Get The App

Download the Josplay app for the best experience.

Download Now

Charts

Discover the latest hits and trending music.

Explore Charts

Podcasts

Stories, music and conversation from Africa and its diaspora.

Browse Podcasts

New Releases

Stay updated with the latest music releases.

See New Releases
← The Mali Empire: The Richest Civilization in History — Fexingo History
The Gbara: Mali Empire's Great Assembly and Checks and Balances artwork

The Gbara: Mali Empire's Great Assembly and Checks and Balances

The Mali Empire: The Richest Civilization in History — Fexingo History
S3 E14807:38
Play episode

Show notes

This episode explores the Gbara, the great deliberative assembly of the Mali Empire, established by Sundiata Keita in the 13th century. Lucas and Luna dive into how this council of 30 clans balanced the mansa's power, representing military leaders, Muslim scholars, griots, and commoners. They discuss the Gbara's role in electing mansas, advising on policy, and checking royal authority—a system that kept Mali stable for centuries. The conversation touches on specific clans like the Farari (warriors) and the Trawore (clerics), the Gbara's influence on Mansa Musa's hajj decisions, and its eventual decline under later rulers. A fascinating look at pre-colonial African governance and constitutionalism. #MaliEmpire #Gbara #SundiataKeita #Mande #KouroukanFouga #WestAfricanHistory #ChecksAndBalances #AfricanGovernance #Jeliw #Nyamakala #MansaMusa #Timbuktu #Niani #Farari #Trawore #MedievalAfrica #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

More from this show

More
  1. Mali's Great Mosque and the Architect of Djenné

    While Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage to Mecca is famous for crashing gold prices in Cairo, this episode turns our gaze toward the architectural legacy that remained. We explore the constr…

    S6 E27007:29
  2. Mali's Water Courts: Justice on the Niger River

    While we often hear about gold and pilgrimage, the Mali Empire’s true stability came from its judicial system. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how the empire administered j…

    S6 E26906:55
  3. Mali’s Slave Revolts and the Rise of Sakura

    We often hear about Mansa Musa’s wealth, but Mali’s later years were defined by internal fracture. This episode explores the life of Sakura, a slave who rose to become Mansa and le…

    S6 E26809:27
  4. Mali's Gold Mines: Bambuk and the Wangara Trade

    We often hear that Mali was rich, but rarely do we explore exactly where that wealth came from or how it moved. In this episode, Lucas and Luna shift focus from the famous pilgrima…

    S6 E26708:58
  5. Mansa Sakura's Voyage to the Mediterranean

    After decades of episodes exploring Mali’s gold, its constitution, and Mansa Musa’s legendary pilgrimage, we finally turn our gaze to one of the empire’s most enigmatic rulers: Man…

    S6 E26609:01
  6. The Great Mali Census: Ibn Battuta's Shocking Discovery

    In 1352, the Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta arrived in Niani, the capital of the Mali Empire, expecting the grandeur he had heard about from earlier pilgrims. Instead, he found a ci…

    S6 E26506:57
Now Playing

No Track Playing

The Mali Empire: The Richest Civilization in History — Fexingo History — The Gbara: Mali Empire's Great Assembly and Checks and Balances | Podcast | Josplay Music