Contributions of Mansa Musa to the greatness of Mali Empire Essay

Contributions of Mansa Musa to the greatness of Mali Empire - Essay Example The Mali Empire extended to the east from the Atlantic coasts along the River Niger delta, which is known for the richness in agriculture, to beyond the village of Timbuktu. The northern border of this region was formed by the Sahara desert well known for dryness and hot climate. A tropical jungle formed the south. The Mali kingdom owes its success to the Niger River, which rises in southwest sides of Guinea and flows towards the east of West Africa through Nigeria shortly before flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. Along the banks of the River, Niger laid fertile soil that was left behind when the river became flooded each year. For this reason, many important cities emerged in the Niger delta and thus, trading of goods became more popular. Muslim traders that came from northern Africa, Orient, and Arabia found their way to different regions of Timbuktu due to the domestication of camels and good economic prospects in the Mali Empire at that time. They were able to transport their goods across the dry and hot Sahara desert to do business with people who lived along river Niger. Musa being the leader of Mali Empire denied non-believers of Islam access to river Niger markets. The trade made the River Niger’s markets thrive, thus, developing this empire (Tschanz 4-7). A natural trading intersection was formed in Timbuktu. The northern bank of river Niger became the stopping zone for camels. Timbuktu occupied the central bend of the river, which means that only boats were used to move goods along the river from east to west.