ANTH 205 Lecture 19

« previous | Friday, March 1, 2013 | next »

Mali

• Population: 14.5 M people
• Capital: Bamako
• Official Language is French
• 65% of country's terrain is dessert or semi-desert
• only 3.8% is classified as arable (more is actually cultivated
• No McDonalds

The Sahara

The Largest hot desert on the planet 3.5 M square miles (about same size as US incl. Alaska) Hasn't always been a desert

• desertification began a few thousand years ago
• Rock carvings / petroglyphs

Specialized adaptations required to survive:

• water conservation
• heat protection
• personal alliances

People have always tried to cross the desert:

• Trans-Saharan Trade
• Camel, 3^rd century AD
• Islamic conquest 7-8^th century AD
• Gold, Salt, slaves drove trade
• died in 15–16^th century: sailing around

Early History

• First humans around 50,000 BC
• Farming around 5000 BC
• Iron by about 500
• Large organized settlements around 300 BC (e.g. Djenné)

(Recent looting of artifacts has been a problem)

Empire of Ghana

Not the country

6–11^th centuries AD

Powerful trading empire

Empire of Mali

• Muslim empire
• emperors (mansas) supposedly descendents of Bilal, prayer leader of Mohammed
• Timbuktu became center of commerce, Islamic culture, and learning (very scholarly)

Sankoré Madrassa

Still-standing Islamic "university"

Levels of Learning: (designated by turbans of different color)

• Qur'anic school: Mastery of Arabic, Qur'an, basic science
• General Studies: Grammar, math, history, sciences
• Superior Studies: Research, philosophy
• Professorial Level: Judge or professor

One of largest libraries in the world: 400–700 K manuscripts in 14^th century

MIT and Harvard combined

Songhai Empire

14–16^th century AD

Led by Askia the Great

Largest state that West Africa had ever seen

Gold mining

Existed during time of water trade routes (Saharan trade routes became less important)

After the Empires

Moroccan Berbers invaded; ending the Songhai Empire

Only small tribes/empires remained

Scramble for Africa

Late 19^th century: WWI (1914)

All of Europe tried to lay claim to some (interior) parts of Africa

• Belgium
• England
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Portugal

Found lots of cool stuff that's really rare and valuable in Europe.

• Very concentrated effort to exploit African resources
• Economic pressures and rivalries

By end of 19^th Century, Mali was controlled by France:

• Poor neighbor of Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire

Independence

1960: gained complete independence

Tried a period of one-party socialism

• lost of problems
• notion of taking care of people was appealing

Cold War

Firmly on Side of Soviets

• food shortages in the 60s and 70s
• 5 coup attempts from 1970–90

Tuareg Uprising in 1990

• Army took over, led by General Amadou Toumani Touré (ATT)
• Stabilized government and then stepped down, instituting democracy
• Alpha Omar Konare elected president in 1992
  • Helped draft new constitution
  • Currency very devalued
  • Stepped down in 2002 (2× 5-year terms)
  • ATT elected president

(next slide is going to be hilarious)

Mali Today

Model of West-African democracy (as of 2 weeks ago; not anymore)

Africa's 3^rd largest gold producer

Agriculture is approx. half of GDP

• Cotton is 40% of exports
• Unpredictable rainfall (on edge of sahara) is constant threat

About a third of Malians are malnourished, and 90% live on less than $2 per day

80% of country farms or fishes (positive correlation with poverty)

Religion

• 90% Muslim
• Polygamy (allowed in Islam; up to 4 wives)
• No state religion, freedom of religion granted to all groups

Education

• valued and free
• 9 years: age 7–16
• low enrollment associated costs

Literary Tradition

Griot: West African storytellers, singers, poets, and musicians

Around Before writing

Walking historians and entertainment: infotainment

Still around today even though there's writing, newspapers, the Internet, etc.

Malian music is HUGE.

Recent Conflict

January – April 2012

Tuareg rebellion (again) for independence

MNLA: French for National movement for the Liberation of Azawad (northern chunk of Mali)

Ansar Dine, radical Islamic group, steps in

March 22^nd, 2012

Coup ousts President Touré

Led by Captain Amadou Sanogo

By April 2012

MNLA captured Kidal, Gau, and Timbuktu

ceased offensive, declared independence

Ansar Dine and other radical Islamist groups impose Sharia Law

Deal brokered April 6^th, 2012

Sanogo steps down and installs civilian government until democracy can continue

July 2012

MNLA had lost control

Malian government requested foreign aid

Early 2013

French join fight

January 28, 2013

Destruction of Heritage

Fleeing Islamists set fire to Ahmed Baba Institute (claiming idolatry)

60–100 K manuscripts dating to 13^th century AD

Librarians started shipping them all over the world once radicals stepped in to protect them.

February 8, 2013

Islamist territory was recaptured

MNLA fought with Malians to recapture