1.7 - Social History Part 1: The Court and Commons

In which we discuss the nature of kingship, the rituals of court and political life, and spend some time getting to know average Malians during the Medieval period. Slaves, blacksmiths and farmers - these are the everyday, normal people who lived in this vast empire. Reconstructing their lives is challenging, but important work. The lives of the elite are fascinating - and well documented - but they are by their nature the lives of the privileged few.