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. The only major setback to his reign was the loss of Mali's Dyolof province in Senegal. Inside the world's wealthiest", "Mansa Musa (Musa I of Mali) | National Geographic Society", "The 25 richest people who ever lived inflation adjusted", "Civilization VI the Official Site | News | Civilization VI: Gathering Storm Mansa Musa Leads Mali", International Journal of African Historical Studies, "Searching for History in The Sunjata Epic: The Case of Fakoli", "chos d'Arabie. [44] Niani's reputation as an imperial capital may derive from its importance in the late imperial period, when the Songhai Empire to the northeast pushed Mali back to the Manding heartland. [60] She was a hunchback from the land of Do, south of Mali. In 1534, Mahmud III, the grandson of Mahmud II, received another Portuguese envoy to the Mali court by the name of Pero Fernandes. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. [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. [20] For the later period of the Mali Empire, the major written primary sources are Portuguese accounts of the coastal provinces of Mali and neighboring societies.[21]. [117], The swan song of the Mali Empire came in 1599, under the reign of Mansa Mahmud IV. [107] The Gambia was still firmly in Mali's control, and these raiding expeditions met with disastrous fates before Portugal's Diogo Gomes began formal relations with Mali via its remaining Wolof subjects. In the first millennium BC, early cities and towns were created by Mande peoples related to the Soninke people, along the middle Niger River in central Mali, including at Dia which began from around 900 BC, and reached its peak around 600 BC,[52] and Djenne-Djenno, which lasted from around 250 BC to 900 AD. Ibn Khaldun recorded that in 776 A.H or 1374/1375 AD he interviewed a Sijilmasan scholar named Muhammad b. Wasul who had lived in Gao and had been employed in its judiciary. [51] Musa made a major point of showing off his nation's wealth. At the time of Musa's ascension to the throne, Mali in large part consisted of the territory of the former Ghana Empire, which Mali had conquered. [84] Then an enslaved court official, Sakura, seized power. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. Musa I of Mali | Biography, Wealth, Slaves, Pilgrimage, & Facts [j][52][53] While in Cairo, Musa met with the Mamluk sultan al-Nasir Muhammad, whose reign had already seen one mansa, Sakura, make the hajj. . Musa is known for his wealth and generosity. He never took the field again after Kirina, but his generals continued to expand the frontier, especially in the west where they reached the Gambia River and the marches of Tekrur. He became emperor in 1307. 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. Despite the faama of Niani's wishes to respect the prophecy and put Sundiata on the throne, the son from his first wife Sassouma Brt was crowned instead. Sundjata is credited with at least the initial organisation of the Manding military. Under Mansa Ms, Timbuktu grew to be a very important commercial city having caravan connections with Egypt and with all other important trade centres in North Africa. There are a few references to Mali in early Islamic literature. [67] The Manden city-state of Ka-ba (present-day Kangaba) served as the capital and name of this province. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. But more reasoned analysis suggests that his role, if any, was quite limited. During this period, trade routes shifted southward to the savanna, stimulating the growth of states such as Bono state. [59], On his return journey, Musa met the Andalusian poet Abu Ishaq al-Sahili, whose eloquence and knowledge of jurisprudence impressed him, and whom he convinced to travel with him to Mali. No single Keita ever ruled Manden after Mahmud Keita IV's death, resulting in the end of the Mali Empire. Traveling from his capital of Niani on the upper Niger River to Walata (Oualta, Mauritania) and on to Tuat (now in Algeria) before making his way to Cairo, Mansa Ms was accompanied by an impressive caravan consisting of 60,000 men including a personal retinue of 12,000 enslaved persons, all clad in brocade and Persian silk. [70] The mansa lost control of Jalo during this period. Still, throne names do not usually indicate blood relations. It was "an admirable Monument", surmounted by a dome and adorned with arabesques of striking colours. Wagadou and Mema became junior partners in the realm and part of the imperial nucleus. Mansa Musa (1280-1337) - BlackPast.org These conflicts also interrupted trade. Our publication has been reviewed for educational use by Common Sense Education, Internet Scout (University of Wisconsin), Merlot (California State University), OER Commons and the School Library Journal. His riches came from mining significant salt and gold deposits in the Mali kingdom. . 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. He brought architects from Andalusia, a region in Spain, and Cairo to build his grand palace in Timbuktu and the great Djinguereber Mosque that still stands today. [57][58] Having run out of money, Musa and his entourage were forced to borrow money and re-sell much of what they had purchased while in Cairo before the hajj, and Musa went into debt to several merchants, such as Siraj al-Din. [12][h] Ibn Battuta, who visited Mali during the reign of Musa's brother Sulayman, said that Musa's grandfather was named Sariq Jata. Al-Umari reported that Mali had fourteen provinces. [60] In return for their submission, they became "farbas", a combination of the Mandinka words "farin" and "ba" (great farin). The Wangara, an Old Soninke Diaspora in West Africa? Imperial Mali's horsemen also used iron helmet and mail armour for defence[146] as well as shields similar to those of the infantry. Imperial Malian architecture was characterised by Sudano-Sahelian architecture with a Malian substyle, which is exemplified by the Great Mosque of Djenne. As a result of this the empire fell. Mansa Souleyman Keita died in 1360 and was succeeded by his son, Camba Keita. 1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society. It was this pilgrimage that awakened the world to the stupendous wealth of Mali. Contemporary sources claim 60 copper bars traded for 100 dinars of gold. Why did Ms I make a pilgrimage to Mecca? [41] Given the grandeur of his subsequent hajj, it is likely that Musa spent much of his early reign preparing for it. [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. Another testimony from Ibn Khaldun describes the grand pilgrimage of Mansa Musa consisting of 12,000 slaves: "He made a pilgrimage in 724/1324 []. The Manding languages were spoken in the empire. Musa stayed in Cairo for three months, departing on 18 October[k] with the official caravan to Mecca. On the return from Takedda to Morocco, his caravan transported 600 female servants, suggesting that indentured servitude was a substantial part of the commercial activity of the empire.[134]. The third great account is that of Ibn Khaldun, who wrote in the early 15th century. National Geographic Headquarters 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036. [56] Musa and his entourage lingered in Mecca after the last day of the hajj. Rather, authority would rest with the mansa and his court, wherever he went. After the reigns of two more emperors, Musa Keita became mansa in c. 1312. Sundiata, according to the oral traditions, did not walk until he was seven years old. [102] It seems quite possible that an exodus of the inhabitants took place at this juncture and the importance of the city was not revived until the rise of the Songhai empire. Very little is known about the life of Mansa Musa before 1312. [40] Ibn Battuta and Leo Africanus both call the capital "Mali. 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. [26][17] Ibn Khaldun said that he "was an upright man and a great king, and tales of his justice are still told."[101]. Mama Maghan, mansa of Kangaba, campaigned against the Bamana in 1667 and laid siege to SegouKoro for a reported three years. This region straddles the border between what is now southern Mali and northeastern Guinea. In 1481, Fula raids against Mali's Tekrur provinces began. [119], It would be the Mandinka themselves that would cause the final destruction of the empire. The conquest of Sosso in c. 1235 gave the Mali Empire access to the trans-Saharan trade routes. His elaborate pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca in 1324 introduced him to rulers in the Middle East and in Europe. 6. [58] This area was composed of mountains, savannah and forest providing ideal protection and resources for the population of hunters. UsefulCharts, . World History Encyclopedia. [75] It is possible that it was actually Musa's son Maghan who congratulated Abu al-Hasan, or Maghan who received Abu al-Hasan's envoy after Musa's death. Heusch, Luc de: "The Symbolic Mechanisms of Sacred Kingship: Rediscovering Frazer". [70] However, once Sundiata did gain use of his legs he grew strong and very respected. [145] Another common weapon of Mandekalu warriors was the poison javelin used in skirmishes. The tarikh states that a Sultan Kunburu became a Muslim and had his palace pulled down and the site turned into a mosque; he then built another palace for himself near the mosque on the east side. Mansa Musa eventually gained the throne owing to a strange sequence of events that turned in his favor. From at least the beginning of the 11th century, Mandinka kings known as faamas ruled Manden from Ka-ba in the name of the Ghanas.[68]. Accounts of how many people and how much gold he spent vary. The child of this marriage received the first name of his mother (Sogolon) and the surname of his father (Djata). [102], The Songhai settlement effectively shook off Mali's authority in 1375. His 25-year reign (1312-1337 CE) is described as "the golden age of . "LEAD: International: The History of Guinea-Bissau", "Four People Who Single-handedly Caused Economic Crises", "Lessons from Timbuktu: What Mali's Manuscripts Teach About Peace | World Policy Institute", "Mossi (12501575 AD) DBA 2.0 Variant Army List", "The history of Africa Peul and Toucouleur", "Africa and Slavery 15001800 by Sanderson Beck", "How the Mali Empire in the 12th century revolved levels of governance", Trade, Transport, Temples, and Tribute: The Economics of Power, "Gold, Islam and Camels: The Transformative Effects of Trade and Ideology", "Power and permanence in precolonial Africa: a case study from the central Sahel", "Recherches sur l'Empire du Mali au Moyen Age", "Expansion and Contraction Patterns of Large Polities: Context for Russia", "East-West Orientation of Historical Empires", Metropolitan Museum Empires of the Western Sudan: Mali Empire, Ibn Battuta: Travels in Asia and Africa 13251354, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mali_Empire&oldid=1142808910, Identification disputed; possibly no fixed capital, Yantaar or Kel Antasar: Located in the vicinity of the, Tn Ghars or Yantar'ras: Correspond to the modern, This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 13:53. Extensive archaeological digs have shown that the area was an important trade and manufacturing center in the 15th century, but no firm evidence of royal residence has come to light. Your email address will not be published. [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. [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. The family tree of Mansa Musa. His name was Mansa Musa, and he was a devout Muslim. Does Mansa Musa have any living descendants? - Quora "Mansa Musa Family Tree | Empire of Mali." Musa and his entourage arrived at the outskirts of Cairo in July 1324. With trade being disrupted by wars, there was no way for the economy to continue to prosper. "Mansa Musa Family Tree | Empire of Mali." In 1307, Mansa Musa came to the throne after a series of civil wars and ruled for thirty years. Stride, G. T., & C. Ifeka: "Peoples and Empires of West Africa: West Africa in History 10001800". One of the five pillars of Islam states that Muslims should embark on a pilgrimage known as Hajj, to the holy city of Mecca.. [45] He would have spent much time fostering the growth of the religion within his empire. A Golden Age: King Mansa Musa's Reign. Who Are the Mandinka? - HISTORY Not only do we pay for our servers, but also for related services such as our content delivery network, Google Workspace, email, and much more. However, territories that were crucial to trade or subject to revolt would receive a farba. Medieval Map Points to World's Richest Man, Maybe Ever [76] The latter possibility is corroborated by Ibn Khaldun calling Suleyman Musa's son in that passage, suggesting he may have confused Musa's brother Suleyman with Musa's son Maghan. Today, his net worth is estimated to have been $400 billion. Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton. [47][48][49] His procession reportedly included 60,000 men, all wearing brocade and Persian silk, including 12,000 slaves,[50] who each carried 1.8kg (4lb) of gold bars, and heralds dressed in silks, who bore gold staffs, organized horses, and handled bags. [49] It has been suggested that the name given in the Arabic sources for the capital of Mali is derived the Manding word "bambi", meaning "dais", and as such refers to the "seat of government" in general rather than being the name of a specific city. Side by side with the encouragement of trade and commerce, learning and the arts received royal patronage. What made this possible was the decentralised nature of administration throughout the state. 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. Musa I (Arabic: , romanized:Mans Ms, N'Ko: ; r.c.1312c.1337[a]) was the ninth[4] mansa of the Mali Empire, which reached its territorial peak during his reign. [3] During the 11th and 12th centuries, an empire began to develop following the decline of the Ghana Empire, or Wagadu, to the north. [8] Mansa, 'ruler'[9] or 'king'[10] in Mand, was the title of the ruler of the Mali Empire. Mansa Musa Family Tree | Family tree, Tree, Kankan - Pinterest Constant civil war between leaders led to a weakened state. Konkodougou Kamissa Keita, named for the province he once governed,[70] was crowned as Mansa Mari Djata Keita II in 1360. When he did finally bow, he said he was doing so for God alone. Mansa Ms probably died in 1332. According to Ibn Battuta who visited Mali in the mid-14th century, one camel load of salt sold at Walata for 810 mithqals of gold, but in Mali proper it realised 2030 ducats and sometimes even 40. Biti, Buti, Yiti, Tati). The northern commercial towns of Oualata and Audaghost were also conquered and became part of the new state's northern border. [83] He is criticized for being unfaithful to tradition, and some of the jeliw regard Musa as having wasted Mali's wealth. He is believed to be one of the richest individuals to have walked on this planet. [86] As Fajigi, Musa is sometimes conflated with a figure in oral tradition named Fakoli, who is best known as Sunjata's top general. [115], Mali's fortunes seem to have improved in the second half of the 16th century. [79][80], Musa's reign is commonly regarded as Mali's golden age, but this perception may be the result of his reign being the best recorded by Arabic sources, rather than him necessarily being the wealthiest and most powerful mansa of Mali. Original video by UsefulCharts. Only sofa were equipped by the state, using bows and poisoned arrows. In addition, the moral and religious principles he had taught his subjects endured after his death. [90][91] His reign is considered the golden age of Mali. Mansa Musa developed cities like Timbuktu and Gao into important cultural centers. Several of the names are spelled in a variety of ways in different manuscripts. The earliest document mentioning the mosque is Abd al-Sadi's Tarikh al-Sudan, which gives the early history, presumably from the oral tradition as it existed in the mid seventeenth century. The Keitas retreated to the town of Kangaba, where they became provincial chiefs. The Catalan Atlas, published in 1375, depicts the richest man of his day: Mansa Musa, the emperor of 14th-century Mali. While the accounts are of limited length, they provide a fairly good picture of the empire at its height. 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. Barring any other difficulties, the dyamani-tigui would run the province by himself collecting taxes and procuring armies from the tribes under his command. Mansa Musa was the great nephew of Sundiata Keita, who was founder . All gold was immediately handed over to the imperial treasury in return for an equal value of gold dust. KAIRO NEWS - Are Mandinkas Descendants Of Bilal? Wagadou's control over Manden came to a halt after internal instability lead to its decline. Mansa Musa - Originalpeople.org Kankoro-sigui Mari Djata, who had no relation to the Keita clan, essentially ran the empire in Musa Keita II's stead. How Europe Planned to Steal from African King Mansa Musa - YouTube Watch the map animation on From Nothing:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOexUoPc6YUBe sure to subscribe to From Nothing for more African History:https://www.. U UsefulCharts 0 followers More information Mansa Musa Family Tree Rich Man [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. The 1375 Catalan Atlas portrayed a "city of Melly" (Catalan: ciutat de Melly) in West Africa. Mansa Ms, either the grandson or the grandnephew of Sundiata, the founder of his dynasty, came to the throne in 1307. The Venetian explorer Alvise Cadamosto and Portuguese traders confirmed that the peoples of the Gambia were still subject to the mansa of Mali. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. Every year merchants entered Mali via Oualata with camel loads of salt to sell in Niani. [104] He would only reign a year before a descendant of Mansa Gao Keita removed him.[70]. A legend claims that Sunjata transformed into a hippopotamus. This style is characterised by the use of mudbricks and an adobe plaster, with large wooden-log support beams that jut out from the wall face for large buildings such as mosques or palaces. In this lesson, students read one recent blog post about Musa I of Mali's wealth, followed by two historical documents from the fourteenth-century, to answer the question: Was Mansa Musa the richest person ever? The Manding languages were spoken in the empire. The Twelve Doors of Mali were a coalition of conquered or allied territories, mostly within Manden, with sworn allegiance to Sundiata and his descendants. He made his wealth and that of Mali known through a long and extravagant pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324, the 17th year of his reign as emperor of Mali. The date of Mansa Musa's death is not certain. [93] Sandaki Keita should not however be taken to be this person's name but a title. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. One of these was Dioma, an area south of Niani populated by Fula Wassoulounk. [18][16], Another hypothesis suggests that the name Mali is derived from Mand mali "hippopotamus", an animal that had special significance to the Keitas, and that Mand means "little manatee". Musa and his entourage gave and spent freely while in Cairo. He belonged to the Keita Dynasty and came to power after Abu-Bakra-Keita II left on an expedition to explore the Atlantic Ocean, leaving Musa as his deputy and never returned. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. The Sahelian and Saharan towns of the Mali Empire were organised as both staging posts in the long-distance caravan trade and trading centres for the various West African products. He built mosques and large public buildings in cities like Gao and, most famously, Timbuktu. The Cairo that Mansa Ms visited was ruled by one of the greatest of the Mamlk sultans, Al-Malik al-Nir. Jansen, Jan: "The Younger Brother and the Stranger. Mansa Mahmud Keita II's rule was characterised by more losses to Mali's old possessions and increased contact between Mali and Portuguese explorers along the coast. During his reign, Mali was one of the richest kingdoms of Africa, and Mansa Musa was among the richest individuals in the world. 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 . Nelson, 1971. [27] His list does not necessarily accurately reflect the actual organization of the Mali Empire,[28] and the identification of the listed provinces is controversial. However, it went through radical changes before reaching the legendary proportions proclaimed by its subjects. In his attempt to justify the importance of the Keita and their civilisation in early Arabic literatures, Adelabu, the head of Awqaf Africa in London, coined the Arabic derivatives K(a)-W(e)-Y(a) of the word Keita which in (in what he called) Arabicised Mandingo language Allah(u) Ka(w)eia meaning "Allah Creates All" as a favourable motto of reflection for Bilal Ibn Rabah, one of the most trusted and loyal Sahabah (companions) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, whom he described (quoting William Muir's book The Life of Muhammad) as 'a tall, dark, and with African feature and bushy hair'[64] pious man who overcame slavery, racism and socio-political obstacles in Arabia to achieve a lofty status in this world and in the Hereafter.[65]. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Many houses were built by hand and during the hot weather some houses would melt so they had to be very secure, The dating of the original Great Mosque's construction is obscure (the current structure, built under French Colonial Rule, dates from 1907). The history of the Mandinka started in Manding region. Mansa Musa (Musa I of Mali) - National Geographic Society Facts About Mansa Musa - The Richest Human Being Who Ever Lived Mansa Musa (Musa I of Mali) was the king of the ancient empire of Mali in West Africa. The Sankor University was capable of housing 25,000 students and had one of the largest libraries in the world with roughly 1,000,000 manuscripts.[100][101]. [111] This envoy from the Portuguese coastal port of Elmina arrived in response to the growing trade along the coast and Mali's now urgent request for military assistance against Songhai. A dknsi performed the same function except with slave troops called sofa ("guardian of the horse") and under the command of a farimba ("great brave man"). [81] He went on the hajj during the reign of Mamluk sultan Baibars (12601277). During most of his journey, Ibn Battuta travelled with a retinue that included servants, most of whom carried goods for trade. [d], Musa's father was named Faga Leye[12] and his mother may have been named Kanku. [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]. Still, by the time of Mansa Musa Keita II's death in 1387, Mali was financially solvent and in control of all of its previous conquests short of Gao and Dyolof. After a mere nine months of rule, Mansa Camba Keita was deposed by one of Maghan Keita I's three sons. Musa made his pilgrimage between 1324 and 1325 spanning 2,700 miles. The Mali Empire began in and was centered around the Manding region in what is now southern Mali and northeastern Guinea. [22] Oral tradition, as performed by the jeliw (sg. "[96], Contemporary sources suggest that the mounts employed by this caravan were one hundred elephants, which carried those loads of gold, and several hundred camels, carrying the food, supplies and weaponries which were brought to the rear.[97]. Musa Keita I (c. 1280 - c. 1337), or Mansa Musa, was the ninth Mansa of the Mali Empire, one of the most powerful West African states. While in Cairo, Mansa Musa met with the Sultan of Egypt, and his caravan spent and gave away so much gold that the overall value of gold decreased in Egypt for the next 12 years. Afterward, he put himself and his kingdom, West Africa's Mali, on the map, literally. [11][12] The version recorded by medieval Arab geographers is Mali (Arabic: , romanized:Ml). This can be interpreted as either "Musa son of Abu Bakr" or "Musa descendant of Abu Bakr." [83] This term was used interchangeably with dinar, though it is unclear if coined currency was used in the empire. [86] After Sakura's death, power returned to the line of Sunjata, with Wali's son Qu taking the throne. Mansa Musa was immensely wealthy (whether he can be regarded as personally wealthy or wealthy because he controlled the gold mines of Mali is, of course, a . Online articles in the 21st century have claimed that Mansa Musa was the richest person of all time. They are descendants of. They camped for three days by the Pyramids of Giza, before crossing the Nile into Cairo on 19 July. The exact date of Musa's accession is debated. Bukar professed his support, but believing Mahmud's situation to be hopeless, secretly went over to the Moroccans. [11][b] In Mand tradition, it was common for one's name to be prefixed by their mother's name, so the name Kanku Musa means "Musa, son of Kanku", although it is unclear if the genealogy implied is literal.

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