Until the sixteenth century, caravans routinely plied the sands of the Sahara, moving goods, especially gold, from distant West Africa to centers of trade in North Africa and Egypt. Towns in West Africa became cosmopolitan stopping points, and as merchants, rulers, and caravan leaders converted to Islam for both spiritual and financial reasons, Islam flourished alongside the caravan business. In the thirteenth century, Sundiata Keita gained dominance over the Malinke and Soninke people, establishing the Malian Empire. Mali’s control of the Bure goldfields enabled it to prosper, and cities such as Timbuktu and Djenné became centers of Islamic scholarship. The empire grew weaker following the death of Mansa Musa. It was unable to withstand raids by the Mossi and Tuareg nomads or revolts by some of its subject cities. Although the rulers of Mali were able to negotiate peace terms with Portuguese slave traders in the mid-fifteenth century, they were unable to retain such vital trade centers as Gao, Timbuktu, and Djenné.

All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/world-history-volume-2/pages/3-1-the-roots-of-african-trade

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