The Mali Empire's Silk Connection: West Africa Meets China
The Mali Empire: The Richest Civilization in History — Fexingo HistoryPlay episode
Show notes
Long before European contact, the Mali Empire was part of a vast Afro-Eurasian trade network. This episode explores Mali's secret connection to Ming Dynasty China through the trans-Saharan and Indian Ocean routes. Lucas and Luna trace the journey of Malian gold, ivory, and slaves eastward, and Chinese porcelain and silk westward. They examine the legendary 15th-century Chinese maritime expeditions led by Admiral Zheng He, which reportedly reached East Africa, and the tantalizing evidence—from Chinese ceramics found at Great Zimbabwe to the mentions of 'Malibari' in Ming court records—that suggests indirect or even direct contact between the two empires. Was Mansa Musa's wealth known in Beijing? Did Chinese ships reach the Senegal River? Lucas unpacks the historical sources, including the Ming shi and the travelogue of Ibn Battuta, to reveal a forgotten chapter of globalization. #MaliEmpire #MingChina #ZhengHe #TransSaharanTrade #IndianOceanTrade #MansaMusa #ChinesePorcelain #GoldTrade #IbnBattuta #MingShi #GreatZimbabwe #WestAfrica #ChinaHistory #SilkRoad #MaritimeHistory #GlobalHistory #History #FexingoHistory #SundiataKeita #Timbuktu Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
