A Critical Analysis of the Influence of the Empires of
Ghana, Mali, and Songhay on Present-Day West Africa

The Influence of Religions on Medieval West African Societies

Hitherto, the beliefs and customs of West Africans is still center on the social and spiritual development of the past. These customs and beliefs may look old-fashioned but much of the successes and power of West Africa could be explained by them. Basil Davidson clarified us about the origins of the religion: The origins of the religion in Africa, as in other continents, lie far back at the beginning of human society. They took shape in remote times when mankind first multiplied and spread across the world181 . One has to be sure that this Western part of the black continent religion started in the green and flowery Sahara since stone ages. Through this, we can understand why West African religions are alike, at least in most of their ways to worship. The sacred ram, for instance, was a symbol of the supreme god of the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt; but so it was the Berbers of the Sahara and old North Africa182 ; and so the sacred white ram continue to remain for many middle and upper classes West African peoples. Likewise for the honor of the python since in ancient Meroe, capital of Kush on the middle Nile; and the python is currently honored in West Africa mainly if it enters under your granary is source of magnificent crops. By the sixteenth century West African religions had long since grown into forms of their own.183 . Since the time of empires we have noticed that religion and politics went together and people believed that the rulers came from spirits. The striking example can be the one of Asante. The position of chiefship was referred to as akonnua, which is a stool; it also has a spiritual meaning.184Asante appointment to become a chief follows certain paths among which the en-stooling of the ruler with the highest ancestral stool of his particular chiefdom. After that the chief could speak with religious as well as political power. This initiation will change his membership and from now on he belongs to the whole people. These types of African religious ceremonies are common even today but in different ways. These religions either traditional or modern gave important things which are hopes, cohabitation, and can link the individual to the community. All of these religions gave their version about how and why the world was founded. These answers may not scientifically be standards but they have the merit to reflect the difference between 181 Basil, Davidson, A history of West Africa,1000-1800, op.cit., p.163. 182 Idem, 183 Idem, 184 Idem,P. 164. 86 right and wrong, between the compulsory facts towards individuals and the duties of community. Those religions included a lot of traditional sayings and proverbs. Many of them are connected to people’s behavior like: When your guns are few, so are your words.185 Different explanations can be attributed to it but it is the context which will clarify it better. It can be for instance if your knowledge is limited you cannot say a lot about religion. That seems to be the case of our emperors and princes. Even though, the kings were Islamized openly, they kept practicing their traditional religion because that was what they mastered. Let us approach Joseph Ki-Zerbo about what Al Omari said: La religion des princes ne devrait pas être très approfondie car, d’après Al Omari, Kankou Moussa ignorait l’interdiction coranique d’avoir plus de quatre femmes. Le même raconte comment ayant trouvé le Cadi de Walata en galante compagnie…Les fêtes de Ramadan et de Tabaski étaient célébrées avec une pompe inouïe186 . The religion of princes should not be elaborated because, according to Al Omari, Kankou Moussa was unaware of the Quoranic banning of having more than four wives. The same tells how he has found the Cadi of Walata in lover company[…] The Ramadan and Tabaski feasts were celebrated with unbelievable ceremony*. It is hardly surprising that the number of practicing persons of foreign religions is currently more numerous than the Practitioners of African Traditional Religion in West Africans. Those foreign religions core values existed in our empires before the arrival of the first Almoravids to force us to convert in Islam and likewise for Christians. The word traditional should be added to these arrived religions because people are practicing them by mixing with their ancestors’ traditions in general. The influence of these new religions seems to be enormous on us nowadays due to multiple reasons. The first reason can be the fear of being neglected when you die. Right away, West Africans respected their elders and this started since the time of the great Empires. Through this, the first big influence of our Empires has been Islam. Coranic Schools are still in trouble because in the mind of West Africans the way a child is raised should start at home. Since the period of Ghana Empire the Islamic Sanhaja groups attacked the Empire up to its collapse to oblige them to be converted. 185 Basil, Davidson, A history of West Africa,1000-1800, op.cit., p.165. 186 Joseph, Zerbo, Ki, Histoire de l’Afrique Noire D’Hier à Demain, op.cit., p. 138. *My translation. 87 Those who were pre-existing Muslims were not concerned with slavery because the laws of Islam authorized the slavery of non-Muslims. As soon as the Mali Empire has seen the day, the coranic masters have appeared to support the kings as guide and it was likewise for the last of the trio. The article three of Kurukan fuga said: The five clans of marabouts are our teachers and our educators in Islam. Everyone has to hold them in respect and consideration187 . This consideration has been useful for the opening because Sundjata attribute respect to Islam. Islam had been introduced to the royal court of Songhay in 1019, but most people remained faithful to their traditional religion[…]Muslim scholars at Timbuktu called Sonni Ali ‘tyrannical, cruel and impious.188. Sonni’s was driven out from power by the Muslim Askia dynasty because the marabouts supported him and he made their business. Though, even if Christianity is the largest religion with over two (2) billion followers of the world population it comes after Islam in West Africa. First of all, the word religion is: the belief in a god or in a group of gods189 according to Merriam Webster. For a West African perspective it can be a well-organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, conformity and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods. Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion which teaches that there is only one God and that Muhammad is the messenger. It is the second largest religion with over 1.8 billion followers or 24.1% of the world’s population, most commonly known as Muslims190. Islam is the largest religion in West Africa and it teaches that God is merciful, all powerful, and unique and has guided the entire humankind through prophets, revealed scriptures and natural signs191. The primary scriptures known of Islam are the Quran, which is considered by Muslims as the verbatim word of God, and the teachings and normative example called the sunnah. This sunnah is composed of accounts called hadith of Muhammad peace and mercy be upon him in c. 570-8 June 632 CE. 192 In general, Muslims are convinced that Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith that was revealed many times before through prophets including Adam, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Islam announces a final judgment with the righteous rewarded paradise and unrighteous punished in hell. In addition, Christianity is not well spread in West Africa because its rate is very few. It is more practiced 187 The charter of kurukan Fuga by Siriman KOUYATE in the annexes. 188 https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/songhai-african-empire-15-16th-century 9/1/19 at 1:28a.m. 189 www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html 2/1/19 at 3:15 a.m. 190 Idem. 191 Idem. 192 Idem. 88 in English speaking countries in West Africa because the missionaries were speaking English in general and most of them were Christians. Therefore, the Songhay migration patterns and settlements are also revealed in the growth and influence of Islam in West Africa. For instance, the conversation of the Kano and the Zanfara people to Islam in what is now Nigeria was due to the influence of Songhay marabouts or priests under the rule of Askya Mohammed I. Thus, the great and famous Malam (priest) Djibril from Zanfara, teacher of the famous marabout Ousman Dan Fodio in Agadez in the current Republic of Niger, is known to be a descendant of those Songhay marabouts and they are well respected in the community.

The Empires and their Political Backgrounds

From the time of ancient Egypt up to the three big empires, the political leaders were award of the necessity of having the point of view of the large number of the community could contribute the achievement of the goals. We will refer to Histoire de l’Afrique noire : Du temps de Mahmoud Kati, il y a avait 400 villes, le roi avait un système décentralisé. Leur empire du Mali ressemblait à une mangue. Au centre, un noyau dur soumis à l’administration direct du roi219 . In the time of Mahmoud Kati, There were 400 towns; the king had a decentralized system. Their Mali Empire looked like a mango. In its center, a hard stone submitted to the direct administration of the king*. They divided their vast empires into provinces, ruled by a dyamani tigui, or Farba220 which means owner of a country. The provinces also were subdivided into cantons or Kafo and villages or dougou in Bamanankan. The subordinated kingdoms recognized the hegemony of the emperor and they showed that with gifts. The income of the empire was based on taxes like tithe on the crops and cattle’s. The emperor encouraged the creation of new routes for trade. Each of these empires created a federated market for trade or barters. The king of the federation of multiple kingdoms fixed the prices of different articles such gold, salt, cotton loincloth and that brought a huge power to him. He was master of his decision and he can decide to sell his product to whom he wants and that where the current decision takers in West Africa failed. The Europeans learnt from this strategy and they created the European market. They can change the partner at any time and imposed their price. It will take it or leave it and through this they divided the African states through la loi-cadre, dite loi Defferre, en 1956-1957, elle fait l’objet de rudes débats au sein de l’Assemblée nationale221 the outline law, called law Deffere, in 1956-1957, it was at the base of tough debate in National Assembly*. This law allowed them to continue to rule through decrees. They always try to dominate or impose their laws upon West African leaders because they seem not to see further than their nose. West Africa could not content itself with the only political independence but the economic and social ones must follow and first emperors  showed the way to the current leaders. The political life in the Songhay Empire was made of plots and repressions in spite of the fact that leaders cared about the interest of the population. “The Empire was well structured. All the power was controlled by the sovereign who had at his disposal a strong army, financial regular resources, a Muslim justice based on written law, and had lots of execution agents.222”This Empire evaluated by its own dynamic, based on a well-structured religious and aristocracy power. The regime was traditional monarchy established by the Sonni at essence more animistic than religious223. He conquered an empire and set the first institutions before passing the hand to the Askia. He was a Muslim monarchy in his inspiration and action. But le pouvoir Askia, dans son esprit, dans sa forme, plongeait dans les mêmes sources africaines que celui des Sonni224 . The power of Askia, in his spirit, shape, was diving into the same African sources as the one of Sonni.* The arrival of foreign invasion weakened the institutions. A political mess will take place up to the independence because the small kingdoms will be created and the invaders were more powerful. Most of the conflicts in West Africa could be resolved by the Kurukan Fuga Charter. Do the West Africans know that there is a Charter made since the twelfth century which can solve conflicts? Can they readapt it to solve their issues? Updating certain legacy from ancestors could allow African to teach their ways of organizing society to others. Are a large number of West Africans aware of the existence of the Kurukan Fuga Charter. The example of politics copied from Europe is not working in West African and ancestors’ heritage should be integrated to our different constitutions. The way, the rear-view mirror allows the driver to see vehicles behind without turning his head, is similar to use the Kurukan Fuga Charter by West African countries to move forward. This mechanical tool is used by the driver to keep looking on backward but also to keep in mind what happened before and prepare properly the future. Some of the 44 articles of the Kurukan Fuga Charter came from Ghana Empire under the Mankan Cissé’s reign: the article 7 about the sanankunya meaning joking relationship. All of the political decisions could pass through this point because those who did not agree will be convinced by their 222 Sékéné, Mody, Sissoko, Tombouctou et l’Empire Songhay, Dakar-Abidjan, Les nouvelles éditions africaines,  Sananku. Mali Empire was inspired by the Empire of Ghana and today West Africans should draw their inspiration from the empire built by Sundjata and his governors. The battle of Kirina happened as a struggle between two powerful magicians in 1235, Sumanguru and Sundjata. Followed up by the victory over Sumanguru in Kirina, Sundjata concentrated on consolidating the Empire. All the chiefs gathered after the rainy season in Kaaba225 and swore fealty to Sundjata as their sovereign. Each chief then accepted his own chiefdom from Sundjata and it was the agreement set which is known as the Kurukan Fuga Charter. West African modern leaders shall have this great mind of unification. It seems relevant to realize the impact of 44 articles on the political and cultural development of present-day West Africa. In other words, how sub-Saharan Africans could go out of bondage after the disappearance of black empires. Therefore, it is not just by enumerating the known social and political values of Sundjata’s convention that West Africans will lead to the expected solution, but it is in deepening the research on how modern West Africa can adapt this convention in solving current issues such as poverty, economic and political dependence, violence, gender, inequality, insecurity, terrorism, diseases and epidemics. It is important to show that it is not a fate to be underdeveloped, but rather a choice of decision- makers. With the same agenda in which there were the Sanankunya, respect of given speech and environment, freedom, women’s emancipation, human right, safety, etc. Indeed, the Charter exploited and spread can have a positive impact on West Africa if it is deeply scrutinized. The Mande constitution, one of the oldest in the world is not taken into consideration by the majority of West Africans and mainly the African elite. Moreover, it is necessary to value the 44 edicts and how this famous emperor organized politically and culturally his Empire without focusing the society typically on anyone else. Then, it is important to urge the current and coming generations to learn the positive values from their ancestors who did their best to manage the society when things were very complicated. If we admitted that the socio political conditions of a given period determine the way of thinking, we would impact on the attitudes, practices, and relationship between people. Both Charters can be located in a superstructure of the political and cultural training of Mande in 225 Kaaba: is the symbolic city which hosted the Kurukan Fuga Charter in 1236 and it is currently known as Kangaba. Originally the name kaaba refers to Mecca, the holy place of pilgrimage, because each seven years people come to make the roof of a sacred hut called in Malinke Ka-ba blo. Practioners of African Religion came here for pilgrimage. 103 the thirteenth century. This process comes to the making up of a large unified human space notwithstanding the cultural diversities. In fact, the first Charter called Manden Charter was from 1222 and it was composed of seven chapters. This was settled by the hunters to regulate their activity. Their brotherhood was among the most organized in the past. Hunters were guardians of peace and security. The political leaders leaned on them to take decisions. The second called the Kurukan Fuga Charter is from 1236. Both have been written during cultural workshops by the depositories of African memory, hunters’ in 1960. 226The fertility of the text of Mande, in spite of its restrictive and corporative dimension, can be measured at alder of the appropriation that the hunters of Manden and their descents have done. The denomination quiver holders let permits to see a specific level in which are enrolled all the initiated men at art, signs and symbols of the bush trained by Kondôrô and Saané.227 Full of esoteric knowledge, the hunters of Mande practice fetishism or African Traditional Religion which made them fear and frequent at the same time. 228They play the role of soldiers and doctors in the society. In this view, Ki Zerbo asserts: Les confréries de chasseurs liées par des célébrations et des rites communs dont celui prestigieux de l’imitation, étaient en effet unanimement admirées et redoutées. Les premiers chefs portaient donc le titre de Simbon, c’est-à-dire maîtres Chasseurs.229 Hunters’ brotherhood rests on common celebration and rites common of which that prestigious of the imitation, were admired and dreaded indeed unanimously. The first chief carried the title of Simbo, which means master hunters*. The struggle for equality and freedom of human life advocated by the Mande Charter and the Kurukan Fuga Charter bring conscience awareness a mobilization of the hunters’ brotherhood and their allies. It allows the evaluation of forces in presence, the culture of the meaning of the homeland or the national feeling, the struggle against the famine, banning of the torture, etc. The Charter which raised the hunters on the rank of the redeemers did not hide the social pressure between farmers, blacksmiths and the other corpus.  In hunters’ brotherhood, Kondôrô and Saané, (goddess of the hunters and her companion) are the protectors. 228 Hamadoun, Hasséye, Touré, « Les Chartes du Mande de Kurukanfuga et la problématique des droits humains », Mémoire de DEA, Dakar, sous la direction de Mamoussé DIAGNE, Maître de conférences, 2008, p.22. 229Joseph, Ki-Zerbo, Histoire de l’Afrique Noire d’Hier à Demain, Paris, Librairie A. HATIER, 1991, p. 130. *My translation 104 has drawbacks on agriculture and other jobs, which noticed defections in their row. In Mande society, hunting was not the privilege of any particular ethnic group. The Charter settled free activities which acknowledge liberty of work, hunting during that period becomes an activity through which the ruling family or warriors were identified. Moreover, it was noticed that the equality of human life was seeable. As a hymn of human liberty, the Mande Charter constitutes propaedeutics for the emergence of the Charter of Kurukan fuga which foresees the prolegomena of a fundamental law and preludes the foundation of all political entity. As a peace keeper and reunification, Mande- Diata and his allies through their broadminded have been precursors of the zoning based on dialogue and the consensus noticeable in the Charter. Their strategy did not consist in dividing in order to rule better but confide each cultural, economic, and political community to a representative from this region: Il remit la lance à Kamandja et le roi de Sibi se prosterna devant Djata, comme on fait quand un Fama vous honore. Soundjata prit la lance de Tabon Wana et dit : -Fran Kamara mon ami, je te rends ton royaume.230 He handed in the spear to Kamandja and the king of Sibi prostrated himself in front of Djata, as we do when a fama honors you. Fran Kamara my friend, I give you back your kingdom.* This methodic and regular methodology of geopolitical space was nothing else but decentralization and indirect rule. The social organization of work is strict urging Jansen to declare: La tradition orale veut que Soundjata en fondant son Empire […] ait assigné une fonction à chacun de ses collaborateurs, comme celle de guerrier, de forgeron ou encore de cordonnier […] Lorsqu’une tâche leur fut à tous attribuée la population du Manden put alors vivre en paix […]. 231 Oral tradition wants Sundjata by establishing his Empire […] assigned a duty to each of his colleagues, as for warrior, blacksmith, or cobbler […] when each one was assigned for a duty, people of Manden were able to live in peace.*