Under his reign, Mali conquered the neighbouring kingdom of Songhai. [13][12] In the Manding languages, the modern descendants of the language spoken at the core of the Mali Empire, Manden or Manding is the name of the region corresponding to the heartland of the Mali Empire. The other characteristic of this era is the gradual loss of its northern and eastern possessions to the rising Songhai Empire and the movement of the Mali's economic focus from the trans-Saharan trade routes to the burgeoning commerce along the coast. A city called Dieriba or Dioliba is sometimes mentioned as the capital or main urban center of the province of Mande in the years before Sundiata, that was later abandoned. Is Mansa Musa the richest man who ever lived? - BBC News Mansa Musa, also known as Musa Keita I of Mali, was the tenth Sultan of the Mali Empire. Stories of his fabulous wealth even reached Europe. Still, when Ibn Battuta arrived at Mali in July 1352, he found a thriving civilisation on par with virtually anything in the Muslim or Christian world. Certainly, his descendants were Muslim, and many went on pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj), and Keita's most famous descendent, Mansa Musa, dazzled Egypt and the Islamic world on his lavish pilgrimage east. In addition, Mansa Ms had a baggage train of 80 camels, each carrying 300 pounds of gold. Urban Dictionary: mansa musa [78] Nehemia Levtzion regarded 1337 as the most likely date,[72] which has been accepted by other scholars. Musa stayed in Cairo for three months, departing on 18 October[k] with the official caravan to Mecca. Before Dankaran Touman and his mother could enjoy their unimpeded power, King Soumaoro set his sights on Niani forcing Dankaran to flee to Kissidougou.[60]. He ruled the nation for nearly 25 years until his death in 1337 and is . [92] Furthermore, it is difficult to meaningfully compare the wealth of historical figures such as Mansa Musa, due to the difficulty of separating the personal wealth of a monarch from the wealth of the state and the difficulty of comparing wealth in highly different societies. Several 21st century historians have firmly rejected Niani as a capital candidate based on a lack of archaeological evidence of significant trade activity, clearly described by Arab visitors, particularly during the 14th century, Mali's golden age. [67] News of the Malian empire's city of wealth even traveled across the Mediterranean to southern Europe, where traders from Venice, Granada, and Genoa soon added Timbuktu to their maps to trade manufactured goods for gold.[68]. The Portuguese decided to stay out of the conflict and the talks concluded by 1495 without an alliance.[110]. Around 1610, Mahmud Keita IV died. The Story Of Mansa Musa, The Real 'Black Panther' - VIBE.com Musa I (c. 1280 - 1337), better known as Mansa Musa, was the ninth mansa of the Mali Empire.Widely considered to have been the wealthiest person in known history (some sources measuring his wealth at around $400 billion adjusted to inflation), his vast wealth was used to attract scholars, merchants and architects to Mali, establishing it as a beacon of Islamic trade, culture and learning. The entire nation was mobilised, with each clan obligated to provide a quota of fighting-age men. The Mali Empire covered a larger area for a longer period of time than any other West African state before or since. He's especially famous for his hajj to Mecca, during which he sponsored numerous mosques and madrases, and supposedly spent so much gold along the way that the metal was severely devalued, which for many people was not a very good thing. However, Al-Nasir Muhammad returned Musa's earlier show of generosity with gifts of his own. Mansa Ms probably died in 1332. [74] The combined forces of northern and southern Manden defeated the Sosso army at the Battle of Kirina (then known as Krina) in approximately 1235. [14], Medieval sources are divided over whether Mali is the name of a town or a region. In 1324 Musa embarked on a hajj, a religious pilgrimage to Mecca, traveling with an entourage that included 8,000 courtiers, 12,000 servants and 100 camel loads of . (2020, October 17). While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. He was crowned under the throne name Sunidata Keita becoming the first Mandinka emperor. Available from http://incompetech.com. He left Kanku Musa, a grandson of Sunjata's brother Mande Bori, in charge during his absence. [89][85] Contemporary Arabic sources may have been trying to express that Musa had more gold than they thought possible, rather than trying to give an exact number. Captivation History summarizes Mansa Musa's story from his ancestors to his descendants as they reigned over the Mali Empire beginning in the 1300s. Gold, copper, and salt were a major source of income in the 12th century and the empire happened to be blessed with it, even more as it expanded. Mansa Musa was the great nephew of Sundiata Keita, who was founder . [42] Among these preparations would likely have been raids to capture and enslave people from neighboring lands, as Musa's entourage would include many thousands of enslaved people; the historian Michael Gomez estimates that Mali may have captured over 6,000 people per year for this purpose. To Musa, Islam was "an entry into the cultured world of the Eastern Mediterranean". UsefulCharts, . [70] Manden was split in half with the Dodougou territory to the northeast and the Kri territory to the southwest. [60] In return for their submission, they became "farbas", a combination of the Mandinka words "farin" and "ba" (great farin). King Mansa Musa is famous for his Hajj journey, during which he stopped off in Egypt and gave out so much gold that the Egyptian economy was ruined for years to come. It is known from the Tarikh al-Sudan that Mali was still a sizeable state in the 15th century. There are a few references to Mali in early Islamic literature. Sundiata Keita is the first ruler for which there is accurate written information (through Ibn Khaldun). [43] In 1324, while in Cairo, Musa said that he had conquered 24 cities and their surrounding districts.[44]. [86], The name "Musa" has become virtually synonymous with pilgrimage in Mand tradition, such that other figures who are remembered as going on a pilgrimage, such as Fakoli, are also called Musa. [12] However, these hypotheses have been rejected by locals and are inconsistent with the apparent cognate status of Mali and Mand.[19]. They are descendants of. Mali Emperors Family Tree | Mansa Musa - The Richest Man in World History 71,113 views Nov 27, 2019 1.8K Dislike Share Save UsefulCharts 1.08M subscribers Watch the map animation on From. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Who would native Malians have considered their greatest ruler? [85] He went on the hajj during the reign of Mamluk sultan an-Nasir Muhammad (12981308) and was killed in Tajura on his way back to Mali. Mali was thriving for a long time, but like other west African kingdoms, Mali began to fall. You cannot download interactives. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. It had a well-organised army with an elite corps of horsemen and many foot soldiers in each battalion. We contribute a share of our revenue to remove carbon from the atmosphere and we offset our team's carbon footprint. Mansa Musa turned the kingdom of Mali into a sophisticated center of learning in the Islamic world.Mansa Musa came to power in 1312 C.E., after the previous king, Abu Bakr II, disappeared at sea. Contemporary sources claim 60 copper bars traded for 100 dinars of gold. [66], Timbuktu soon became the center of trade, culture, and Islam; markets brought in merchants from Hausaland, Egypt, and other African kingdoms, a university was founded in the city (as well as in the Malian cities of Djenn and Sgou), and Islam was spread through the markets and university, making Timbuktu a new area for Islamic scholarship. The 14th-century traveller Ibn Baah noted that it took about four months to travel from the northern borders of the Mali empire to Niani in the south. So lavish was the emperor in his spending that he flooded the Cairo market with gold, thereby causing such a decline in its value that the market some 12 years later had still not fully recovered. Mansa Musa (about 1280 - about 1337) was an emperor (mansa) of the Mali Empire during the 14th century. Ibn Battuta, who visited the capital city from 1352 to 1353, called it Mali. Among these are references to "Pene" and "Malal" in the work of al-Bakri in 1068,[53][54] the story of the conversion of an early ruler, known to Ibn Khaldun (by 1397) as Barmandana,[55] and a few geographical details in the work of al-Idrisi. Mali's wealth in gold did not primarily come from direct rule of gold-producing regions, but rather from tribute and trade with the regions where gold was found. The empire began as a small Mandinka kingdom at the upper reaches of the Niger River, centered around the Manding region. Mansa Musa Keita's crowning achievement was his famous pilgrimage to Mecca, which started in 1324 and concluded with his return in 1326. Is Mansa Musa the richest man who ever lived? - BBC News After Ibn Khaldun's death in 1406, there are no further Arab primary sources except for Leo Africanus, who wrote over a century later. [89] This claim is often sourced to an article in CelebrityNetWorth,[89] which claims that Musa's wealth was the equivalent of US$400 billion. Sergio Domian, an Italian scholar of art and architecture, wrote of this period: "Thus was laid the foundation of an urban civilization. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. [116] Songhai authority over Bendugu and Kala declined by 1571, and Mali may have been able to reassert some authority over them. [79] Some oral traditions agree with Ibn Khaldun in indicating that a son of Sunjata, named Yerelinkon in oral tradition and Wali in Arabic, took power as Sunjata's successor. However, it went through radical changes before reaching the legendary proportions proclaimed by its subjects. Mansa Musa ruled the Malian empire from 1312-1337 CE. 6. Manuscript of Nasir al-Din Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn al-Hajj al-Amin al-Tawathi al-Ghalawi's Kashf al-Ghummah fi Nafa al-Ummah. In 1542, the Songhai invaded the capital city but were unsuccessful in conquering the empire. [citation needed] The northern region on the other hand had no shortage of salt. Despite this disunity in the realm, the realm remained under Mandinka control into the mid-17th century. [62] According to one account given by Ibn Khaldun, Musa's general Saghmanja conquered Gao. Yet native sources seem to pay him little attention. This thread is archived The Bamana, likewise, vowed not to advance farther upstream than Niamina. While in Cairo during his hajj, Musa befriended officials such as Ibn Amir Hajib, who learned about him and his country from him and later passed on that information to historians such as Al-Umari. [93] Emperor Bonga did not appear to hold the area, and it stayed within the Mali Empire after Maghan Keita III's death in 1400. Musa embarked on a large building program, raising mosques and madrasas in Timbuktu and Gao. [83] This term was used interchangeably with dinar, though it is unclear if coined currency was used in the empire. He attempted to make Islam the faith of the nobility,[93] but kept to the imperial tradition of not forcing it on the populace. In the interregnum following Sunjata's death, the jomba or court slaves may have held power. Mansa Souleyman Keita (or Suleiman) took steep measures to put Mali back into financial shape, thereby developing a reputation for miserliness. [63] Both of these accounts may be true, as Mali's control of Gao may have been weak, requiring powerful mansas to reassert their authority periodically.[64]. Dates: 4001591 C. E.", "Is Mansa Musa the richest man who ever lived? [77] Alternatively, it is possible that the four-year reign Ibn Khaldun credits Maghan with actually referred to his ruling Mali while Musa was away on the hajj, and he only reigned briefly in his own right. In 1324, while staying in Cairo during his hajj, Mansa Musa, the ruler of the Mali Empire, told an Egyptian official whom he had befriended that he had come to rule when his predecessor led a fleet in an attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean and never returned. The current King, Salman bin Abdulaziz, is the 25th son of King Abdulaziz and has continued to maintain the . Wagadou's control over Manden came to a halt after internal instability lead to its decline. [46] Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. [40], Various sources cite several other cities as capitals of the Mali Empire, some in competition with the Niani hypothesis and others addressing different time periods. Masuta performs many of the same attacks as his original incarnation (though he yells a quote prior to using his abilities), but does not summon thrashing waters or create . By the 6th century AD, the lucrative trans-Saharan trade in gold, salt and slaves had begun, facilitating the rise of West Africa's great empires. Rather, authority would rest with the mansa and his court, wherever he went. Elephant ivory was another major source of wealth.When Mansa Musa went on a pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca in 1324 C.E., his journey through Egypt caused quite a stir. All of them agree that he took a very large group of people; the mansa kept a personal guard of some 500 men,[94] and he gave out so many alms and bought so many things that the value of gold in Egypt and Arabia depreciated for twelve years. Mansa Musa's reign itself was 25 years long. [137], Copper was also a valued commodity in imperial Mali. The Mandinka went on to form the powerful and rich Mali Empire, which produced the richest Black man who ever lived, King Mansa Musa. [16] However, al-Umari gives Mali as the name of the capital province and Ibn Khaldun refers to Mali as a people, with each giving different names for the capital city itself. [d], Musa's father was named Faga Leye[12] and his mother may have been named Kanku. [17] Whether Mali originated as the name of a town or region, the name was subsequently applied to the entire empire ruled from Mali. [114] However, the Songhai do not maintain their hold on the Malian capital. The next great unit of exchange in the Mali Empire was salt. Nobody lived in the area except the Musafa servants who worked to dig the salts and lived on dates imported from Sijilmasa and the Dar'a valley, camel meat and millet imported from the Sudan. [93] Mansa Maghan Keita I spent wastefully and was the first lacklustre emperor since Khalifa Keita. [52][55], Musa's generosity continued as he traveled onwards to Mecca, and he gave gifts to fellow pilgrims and the people of Medina and Mecca. Musa made his pilgrimage between 1324 and 1325 spanning 2,700 miles. [93], Following Musa Keita III's death, his brother Gbr Keita became emperor in the mid-15th century. [104] He would only reign a year before a descendant of Mansa Gao Keita removed him.[70]. [6] The early history of the Mali Empire (before the 13th century) is unclear, as there are conflicting and imprecise accounts by both Arab chroniclers and oral traditionalists. We would much rather spend this money on producing more free history content for the world. The army of the Mali Empire used of a wide variety of weapons depending largely on where the troops originated. It was common practice during the Middle Ages for both Christian and Muslim rulers to tie their bloodline back to a pivotal figure in their faith's history, so the lineage of the Keita dynasty may be dubious at best,[62] yet African Muslim scholars like the London-based Nigerian-British cleric Sheikh Abu-Abdullah Adelabu have laid claim of divine attainments to the reign of Mansa Mousa: "in Islamic history and its science stories of Old Mali Empire and significance of Mansa Mousa by ancient Muslim historians like Shihab al-Umari, documenting histories of African legendaries like Mansa Kankan Musa did actually exist in early Arabic sources about West African history including works of the author of Subh al-a 'sha one of the final expressions of the genre of Arabic administrative literature, Ahmad al-Qalqashandi Egyptian writer, mathematician and scribe of the scroll (katib al-darj) in the Mamluk chancery in Cairo[63] as well as by the author of Kitab al-Masalik wa al-Mamalik (Book of Highways and Kingdoms) Ab Ubayd Al-Bakri, an Arab Andalusian Muslim geographer and historian emboldened Keita Dynasty", wrote Adelabu. Le Plerinage La Mecque de Mansa Musa (724725/13241325) d'aprs des Nouvelles Sources", "The Big Secret of Celebrity Wealth (Is That No One Knows Anything)", The International Journal of African Historical Studies, "West African empires. At the age of 18, he gained authority over all the 12 kingdoms in an alliance that would become the Mali Empire. [93] In 1514, the Denianke dynasty was established in Tekrour. Therefore, Arabic visitors may have assigned the "capital" label merely to whatever major city the mansa was based out of at the time of their visit. [122] Their forces marched as far north as Kangaba, where the mansa was obliged to make a peace with them, promising not to attack downstream of Mali. Mansa Musa also ran out of gold on the hajj to Mecca but was not concerned because he knew he had enough gold back in Mali to pay back everyone he owed money to. Still, throne names do not usually indicate blood relations. He brought a large entourage with him which impressed people everywhere they went. There was also a palace conspiracy to overthrow him hatched by the Qasa (the Manding term meaning Queen) Kassi and several army commanders. [56] Musa and his entourage lingered in Mecca after the last day of the hajj. CREDITS: Chart/Narration: Matt Baker. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Imperial Mali is best known through three primary sources: the first is the account of Shihab al-'Umari, written in about 1340 by a geographer-administrator in Mamluk Egypt. [70][141] With the help of the river clans, this army could be deployed throughout the realm on short notice. [93] Musa may have brought as much as 18 tons of gold on his hajj,[94] equal in value to over US$957million in 2022. [71] The tiny kingdom of Niani was one of several in the Kri area of Manden. CREDITS: Chart/Narration: Matt Baker Research/Artwork: From Nothing Team Editing: Jack Rackam Intro animation: Syawish Rehman Intro music: "Lord of the Land" by Kevin MacLeod and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution license 4.0. Furthermore, his hajj in 1324 was in some ways an act of solidarity that showed his connection to other rulers and peoples throughout the Islamic world. Mande bards in the region speak of the Dakajalan site, containing Sundiata's grave, as sacrosanct. [123] Either as a counter-attack or simply the progression of pre-planned assaults against the remnants of Mali, the Bamana sacked and burned Niani in 1670. Its first meeting, at the famous Kouroukan Fouga (Division of the World), had 29 clan delegates presided over by a belen-tigui (master of ceremony). The army of the Mali Empire during the 14th century was divided into northern and southern commands led by the Farim-Soura and Sankar-Zouma, respectively. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). [126], The Kouroukan Fouga also put in place social and economic reforms including prohibitions on the maltreatment of prisoners and slaves, installing documents between clans which clearly stated who could say what about whom. [133], There was no standard currency throughout the realm, but several forms were prominent by region. Musa I (known more commonly as Mansa Musa) was the tenth Mansa (a Mandinka word for "emperor") of the Mali Empire. At the local level (village, town and city), kun-tiguis elected a dougou-tigui (village-master) from a bloodline descended from that locality's semi-mythical founder. Several alternate spellings exist, such as Congo Musa, Gongo Musa, and Kankan Musa, but they are regarded as incorrect. The Lightning Flash | Mansa Musa The empire was founded by Sundiata Keita (c. 1214 - c. 1255) and became renowned for the wealth of its rulers, especially Mansa Musa (Musa Keita). It was reported that he built a mosque every Friday. [102], The Songhai settlement effectively shook off Mali's authority in 1375. The conquest of Sosso in c. 1235 gave the Mali Empire access to the trans-Saharan trade routes. The Wolof populations of the area united into their own state known as the Jolof Empire in the 1350s. She or he will best know the preferred format. By the time of his death in 1337, Mali had control over Taghazza, a salt-producing area in the north, which further strengthened its treasury. 4. However, territories that were crucial to trade or subject to revolt would receive a farba. ), mansa (emperor) of the West African empire of Mali from 1307 (or 1312). Like two mansolu (rulers of Mali) before him, Ms I undertook the hajj as an act of devotion in line with Islamic tradition. [100], Arabic writers, such as Ibn Battuta and Abdallah ibn Asad al-Yafii, praised Musa's generosity, virtue, and intelligence. [99] The gold Musa brought on his pilgrimage probably represented years of accumulated tribute that Musa would have spent much of his early reign gathering. The Twelve Doors of Mali were a coalition of conquered or allied territories, mostly within Manden, with sworn allegiance to Sundiata and his descendants. harvnb error: no target: CITEREFKi-ZerboNiane (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFLevztionHopkins2000 (. Mali Empire - Wikipedia They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. [15] He is also called Hidji Mansa Musa in oral tradition in reference to his hajj. He had so much gold that during his hajj to Mecca, the Mansa passed out gold to all the poor along the way. In oral tradition and the Timbuktu Chronicles, Musa is known as Kanku Musa. He has sometimes been called the wealthiest person in history. At each halt, he would regale us [his entourage] rare foods and confectionery. The Black emperors great civility notwithstanding, the meeting between the two rulers might have ended in a serious diplomatic incident, for so absorbed was Mansa Ms in his religious observances that he was only with difficulty persuaded to pay a formal visit to the sultan. Duties of the farba included reporting on the activities of the territory, collecting taxes and ensuring the native administration didn't contradict orders from Niani. Mansa Musa returned from Mecca with several Islamic scholars, including direct descendants of the prophet Muhammad and an Andalusian poet and architect by the name of Abu Es Haq es Saheli, who is . This is the first account of a West African kingdom made directly by an eyewitness; the others are usually second-hand. Mahmud Keita, possibly a grandchild or great-grandchild of Mansa Gao Keita, was crowned Mansa Maghan Keita III in 1390. Original video by UsefulCharts. In 1645, the Bamana attacked Manden, seizing both banks of the Niger right up to Niani. [60] Other scholars whom Musa brought to Mali included Maliki jurists. Mansa Musa ruled over the Mali empire in the 14th Century, and his incredible access to gold made him arguably . The other major source of information comes from Mandinka oral tradition, as recorded by storytellers known as griots.[5]. Kankan Musa, better known as Mansa Musa probably took power in approximately 1312, although an earlier date is possible. He was the son of Niani's faama, Nare Fa (also known as Maghan Kon Fatta meaning the handsome prince). World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. Musa not only gave to the cities he passed on the way to Mecca, including Cairo and Medina, but also traded gold for souvenirs. Several of the names are spelled in a variety of ways in different manuscripts. [39], The identity of the capital city of the Mali Empire is a matter of dispute among historians. The mansa could also replace a farba if he got out of control, as in the case of Diafunu. [87] The figure of Fajigi combines both Islam and traditional beliefs. After a mere nine months of rule, Mansa Camba Keita was deposed by one of Maghan Keita I's three sons. [11][12] The version recorded by medieval Arab geographers is Mali (Arabic: , romanized:Ml). Mansa Musa (Civ6) | Civilization Wiki | Fandom This enabled him to rule over a realm larger than even the Ghana Empire in its apex. World History Encyclopedia, 17 Oct 2020. The Mali Empire reached its largest area under the Laye Keita mansas. Each individual farariya ("brave") had a number of infantry officers beneath them called kl-koun or dknsi. It was during Suleyman's 19-year reign that Ibn Battuta visited Mali. Traveling separately from the main caravan, their return journey to Cairo was struck by catastrophe. The empire taxed every ounce of gold, copper and salt that entered its borders. Musa I of Mali | Biography, Wealth, Slaves, Pilgrimage, & Facts Very little is known about the life of Mansa Musa before 1312. But the Mali Empire built by his predecessors was too strong for even his misrule and it passed intact to Musa's brother, Souleyman Keita in 1341. He also brought architects from the Middle East and across Africa to design new buildings for his cities. Cairo and Mecca received this royal personage, whose glittering procession, in the superlatives employed by Arab chroniclers, almost put Africas sun to shame. Between 1324 - 1325, Mansa Musa . 05 Mar 2023. Barring any other difficulties, the dyamani-tigui would run the province by himself collecting taxes and procuring armies from the tribes under his command. During the peak of the kingdom, Mali was extremely wealthy. World History Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. Mansa Mss prodigious generosity and piety, as well as the fine clothes and exemplary behaviour of his followers, did not fail to create a most-favourable impression. During the height of Sundiata's power, the land of Manden (the area populated by the Mandinka people) became one of its provinces. Mansa Musa was a devout Muslim. Mansa Musa developed cities like Timbuktu and Gao into important cultural centers. [86] After Sakura's death, power returned to the line of Sunjata, with Wali's son Qu taking the throne. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. In the event of conquest, farins took control of the area until a suitable native ruler could be found. He has been subject to popular claims that he is the wealthiest person in history,[5] but his actual wealth is not known with any certainty. It contained three immense gold mines within its borders unlike the Ghana Empire, which was only a transit point for gold.
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