Page 96 - Empires of Medieval West Africa

t h e m a n d e p e o p l e o f t h e m a l i E m p i r e

village and urban market centers, and from Malian markets across the
Sahara to North African destinations. There were entire fishing and
hunting communities who spoke different languages than their neigh- Other Cultural
bors. The same was true of slaves acquired through wars of expansion Influences
and from raids beyond the borders of the empire. More than a dozen While the Mali Empire
was based on Mande
languages would have been spoken in the far-flung territories of the Mali culture, there were
Empire. scores of other culture
One Mande group is identified by its association with Islam. This groups who lived in and
includes Muslim clerics (religious leaders) who are specialists in Islamic contributed to the great-
studies or leaders of prayer at the mosques. Their Arabic title, imam, has ness of the Mali Empire.
become almami in the Mande languages. Some of these Muslim clerics The camel-riding Berber
groups of the Sahara,
are teachers in Quran schools, where children study the holy book of including the Tuareg, and
Islam and are expected to memorize at least part of it in Arabic. Sanhaja, were in control
Some groups of craft specialists in Mande society have their own of desert transportation
special status. Blacksmiths produce iron and forge it into farming tools, and commerce and were
household items, and weapons that are essential to the community. always competitors
Leatherworkers tan and dye animal hides and turn them into sandals, for control of the salt
mines. Fula herders
pouches, cushions, saddles, and other leather goods. followed their cattle
The bards, or jeliw, are genealogists (people who keep track of a and other livestock on
family’s history), musicians, praise singers, spokespersons, diplomats, seasonal migrations and
and oral historians. A smaller group of bards called funéw or finalu competed with farmers
specialize in reciting Islamic texts. for the most productive
These specialized groups are born into their occupations. Their fami- lands. Farming com-
lies have been practicing the same craft for many centuries, passing their munities of many differ-
ent cultures across the
knowledge and skills from generation to generation. The occupational empire produced several
specialists are collectively known as nyamakalaw. This term recognizes kinds of grains, rice, and
them as having special skills that are essential to the success and well- vegetables for distribu-
being of the village community. Traditionally, members of the nyamakala tion to urban centers.
class only marry people who are involved in the same occupation. This
helps to preserve the secrets of their craft. In the case of blacksmiths for
example, in each village there is a limited amount of work for them, and
people who have ancient claims to the occupation want to be sure there
is not too much competition. Marrying people who already have the
same knowledge and skills is a way of protecting the extended family’s
livelihood.
There are other occupations within the nyamakala class. Some are
determined by gender, others by craft specialization. For example, vil-
lage potters are usually the wives of blacksmiths. While their husbands
use fire to turn iron-rich rock into tools, the women do the same thing
to fire natural clay into pottery.