practice and significance of Islam was expressed in the empires of Ghana, and Mali. The Empire of Mali, which arose from the ruins of Ghana Empire, was the largest in West Africa and became renowned for the wealth of its rulers. There are two important

The Epic of Sundiata is an epic that tells the story of the hero Sundiata Keita, the founder of the Mali Empire. From the beginning it is clear that Mali is a Muslim empire saying, “Mali was a province of the Bambara kings; those who today called Mandingo, inhabitants of Mali, are not indigenous; they come from the East. Bilali Bounama, ancestor of the Keitas, was the faithful servant of the Prophet Muhammad (may the peace of God be upon him).” (Niane 2) The early leaders of Mali accepted Islam, but they did not follow all of its teachings. Sundiata is the founder of the Mali Empire but was a weak Muslim, since he practiced Islam with syncretic practices and believed in magic powers and prophecy. One major difference between his rule and Islam concerned the line of succession, or inheritance of the right to rule. In West Africa, the succession had traditionally been matrilineal. That is, the right to rule was traced through the mother or female relative, rather than the father or a male

It was through these traders that Islam was introduced and later spread to the population of West Africa. Al-Bakri describes Ghana as highly advanced and economically a prosperous country as early as the eleventh century. “Their transactions are in gold, and they have no silver. There are handsome buildings and fine houses.” He also discusses the influence of Islam in Mali in the 13th century and describes the rule of Mansa Musa, whose fame spread to Sudan, North Africa and up to Europe. “He was noble and generous and performed many acts of charity and kindness. He had left his country with 100 loads of gold that he spent during his pilgrimage on the tribes who lay along his route from his country to Egypt, while h was in Egypt, and again from Egypt to the Noble Hijaz and back.” (Levtzion 60-61) Al- ‘Umari details Mansa Musa and his travels through Egypt highlighting his enormous wealth and opulence. Both the epic of Sundiata and Islamic sources show Islam was important in West Africa but did not start that way in the beginning. Brought in through traders and even when converted did not take seriously. Even rulers like Sundiata was relaxed in practice. Ibn Battuta was an Arab who traveled to