At the begining, the many groups believed in the spirits of the land. The village chief ''the mansa'' had the most direct link with the spirits of the land and was the guardian of the ancestors. In the the thirteenth century, Islam came to Mali. This religion was introduced by traders. When King Mansa Musa ruled, he allowed other religions than Islam but wanted to amke it stronger. When he did his pilgrimage he made sure that everybody knew he was the leader of a great empire. Religions made Mali a strong empire with the spirits and Islam.
picture URL: http://mali.pwnet.org/history/history_religion.htm
