Malinke

This nation of people is located in western Africa. The capitol of the great Malinke Empire is Kangaba, whose rule has gone uninterrupted for over 13 centuries.  This city is located in what is now the Republic of Mali.  It is home to an estimated 11,000 people.  The Malinke is a culture that has been around for hundreds of years, one that has grown and spread throughout Africa.  There are many names used for their language including Mandekan and Maninka, the most common being Manding.  Over 11 million people in over nine different nations around Africa speak Manding.  It is a tribal language that has been passed down from generation to generation.  There are very few written examples or records of this language because the language is conveyed through an extensive oral tradition.

The social standings of the Malinke people are divided by class distinctions.  The free-born class used to be the noble rulers.  However, in present day they fill all roles of the society, from merchants to farmers.  The artisans are the craftsmen of the society and they are very respected for quite often their work has a spiritual or symbolic meaning.  These artists are the key tool to passing their heritage on to future generations.  The third division of the Malinke people are the slaves indebted from birth to a family of high power.

The Malinke have consistently been a patrilineal society.  Their culture depends heavily on the family lineage, where the oldest members are treated with the utmost respect. They live in clans where they are divided up into villages according to their last names, which are all the same.  They live in thatch roofed houses made with sun-dried brick.

The majority of the Malinke men are farmers.  The men do all of the field work by hand with no help from machinery or fertilizers.  The staple crops native to this area are rice, millet, sorghum, and peanuts.  There are also many men who raise livestock.  Cattle are a rare animal and are used mainly to show prestige or used as a bridal dowry.  Only men are allowed to hold positions of high respect in a Malinke village.

The women of the Malinke are responsible for cooking, cleaning, and caring of the children.  Their marriages are arranged when the elders feel they are ready to be married.  This aspect of the culture has changed, for the women used to be forced into marriage at a very young age.  Men often have more than one wife, but very rarely more than three.

A large portion of the people are Muslim due to a religious invasion in the 1860’s.  There are a few Catholics and some that believe in the old ethnic religion of the Malinke culture.  Their religion is a large part of their culture as well as their everyday life.

Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not claim expertise on the Malinke.

If you are Malinke, your feedback is much appreciated.

Sources:

http://www.bethany.com/profiles/p_code1/504.html

http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9050336

By Amanda J Nigon