Mali Religions

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how the Empire of Mali, from the beginning, has had a very diverse population, often united by a powerful king or "mansa" as they are referred to by the native populations. It looks at how religion has become an integral part of society in that it can lay down guidelines for moral ethics within the community, as well as facilitating social interaction in the form of rituals. It also discusses how this tight knit church/community relationship has continued to thrive all the way to the modern day Republic of Mali and is evident in their governmental structure today.

From the Paper:

"African religions, despite their clearly defined territorial borders, do seem to share some remarkable similarities when it comes to religious beliefs and practices. Ancient Malian religions as well as the majority of other African nations of the time period practiced a non evangelical religious system in that they did not try to recruit or convert any outsiders into their religious system. It generally had an ethnic based system of worship, meaning that to be part of the religion meant to be a part of their society. A good example of this is the Xhosa tribe that once lived inside of the Zulu territory but continued to practice their Xhosa religious beliefs and therefore was not considered part of the Zulu but instead maintained their own identity as Xhosa tribesmen separate from the other local area tribes."

More papers on Mali Religions:

• Analytical Essay # 50497 : "Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali"
• Essay # 63508 : "The Art of Medieval Mali"
• Essay # 5407 : "Three Religions in Africa"

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