Middle Ages
Mali Empire
1235 AD – 1450 AD · peak 1337 AD
The Mali Empire (c. 1235–1670) was a dominant West African power founded by Sundiata Keita, with its capital at Niani. Under Mansa Musa (r. 1312–1337), the empire controlled critical trans-Saharan trade routes and transformed Timbuktu into a preeminent center of Islamic scholarship. Civil wars and the rising influence of the Songhai Empire led to its eventual fragmentation and decline.
Capital: Niani / Timbuctù
Key figures
Battles in this period
Trade routes in use
- Silk Road (130 BC – 1450 AD)
- Trans-Saharan Gold Route (700 AD – 1500 AD)
- Hanseatic League (1200 AD – 1600 AD)
- Indian Ocean Spice Route (800 AD – 1500 AD)