Military Flashcards
(32 cards)
(In general) What does the military consist of?
Army, navy, Air Force and cavalry.
What was the Mali military responsible for?
Defending the empire from invasions and expanding the empire by conquests of new lands.
What did the Mali military consist of?
An army/infantry and the cavalry.
What were people forced to do?
Some soldiers were forced to join the military from clans and bring their own weapons.
What were the military’s ranks?
From generals who were the top commanders down to soldiers and slaves who formed the garrison forces to guard towns.
How was the emperor able to pay for weapons?
With the money collected from taxing the civilians.
How did the army keep the peace?
By putting down rebellions in smaller kingdoms bordering the central part of the empire and policing the many trade routes.
What happened to captured soldiers?
Captured soldiers were taken as prisoners and forced to work for their conquerors as porters or garrison guards.
What is the study of the Mali Empire’s military really?
A study of Mandinka military culture.
Who were the Mandinka?
Early adopters of iron in West Africa, the role of blacksmiths was one of great religious and military prestige among them.
What did this new found iron craft allow them to do?
By the 11th Century, manipulation of iron allowed the Mandinka to spread out over he borders of Mali
Who were the Soninke?
The Soninke formed the first major organized fighting force in West Africa and the people they conquered became a major source of slaves.
What were the cavalrymen equipped with?
Lances, sabres, long swords, imported chain mail and iron helmets.
How big was the army Mali was able to build up?
Mali was able to build up a standing cavalry of around 10,000 horsemen and an army of around 90,000 men.
How did the military culture grow under the leadership of the mansas?
The military culture and organization of the Mali moire grew in power and sophistication until reaching its peak between 1250 and 1450.
What were the functions of Mali’s military?
- defend the empire
- expand the empire
- raid and loot, acquire goods and valuables
- keep law and order in the empire
- take land, children and people (to sell as slaves)
- put to work on farms in times of peace
Military classifications:
- professionals or semi professionals
- voluntary or coerced
- had own weapons or were given weapons
- infantry or cavalry
- status according to rank; generals, soldiers, slaves
Reason 1 why men didn’t join willingly
Not all men wanted to risk their lives in battle
Reason 2
Some men might not have felt confident with their weapons if they were not better than those of their peers.
Reason 3
Some may not have felt strong or healthy enough for the demands of combat.
Reason 4
Some men might have feared losing out to plotting from their families when away from home.
What did they need to make weapons? (1)
In order to make weapons like swords, daggers, spears and lances, the metal most suitable at the time was iron as it was strong and could be mounded into shape and sharpened.
What did they need to make weapons? (2)
In order to extract iron from the ore, the ore had to be heated to a very high temperature and this required wood to make hot fires.
What did they need to make weapons? (Conclusion)
The more weapons that were made, the more wood that was required.
