Beyond Routes and Kingdoms

As fountainhead of tradition and custom, the ruler of Mali guided Islam’s expansion, a process marked by the systematic gradual introduction of religious materials and practices and by peaceful accommodation with prevailing pre-Islamic religious beliefs and rituals. Under Mansa Músá, whose famous pilgrimage to Mecca opened a new chapter of Mali’s international standing, Islam resumed its vigorous peaceful course in the societies of Mali and its tributaries. Study of Maliki law increased, new architectural forms were introduced, and a cultural and intellectual corridor with North Africa and the Maghrib was established. Accommodation and adaptation continued to mark Islam’s progress in society, fostering a climate of tolerance and cultural pluralism in the kingdom.

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