In ancient Mali, people were divided into castes. One of the most respected caste was the farmers because they provided food . The artisans came next , just below the farmers. The other groups of the caste system were fishermen, scribes, civil servants, soldiers and slaves.
The religion of Islam was important part of the Empire of Mali. The kings had converted to Islam but no one was forced to convert. Many people just combined Islam with their local traditions.
