Khalifa was a 13th-centuryMansa of the Mali Empire mentioned by the medieval Arab scholar Ibn Khaldun. All that is known of Khalifa's life comes from a brief mention in Ibn Khaldun's Kitāb al-ʻIbar:
[Mārī Jāṭa] ruled for 25 years, according to what they relate, and when he died his son Mansā Walī ruled after him...His brother Wātī ruled after him and then a third brother, Khalīfa. Khalīfa was insane and devoted to archery and used to shoot arrows at his people and kill them wantonly so they rose against him and killed him. He was succeeded by a sibṭ [son of a daughter] of Mārī Jāṭa, called Abū Bakr, who was the son of his daughter.[1]
Oral tradition does not mention Khalifa, which the historian Djibril Tamsir Niane attributed to oral historians often only remembering rulers who left descendants.[2] While Ibn Khaldun's genealogy implies Sunjata had at least three sons, oral tradition varies on the number of sons Sunjata had, but many traditions claim he had only one, Yerelinkon, who corresponds to the Mansa Wali mentioned by Ibn Khaldun. However, some traditions claim that in addition to his biological son(s), Sunjata adopted the sons of his generals, though it is not specified who these adopted sons were. In any case, it is unclear whether Khalifa was actually a son of Sunjata.[3] The historians Ralph Austen and Jan Jansen argued that Ibn Khaldun's account of Mali's history should not be taken entirely literally, as it reflects Ibn Khaldun's worldview that dynasties typically followed a four-generation cycle of decline.[4] Khalifa, as the fourth ruler of Mali, corresponds to the fourth generation in Ibn Khaldun's theory, where the dynasty descends into tyranny and is overthrown, beginning the cycle anew. The historian Michael Gomez has observed that khalīfa translates as "successor", and as such proposed it was not his actual name.[5] Gomez argued that the brief reign of Khalifa was part of an ongoing power struggle between the great council and the hunter guilds. In this interpretation, Khalifa's fondness for archery would refer to his ties to the hunter guilds, and his overthrow indicates that the great council was able to take back power and put their preferred candidate on the throne, Sunjata's grandson Abu Bakr. The dates of Khalifa's reign are unknown. Maurice Delafosse placed his reign between 1273 and 1275,[6] but many of the dates reported by Delafosse lack supporting evidence. The earlier mansa Wali went on the hajj at some point between 1260 and 1277, and the later mansa Sakura died while traveling back to Mali after going on the hajj at some point between 1298 and 1312, placing Khalifa's reign at some point in the late 13th century.[7]
Ibn Khaldun, Kitāb al-ʻIbar wa-dīwān al-mubtadaʼ wa-l-khabar fī ayyām al-ʻarab wa-ʼl-ʻajam wa-ʼl-barbar [The Book of Examples and the Register of Subject and Predicate on the Days of the Arabs, the Persians and the Berbers]. Translated in Levtzion & Hopkins 2000.
Other sources
Austen, Ralph A.; Jansen, Jan (1996). "History, oral transmission and structure in Ibn Khaldun's chronology of Mali rulers". History in Africa. 23: 17–28. JSTOR 3171932.
Delafosse, Maurice (1912). Haut-Sénégal Niger (in French). Vol. II. L'Histoire. Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose.
Gomez, Michael A. (2018). African Dominion: A New History of Empire in Early and Medieval West Africa. Princeton University Press. ISBN9780691196824.
Levtzion, N. (1963). "The thirteenth- and fourteenth-century kings of Mali". The Journal of African History. 4 (3): 341–353. JSTOR 180027.
Levtzion, N.; Hopkins, J. F. P., eds. (2000) [1981]. Corpus of Early Arabic Sources for West African History (2nd ed.). Princeton: Markus Wiener. ISBN978-1-55876-241-1.
Niane, Djibril Tamsir (1959). . Recherches Africaines (in French). Archived from the original on 2007-05-19.
khalifa, mali, khalifa, 13th, century, mansa, mali, empire, mentioned, medieval, arab, scholar, khaldun, that, known, khalifa, life, comes, from, brief, mention, khaldun, kitāb, ʻibar, khalifamansa, malipredecessorwatisuccessorabu, bakrdynastykeitafathermari, . Khalifa was a 13th century Mansa of the Mali Empire mentioned by the medieval Arab scholar Ibn Khaldun All that is known of Khalifa s life comes from a brief mention in Ibn Khaldun s Kitab al ʻIbar KhalifaMansa of MaliPredecessorWatiSuccessorAbu BakrDynastyKeitaFatherMari Jata ReligionIslam Mari Jaṭa ruled for 25 years according to what they relate and when he died his son Mansa Wali ruled after him His brother Wati ruled after him and then a third brother Khalifa Khalifa was insane and devoted to archery and used to shoot arrows at his people and kill them wantonly so they rose against him and killed him He was succeeded by a sibṭ son of a daughter of Mari Jaṭa called Abu Bakr who was the son of his daughter 1 Oral tradition does not mention Khalifa which the historian Djibril Tamsir Niane attributed to oral historians often only remembering rulers who left descendants 2 While Ibn Khaldun s genealogy implies Sunjata had at least three sons oral tradition varies on the number of sons Sunjata had but many traditions claim he had only one Yerelinkon who corresponds to the Mansa Wali mentioned by Ibn Khaldun However some traditions claim that in addition to his biological son s Sunjata adopted the sons of his generals though it is not specified who these adopted sons were In any case it is unclear whether Khalifa was actually a son of Sunjata 3 The historians Ralph Austen and Jan Jansen argued that Ibn Khaldun s account of Mali s history should not be taken entirely literally as it reflects Ibn Khaldun s worldview that dynasties typically followed a four generation cycle of decline 4 Khalifa as the fourth ruler of Mali corresponds to the fourth generation in Ibn Khaldun s theory where the dynasty descends into tyranny and is overthrown beginning the cycle anew The historian Michael Gomez has observed that khalifa translates as successor and as such proposed it was not his actual name 5 Gomez argued that the brief reign of Khalifa was part of an ongoing power struggle between the great council and the hunter guilds In this interpretation Khalifa s fondness for archery would refer to his ties to the hunter guilds and his overthrow indicates that the great council was able to take back power and put their preferred candidate on the throne Sunjata s grandson Abu Bakr The dates of Khalifa s reign are unknown Maurice Delafosse placed his reign between 1273 and 1275 6 but many of the dates reported by Delafosse lack supporting evidence The earlier mansa Wali went on the hajj at some point between 1260 and 1277 and the later mansa Sakura died while traveling back to Mali after going on the hajj at some point between 1298 and 1312 placing Khalifa s reign at some point in the late 13th century 7 References Edit Ibn Khaldun Niane 1959 Gomez 2018 p 96 Austen amp Jansen 1996 Gomez 2018 p 97 Delafosse 1912 p 183 Levtzion 1963 pp 343 345 Primary sources Edit Ibn Khaldun Kitab al ʻIbar wa diwan al mubtadaʼ wa l khabar fi ayyam al ʻarab wa ʼl ʻajam wa ʼl barbar The Book of Examples and the Register of Subject and Predicate on the Days of the Arabs the Persians and the Berbers Translated in Levtzion amp Hopkins 2000 Other sources Edit Austen Ralph A Jansen Jan 1996 History oral transmission and structure in Ibn Khaldun s chronology of Mali rulers History in Africa 23 17 28 JSTOR 3171932 Delafosse Maurice 1912 Haut Senegal Niger in French Vol II L Histoire Paris Maisonneuve amp Larose Gomez Michael A 2018 African Dominion A New History of Empire in Early and Medieval West Africa Princeton University Press ISBN 9780691196824 Levtzion N 1963 The thirteenth and fourteenth century kings of Mali The Journal of African History 4 3 341 353 JSTOR 180027 Levtzion N Hopkins J F P eds 2000 1981 Corpus of Early Arabic Sources for West African History 2nd ed Princeton Markus Wiener ISBN 978 1 55876 241 1 Niane Djibril Tamsir 1959 Recherches sur l Empire du Mali au Moyen Age Recherches Africaines in French Archived from the original on 2007 05 19 Preceded byOuati Keita Mansa of the Mali Empire1274 1275 Succeeded byAbu Bakr Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Khalifa of Mali amp oldid 1091480696, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
