Lakhasly

UOreuo0 S739 PIV70cooperative imstitutions.In the words of historian Astley Goodwin, "the Crescenthad access to gold. The Cross did not. Though Musa preferred to securetrade and cooperation throughultural mclusion, he wias wiling tomake exceptions. His standing armywas tasked with eradicating thebandits stitling trade in the Sahara,and desert trade expanded. Fargreater quantitics of Chinese silk,Persian fabrics, Indian spices,European metalwork, and Arabianhorses travelled through Malianterritory," all of which were subjeetto taxation and tribute.Mali regarded economic power asthe control and authority over traderoutes more so than controlling thesources of traded materials, such asgokdmines or forests.Their allure had catalysed thedevelopment of the empire itself: Malian authority was established through the migration of the Malinke(also called the Mandinka), who moved west in search of salt and gold.Salt was vital to the Saharan traveller: not only was it vital for the preservation of food, but it was alsoused to replace bio-salts lost through sweat on long journeys through one of the most arid, hard-to-traverseregions on earth.Foreign traderswould set down goods at a natural barrier-traditionally at a riverbankand retreat.

UOreuo0 S739 PIV70cooperative imstitutions. Misa frequently sent Malian scholars to Fez, Morncco s most prominent city otcarningand one of the most important in the Muslim world. His religion also gave him immunity fromdasveloped neighbouring states, reluctant to attack a Muslim ally during the centuries ofs, as well as developed rights of entry to other Islamic nations. Mali was Muslim before4 sur 10 the throne; however, he was the first Mansa to sufiuse the empire with enough religiouse (according to Islamic archacologist Timothy Insoll) 'a true Muslim empireSalt and Gold: Mali's Trade RoutesMali's wealth depended on its resources, and its ability to facilitate their trade. The empire's position alongthe Niger River Basin situated it at the erossroads of several major trans-Saharan trade routes. Melli -thecapital city whose name meant where the king lives, and trom which the name "Malh was derived -wasknown as the terminus for caravans from the Maghrib, Ifrnqiyya, and Egyp. Contemporary writers marvelledat its ffourshing markets, and observed that "goods are brought there from every quarter of Afrnica.Three of the most important commodities along these routes-and under Malian control were salt, goldand the kola nut: salt was mined in the north, at TaghaZa, and was carried in the form of large tablets onthe back of camels across the desert: gold was mined in abundance in the south, at Bambuk, then thesource of approximately half the world's gold supply; the kola grew in the nearby forests of Akan. Of thethree, salt and gold were the most significant (and best remembered). Their allure had catalysed thedevelopment of the empire itself: Malian authority was established through the migration of the Malinke(also called the Mandinka), who moved west in search of salt and gold.Salt was vital to the Saharan traveller: not only was it vital for the preservation of food, but it was alsoused to replace bio-salts lost through sweat on long journeys through one of the most arid, hard-to-traverseregions on earth. Long-term survival in Such a hostile environment was traught, it not impossible, withoutit. The kola also served primarily to offset the ditficulties of desert life: the fruit contained a stimulant thatSuppresscd thirst and cased trave.Gold, as ever, held its value inherent-though this was particularly high in the fourteenth century. By farthe most significant source of gold came from the western Sudan; Europe and (toa lesser extent) theMiddle East suffered trom an acute shortage of the precious metal. As gold had little place in internaltrade, its price too high for a desert people with far more use for salt and kola, it was instead used topurchase fabrics and paper from the Maghreb and Egypt, and copper, weapons, and horses from NorthAfrica and Europe. European goods could be purchased at a low price locally, due to Europe's lack of goldand the Muslim world's concurrent abundance. In the words of historian Astley Goodwin, "the Crescenthad access to gold. The Cross did not.
Though Musa preferred to securetrade and cooperation throughultural mclusion, he wias wiling tomake exceptions. His standing armywas tasked with eradicating thebandits stitling trade in the Sahara,and desert trade expanded. Fargreater quantitics of Chinese silk,Persian fabrics, Indian spices,European metalwork, and Arabianhorses travelled through Malianterritory," all of which were subjeetto taxation and tribute.Mali regarded economic power asthe control and authority over traderoutes more so than controlling thesources of traded materials, such asgokdmines or forests. T hey did thisby taxing caravans entering theirland, and taxing them even more to let them leave unfettered. Caravans were a multi-faceted driver ofMalt s cconomy: as Mclli, the capital city, served as the premier trader destination in west Atnca,caravans drove other economic activity. Teo Africanus, the Berher diplomat and author, deseribed Melli asa "very large village of nearly 6,000 dwellings'. The travelling North African noted that it possessed"abundant grain, meat, and cotton as well as "numerous artisans and merchants, both local and foreign.Artisans ffourished there, catcring to tracders who, anticipating both an arduous Journey home and animminent payday, were likely inclined to buy goods that may ease either their passage or their exhaustion.The mobile population also drove agricultural development - Musa offered protection for routes that fedpassng caravans, often using slave labour to do so.In fact, the goldfields were deliberately distanced by degrees from the Malian cconomy: they were keptsecret trom outsiders by using Sudanese middiemen, and by the practice ot silent trade. Foreign traderswould set down goods at a natural barrier-traditionally at a riverbankand retreat. Miners would theninspect the goods, and leave sums of gold indicating what they were willing to pay. The traders would thenreturn to take the gold if the offer was acceptable to them, or leave it to extract a higher sum it t was not.This infomal regulatory structure protected Malian interests: it kept goldficlds a seeret, prevented theviolation of termitorial borders, and limited access to a vital monopoly. The exclusion also contributed tothe near-mythical status of Mali's gold reserves: the invisibility of the mines and stock created an allureand encouraged wild speculation as to the extent of the region's wealth.