AFAM

SHORT TERM PAPER *Paper Due via Turnitin by Midnight on Friday 03/06/26 in Week 9 Topic In lecture we have discussed the different sources that historians use to reconstruct the history of the West African past. We examined oral sources, such as oral traditions (formal historical texts which are preserved orally), of which professional historians such as griots are the custodians. Indeed, since many African societies left no written records, oral sources are often among the most important primary sources for African history. We also read and discussed early written sources written in Arabic and other forms of historical materials (all forms of archaeological sources, artistic sources, and so on). Imagine that you are a scholar of West African history and you are writing about the early history of the empire of Mali. You realize that you have very few primary sources available that inform about the history of the Empire. Using information derived from D. T. Nianes Sundiata Epic, and 3 additional sources (see below), examine a theme or set of themes about the history of the Mali Empire. You must choose a specific theme (or two maximum) from the following list: -Cultural traditions -Religious practice and rituals -Governance and political organization -Trade and market activity -Gender Once you have chosen your theme, create a set of sub-themes to focus your discuss and structure your essay. For example, if you choose the theme of Governance and political organization, you may decide to focus on four sub-themes to discuss in your paper such as: 1. Foundation of the empire; 2. Structure of the state administration; 3. Description of the rulers; 4. State diplomacy). Read the Sundiata epic, which is a primary source (oral tradition), for information on your chosen theme/s and critically evaluate the nature of this information like any historian of West Africa would do. Is the information contained in the source reliable? Do you trust it to be accurate? What is the perspective of the griot or the Muslim writer on this particular subject? What are their biases and in what way are they prejudicial about what they describe, and in general? What information seems completely plausible? And indeed, what information is lacking entirely? Remember that the absence of information is information! Weigh the pros and cons about using both written and oral sources to reconstruct the history of the Mali Empire and more specifically on your chosen theme/s. Make sure you choose a theme that you are particularly interested in so as to make the whole experience of researching and writing more enjoyable! Also be sure to form an opinion and defend this opinion by constructing an argument that is supported and illustrated by a critical presentation of evidence drawn from the source material. Note on Style Papers must be double-spaced papers and 6-7 pages in length and using 12-pt font. Papers will be graded on originality, structure and style (see “Writing Guide” on the History Writing Center Website). In other words, your paper must be organized, with an introduction that includes a clear thesis statement which you will proceed to defended throughout the paper. You must end with a conclusion, summarizing your main points. Papers also will be graded in terms of presentation (ex. Do not forget a Title; Page Numbers etc.) and writing style (be sure to have friends and family proofread your final draft) as well as your accurate use of a standard bibliographical referencing style. The due date is strict and no late papers will be accepted. This paper is an opportunity for you to pursue a topic about the history of the Mali Empire that is of particular interest to you and allow you to engage in original online research. You are required to use at least 3 additional academic sources (articles and/or books written by professional historians), in addition to the Sundiata Epic). You can rely on course material, but course readings (ex. Kevin Shillingtons book and course articles), will not count as one of the 3 academic sources. If you need assistance with this independent research, please come see Prof. Lydon or the TA, and/or you can UCLA librarian for help. Internet websites (such as Wikipedia etc.) will not be considered as proper source material