Cultural, Economic, and Political Impact of Islam in West Africa from 1000 Ce to 1750 Ce.

(Cultural, economic, and political impact of Islam in West Africa from 1000 CE to 1750 CE.)

Between 1000 CE and 1750 CE, Islamic influence caused West Africa to experience several cultural, economic, and political changes and continuities. Culturally, West Africa manages to preserve its traditional ideals while also allowing for Islamic integration. The spread of Islam also helped to transform many major West African cities into sites for religious and academic study. Economically, the spread of Islam increased world trade opportunity for West Africa, as well as allowing for trading across the Sahara Desert. Politically, Islam’s spread caused a change in which empires held power, along with provoking the creation and demise of some major empires.

After Muslim merchants and other travelers carried Islam into West Africa, the new religion quickly began to spread. One of the major changes caused by Islamic influences were the new economic opportunities that arose. Islamic merchants helped to expand trade routes from just the Trans-Saharan area into the world outside of Africa, reaching places such as Asia and the Middle East. During this time, the fall of the Ghana Empire, (which never converted to Islam,) along with the failure of the Abbasid Caliphate, leads to a political change. The Mali Empire, which would become exceedingly wealthy, is now the political and economic forerunner of West Africa. As the mingling between different walks of life continues, Islamic practice begins to ‘mix’ with traditional native ideals, creating a unique cultural outcome.

Boosting the opportunity for new economic and cultural practice is Timbuktu, which by this time, in both the Songhai and Mali Empires, has become a veritable hub of trade and religious study. The Mali Empire displays a bold economic continuity by proving just how wealthy it is time and time again. An example of this wealth would be Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage to Mecca, whose very presence in Egypt devalued the gold in said area for years to come. Without Mansa Musa’s Islamic pilgrimage, or Hajj, Egypt would most likely have not experienced this economic change. Although the Mali Empire eventually falls around 1550, cultural exploration continues to flourish under the Songhai Empire, which supported and sponsored the building of many Islamic mosques and libraries during this time. As it turns