AAS 200– Introduction to African Studies Reading Response #1 Prompt According t

AAS 200– Introduction to African Studies
Reading Response #1 Prompt
According to D.T. Niane, “Formerly ‘griots’ were the counsellors of kings, they conserved
the constitutions of kingdoms by memory work alone; each princely family had its griots
appointed to preserve tradition; it was from among the griots that kings used to choose
the tutors for young princes. In the very hierarchical society of Africa before
colonization, where everyone found his place, the griot appears as one of the most
important of his society, because it is he who, for want of archives, records the customs,
traditions and governmental principle of kings.” 1
The Epic of Sundiata is one of the most beloved oral traditions passed down by the griot
(or djéli) caste of Western Africa. The epic of Sundiata, the Lion King of Mali, has
influenced global pop culture through productions like Walt Disney’s The Lion King
movie and the musical on Broadway. The epic narrates the story of how Sundiata Keita
united regional polities into the Mali Empire, one of the largest states in Africa’s history.
Divine sanction was central to the griot’s negotiation of the royal hierarchy, as a diviner
was said to prophesy that Sundiata would unify the monarchy to establish the Mali
Empire.
Assignment: In a two-page essay, use Michael Gomez’s chapter “The Meanings of
Sunjata (or Sundiata) and the Dawn of Imperial Mali” to explain the role of divine
sanction in Mali as depicted in Sundiata. Gomez argues that there are both endogenous
royal and Islamic sacred influences in the epic’s narration of the constitution of Mali.2
Do you see any examples of Gomez’s argument in your reading of Sundiata? Why was it
necessary that Sundiata’s reign receive divine sanction before he assumed power over
the empire? You should quote from both Gomez and Sundiata in your response. Focus
on specific chapters, cite, and explain your examples of divine sanction in Sundiata.
Format: Two-page minimum, size 12pt Font, double–spaced, 1–inch margins.
Be sure to include an introduction paragraph, body paragraphs, and a conclusion
paragraph. Each quotation should be properly cited (in the style that you prefer) and
should not be longer than 2 lines per quotation.
Grading Criteria Points
Grammar, language, and flow of essay /5
Argument/Thesis Statement /5
Discussion of the readings /5
Proper usage of citations/quotations /5
1 Djibril Tamsir Niane and G. D Pickett, Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali, (Harlow, England: Longman,
1997), vii.
2 Michael Gomez, “The Meanings of Sunjata and the Dawn of Imperial Mali,” African Dominion: A New
History of Empire in Early and Medieval West Africa, (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2018), 63.