In our first #BeBoldHistory blog post, committee member @First_Floor_8 speaks to Luke Pepera about Medieval African ruler Mansa Musa and explores how to use subject CPD in the classroom.
In the country of Ghana, an Arabic scholar recounted, two types of golden plants were harvested ‘one is found in the spring and blooms after the rains in open country… The other kind is found all year round….’ (Arabic Scholar Al- Umari).
Africa is often forgotten in histories of the Middle Ages, with scholars focusing on Europe and the Middle East. Although there has been a recent interest in precolonial African histories, lesson sequences on Medieval kingdoms such as Mali and individuals such as Mansa Musa, are often absent from key stage three history curriculums.
Luke Pepera, who spoke to #BeBoldHistory, talks of the challenges of researching and writing about medieval African history. He referred to the controversial comments made in 1963 by British historian Hugh Trevor Roper, who argued that 'perhaps in the future there will be some African history to teach. But at present there is none, only the history of Europeans in Africa. The rest is darkness’.
The history
of Europeans in Africa is a familiar narrative at key stage three history:
slavery and empire. We need to go beyond these narratives in our curriculum.
Medieval Mali, a flourishing empire located on the West Coast of Africa, ruled
by the famous Mansa Musa, the richest man to have ever lived, is a narrative
which can disrupt colonial perceptions of Africa.
The discipline of history, as we know it today, began to develop in the nineteenth century. Along with the premise that written historical sources are the foundation on which history should be studied. So, when considering the history of Africa, you have to dig deeper. Histories of African kingdoms such as Mali are not as prevalent in written historical records. This has left historians such as Trevor Roper to comment that Africa is absent from history as it has no written record.
During the interview with Luke, we discussed the challenges of
researching and writing about African History. Luke commented there is a strong
tradition in Africa of passing on histories orally, generation to generation,
through the Griots (storytellers), who were charged with passing on the history
of the kingdom and its peoples. Other historical sources such as material
culture, poems, oral histories, archaeology, and architecture are vital
in learning about the history of African kingdoms. Using other historical
sources in the classroom, such as oral histories, are essential in building up
a story of the African past, however this presents a different challenge. From
the oral Malian tradition, Mansa Musa is largely absent, while other Malian
emperors are celebrated, Mansa Musa is absent. Despite being an individual
recognised globally, the region where he is born, do not celebrate him.
Although written records exist for the kingdom of Mali from Arabic scholars, through the adoption of Islam as the state religion of Mali and the recruitment of religious scholars to the kingdom, it is important that we incorporate and give equal weight to both written sources and other, more traditional, methods of recording history. Dan Lyndon-Cohen also discussed oral traditions and how we might encourage students to see this does not mean an absence of history in his series of talks on decolonising the curriculum, also available on #BeBoldHistory’s YouTube channel.
Luke Pepera brings the Medieval Malian king to life. Rich, ambitious, pious, and intelligent; the story of Mansa Mussa is filled with micro stories which can bring a richness of knowledge to your history curriculum. Although subject CPD is perhaps traditionally viewed as reading academic articles and the latest scholarship on a topic, the use of subject specific talks are vital for the continuing conversation between academic historians and teachers. What better way to promote the discipline of history for your pupils than incorporating knowledge from academics who are researching and writing about Medieval Mali.
Obviously, there’s more than one way of teaching medieval Mali. However, after conducting the interview and listening to Luke’s talk about why he thought Mansa Musa was remarkable, this would provide students with an opportunity of learning about an African Kingdom which flourished as a centre of gold mining, trade, and learning. During the reign of Mansa Musa, Mali was one of the richest kingdoms in Africa, where it entered a golden age.
Imparting
knowledge through the narrative of individuals, I have found particularly
successful, it can help students understand complex knowledge and the memorable
encounter students have with the emperor of Mali would ensure that new content
they learn is sticky.
Knowledge is sticky, this lesson sequence has lots of scope for imparting micro strands of sticky knowledge. Knowledge which could be incorporated into your lessons is the story of the Atlantic Sultan. This story I find absolutely fascinating, Mansa Musa succeeded the throne as the previous sultan went on a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean (a useful strand of knowledge if you plan to, or already, teach Columbus’s European discovery of the West Indies).
There are so many interesting stories here, and with such a richness of knowledge on Mansa Musa available, what is the best outline for a lesson sequence? From the talk given by Luke, arguably the most defining action of Mansa Musa during his rule was his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1325 which not only demonstrated the emperor’s piety but also made him and the empire of Mali famous.
From my own research and discussions with Luke, there are four key phrases or scenes the rule of Mansa Musa can be reduced to. Although the reduction of the narrative of an individual may appear simplistic, it is essential when planning a sequence of learning. The discipline of history in this lesson sequence, if we think back to the Hugh Trevor Roper’s comment, is the incorporation of historical sources which add to students' understanding of the study of history. Although it could be tempting to exclude written sources altogether, the sources by Arabic scholars provide a starting point for students in this lesson sequence. Below I have outlined a potential lesson sequence which can be developed into a historical enquiry based on the conversation about Mansa Musa.
Enquiry
Question: - What can we learn about Mansa Musa based on the evidence available
to us?
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Outline |
Potential
historical sources |
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Lesson
1: Mansa
Musa and the empire of Mali. |
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Lesson
2: Pilgrimage to Mecca. |
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Lesson
3: Arrival at Mecca and the return to Mali. |
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Lesson
4: Impact of the pilgrimage on Mali. |
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Lesson
5 |
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This
outline serves to provide a starting point on developing and incorporating
ideas on how to sequence lessons on Mansa Musa, it is by no means the finished
article. The aim of the lesson sequence is to draw on the experience and
expertise of historians and teachers alike. Although curriculum changes can be
daunting there is a wealth of literature and resources available which can serve
as a starting point to weave African histories into your key stage three
curriculum. Whilst historians such as Hugh-Trevor Roper argue that Africa has
no history, due to its multidisciplinary approach, it is the study of these
alternative types of sources that reveals the complexity and advancement of
Africa as a civilisation.
Please find the link to Luke Pepera's talk on Mansa Musa here: