[71] However, Ibn Khaldun also reports that Musa sent an envoy to congratulate Abu al-Hasan Ali for his conquest of Tlemcen, which took place in May 1337, but by the time Abu al-Hasan sent an envoy in response, Musa had died and Suleyman was on the throne, suggesting Musa died in 1337. [130] Farbas were picked by the mansa from the conquering farin or family members. . The empire began as a small Mandinka kingdom at the upper reaches of the Niger River, centered around the Manding region. This is the first account of a West African kingdom made directly by an eyewitness; the others are usually second-hand. Mansa Sandaki Keita, a descendant of kankoro-sigui Mari Djata Keita, deposed Maghan Keita II, becoming the first person without any Keita dynastic relation to officially rule Mali. [142][143] Numerous sources attest that the inland waterways of West Africa saw extensive use of war canoes and vessels used for war transport where permitted by the environment. Via one of the royal ladies of his court, Musa transformed Sankore from an informal madrasah into an Islamic university. It contained three immense gold mines within its borders unlike the Ghana Empire, which was only a transit point for gold. His reign is associated with numerous construction projects, including part of Djinguereber Mosque in Timbuktu. 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. 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. [50] Such impermanent capitals are a historically widespread phenomenon, having occurred in other parts of Africa such as Ethiopia, as well as outside Africa, such as in the Holy Roman Empire.[51]. He ruled oppressively and nearly bankrupted Mali with his lavish spending. 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. [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. His reign came with huge physical, economic and intellectual development in the Mali Empire. Between 1324 - 1325, Mansa Musa . Timbuktu became a major Islamic university center during the 14th century due to Mansa Musas developments. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. [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. Mansa Fadima Musa Keita, or Mansa Musa Keita II, began the process of reversing his brother's excesses. [149], Imperial banner carried with Musa I in 1325 Hajj, Social, economic and governmental reformation. [15], Musa ascended to power in the early 1300s[i] under unclear circumstances. He stopped in Cairo along the way, and his luxurious spending and gift giving was so extensive that he diluted the value of gold by 10 to 25 percent and impacted Cairos economy for at least 12 years afterward. They camped for three days by the Pyramids of Giza, before crossing the Nile into Cairo on 19 July. He was an extremely successful military leader We care about our planet! The entire nation was mobilised, with each clan obligated to provide a quota of fighting-age men. Accounts of how many people and how much gold he spent vary. This process was essential to keep non-Manding subjects loyal to the Manding elites that ruled them. What did Ms I do when he returned to Mali? However, many believe Mansa Musa's wealth outdoes that of all modern billionaires. While spears and bows were the mainstay of the infantry, swords and lances of local or foreign manufacture were the choice weapons of the cavalry. Sakura was able to stabilize the political situation in Mali. 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. Upon his return in 1324, Ms Is pious pilgrimage inspired him to commission two enormous mosques in Timbuktu and Gao. He also brought architects from the Middle East and across Africa to design new buildings for his cities. Omissions? The Camara (or Kamara) are said to be the first family to have lived in Manding, after having left, due to the drought, Ouallata, a region of Wagadou, in the south-east of present-day Mauritania. Al-Qalqashandi quotes al-'Umari as spelling it. [51] Musa made a major point of showing off his nation's wealth. Embedded by Arienne King, published on 17 October 2020. Lange, Dierk (1996), "The Almoravid expansion and the downfall of Ghana", Der Islam 73 (2): 313351. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. However, Al-Nasir Muhammad returned Musa's earlier show of generosity with gifts of his own. [4] Much of the recorded information about the Mali Empire comes from 14th-century Tunisian historian Ibn Khaldun, 14th-century Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta and 16th-century Andalusian traveller Leo Africanus. Returning with the combined armies of Mema, Wagadou and all the rebellious Mandinka city-states, Maghan Sundiata led a revolt against the Kaniaga Kingdom around 1234. Mansa Musa even built the Great Mosque of Djenn, one of the most famous mosques in Mali, to recognize his pilgrimage. 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. 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. The Wangara, an Old Soninke Diaspora in West Africa? 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. [42] Another source of income for Mali during Musa's reign was taxation of the copper trade. Al-Nasir expected Musa to prostrate himself before him, which Musa initially refused to do. [39], The identity of the capital city of the Mali Empire is a matter of dispute among historians. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. [57], Modern oral traditions also related that the Mandinka kingdoms of Mali or Manden had already existed several centuries before Sundiata's unification as a small state just to the south of the Sonink empire of Wagadou, better known as the Ghana Empire. His generous gifts to Mamluk Egypt and his expenditure of gold caused significant inflation in Egypt. [116] Songhai authority over Bendugu and Kala declined by 1571, and Mali may have been able to reassert some authority over them. Evidence of cavalry in terracotta figures suggest the empire's prosperous economy as horses are not indigenous to Africa. Mansa Musa ruled over the Mali empire in the 14th Century, and his incredible access to gold made him arguably . 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]. During this period, trade routes shifted southward to the savanna, stimulating the growth of states such as Bono state. [39] Her jamu (clan name) Konte is shared with both Sunjata's mother Sogolon Konte and his arch-enemy Sumanguru Konte. An army was required to guard the borders to protect its flourishing trade. We all know of Mansa Musa, possibly the richest man to ever exist. [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. [93] It is during his reign that Fula raids on Takrur began. so the name Kanku Musa means "Musa, son of Kanku", although it is unclear if the genealogy implied is literal. Very little is known about the life of Mansa Musa before 1312. [34][35] Nonetheless, the possibility of such a voyage has been taken seriously by several historians. The salt was dug from the ground and cut into thick slabs, two of which were loaded onto each camel where they would be taken south across the desert to Oualata and sold. Rulers of West African states had made pilgrimages to Mecca before Mansa Ms, but the effect of his flamboyant journey was to advertise both Mali and Mansa Ms well beyond the African continent and to stimulate a desire among the Muslim kingdoms of North Africa, and among many of European nations as well, to reach the source of this incredible wealth. [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. A legend claims that Sunjata transformed into a hippopotamus. Kankan Musa, better known as Mansa Musa probably took power in approximately 1312, although an earlier date is possible. [75] When the campaigning was done, his empire extended 1,000 miles (1,600km) east to west with those borders being the bends of the Senegal and Niger rivers respectively. [78] There was evidently a power struggle of some kind involving the gbara or great council and donson ton or hunter guilds. Musa made his pilgrimage between 1324 and 1325 spanning 2,700 miles. 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. [72], According to Niane's version of the epic, during the rise of Kaniaga, Sundiata of the Keita clan was born in the early 13th century. 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. . [69] The university became a center of learning and culture, drawing Muslim scholars from around Africa and the Middle East to Timbuktu. 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. In oral tradition and the Timbuktu Chronicles, Musa is known as Kanku Musa. 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? Musa embarked on a large building program, raising mosques and madrasas in Timbuktu and Gao. [81] He went on the hajj during the reign of Mamluk sultan Baibars (12601277). Provinces picked their own governors via their own custom (election, inheritance, etc.). The wooden window frames of an upper storey were plated with silver foil; those of a lower storey with gold. He recruited scholars from the wider Muslim world to travel to Mali, such as the Andalusian poet Abu Ishaq al-Sahili, and helped establish Timbuktu as a center of Islamic learning. The Mali Empire reached its largest area under the Laye Keita mansas. The lands of Bambougou, Jalo (Fouta Djallon), and Kaabu were added into Mali by Fakoli Koroma (Nkrumah in Ghana, Kurumah in the Gambia, Colley in Casamance, Senegal),[70] Fran Kamara (Camara) and Tiramakhan Traore (Tarawelley in the Gambia),[77] respectively Among the many different ethnic groups surrounding Manden were Pulaar speaking groups in Macina, Tekrur and Fouta Djallon. At the age of 18, he gained authority over all the 12 kingdoms in an alliance that would become the Mali Empire. Sadly for Sundjata, this did not occur before his father died. 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. What is evident is that there is no steady lineage governing the empire. [67] The Manden city-state of Ka-ba (present-day Kangaba) served as the capital and name of this province. Musa is known for his wealth and generosity. Mansa Musa's personal name was Musa (Arabic: , romanized:Ms), the Arabic form of Moses. The Keitas retreated to the town of Kangaba, where they became provincial chiefs. [58] This area was composed of mountains, savannah and forest providing ideal protection and resources for the population of hunters. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. Stories of his fabulous wealth even reached Europe. Sundiata Keita is the first ruler for which there is accurate written information (through Ibn Khaldun). [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. [8] Suleyman's death marked the end of Mali's Golden Age and the beginning of a slow decline. The Mali Empire (Manding: Mand or Manden; Arabic: , romanized: Ml) was an empire in West Africa from c. 1226 to 1670. 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. In their own country they use only slave women and men for transport, but for long journeys such as pilgrimages they have mounts. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. Sundjata is credited with at least the initial organisation of the Manding military. [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. [76] After unifying Manden, he added the Wangara goldfields, making them the southern border. [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. [112] Still, no help came from the envoy and further possessions of Mali were lost one by one. 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. Forty years after the reign of Mansa Musa Keita I, the Mali Empire still controlled some 1,100,000 square kilometres (420,000sqmi) of land throughout Western Africa.[103][9]. Thank you for your help! The "Qur'an" had a great importance to Mansa Musa as it states "God loves the charitable" (Document D). This enabled him to rule over a realm larger than even the Ghana Empire in its apex. In Ibn Khaldun's account, Sundjata is recorded as Mari Djata with "Mari" meaning "Amir" or "Prince". He brought a large entourage with him which impressed people everywhere they went. Most notably, the ancient center of learning Sankore Madrasah (or University of Sankore) was constructed during his reign. 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. Traveling separately from the main caravan, their return journey to Cairo was struck by catastrophe. Musa I ( Arabic: , romanized : Mans Ms, N'Ko: ; r. c. 1312 - c. 1337 [a]) was the ninth [4] mansa of the Mali Empire, which reached its territorial peak during his reign. [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. [28] The Tarikh al-fattash claims that Musa accidentally killed Kanku at some point prior to his hajj. [22] Oral tradition, as performed by the jeliw (sg. Mansa Musa (about 1280 - about 1337) was an emperor (mansa) of the Mali Empire during the 14th century. The history of the Mandinka started in Manding region. The child of this marriage received the first name of his mother (Sogolon) and the surname of his father (Djata). [83] This term was used interchangeably with dinar, though it is unclear if coined currency was used in the empire. 05 Mar 2023. [20] Arab interest in the Mali Empire declined after the Songhai conquered the northern regions of the empire which formed the primary contact between Mali and the Arab world. The army of the Mali Empire used of a wide variety of weapons depending largely on where the troops originated. The next great unit of exchange in the Mali Empire was salt. Mali flourished especially when Timbuktu came under Mansa Musa's control. During the 17th century, the Mali Empire faced incursions from the Bamana Empire. [60] In return for their submission, they became "farbas", a combination of the Mandinka words "farin" and "ba" (great farin). In his lifetime and beyond, he was known for his extravagant wealth and spending, funded by his kingdom's vast salt and gold mines. Ibn Battuta comments on festival demonstrations of swordplay before the mansa by his retainers including the royal interpreter. [114] However, the Songhai do not maintain their hold on the Malian capital. Mansa Musa (Musa I of Mali) was the king of the ancient empire of Mali in West Africa. [20] Additional information comes from two 17th-century manuscripts written in Timbuktu, the Tarikh Ibn al-Mukhtar[c] and the Tarikh al-Sudan. [129] The county level administrators called kafo-tigui (county-master) were appointed by the governor of the province from within his own circle. Free warriors from the north (Mandekalu or otherwise) were usually equipped with large reed or animal hide shields and a stabbing spear that was called a tamba. Sandaki likely means High Counsellor or Supreme Counsellor, from san or sanon (meaning "high") and adegue (meaning counsellor). According to the records of Ibn Battuta,[138][139] copper which traded in bars was mined from Takedda in the north and traded in the south for gold. His religious devotion contributed to the spread of Islam across West Africa. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. [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. After the victory, King Soumaoro disappeared, and the Mandinka stormed the last of the Sosso cities. and transl. [40] In fact, there is a conspicuous absence of archaeological samples of any kind from Niani dated to the late 13th through early 15th centuries, suggesting that Niani may have been uninhabited during the heyday of the Mali Empire. [81] He was replaced by Abu Bakr, a son of Sunjata's daughter. Online articles in the 21st century have claimed that Mansa Musa was the richest person of all time. . The ancient kingdom of Mali spread across parts of modern-day Mali, Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Mauritania, and Burkina Faso. The final incarnation of the Gbara, according to the surviving traditions of northern Guinea, held 32 positions occupied by 28 clans. Mansa Musa also known as Musa I of Mali and was the ninth Islamic ancient Emperor of West Africa in a kingdom known as the Mali Empire. [70] Two noble brothers from Niani, of unknown lineage, went to Dioma with an army and drove out the Fula Wassoulounk. He also made Eid celebrations at the end of Ramadan a national ceremony. Equipped with two quivers and a knife fastened to the back of their arm, Mandinka bowmen used barbed, iron-tipped arrows that were usually poisoned. [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. Musa was a very successful military leader. He ruled between 707-732/737 according to the Islamic calendar (AH), which translates to 1307-1332/1337 CE. "Mansa Musa Family Tree | Empire of Mali." This can be interpreted as either "Musa son of Abu Bakr" or "Musa descendant of Abu Bakr." Mansa Ms, whose empire was one of the largest in the world at that time, is reported to have observed that it would take a year to travel from one end of his empire to the other. [108], Despite their power in the west, Mali was losing the battle for supremacy in the north and northeast. Imperial Mali's horsemen also used iron helmet and mail armour for defence[146] as well as shields similar to those of the infantry. Trade was a significant factor to the rise and success of Mali. [70] These men had to be of the horon (freemen) caste and appear with their own arms. Mansa Musa (1280-1337) Mansa Musa, fourteenth century emperor of the Mali Empire, is the medieval African ruler most known to the world outside Africa. The architectural crafts in Granada had reached their zenith by the fourteenth century, and its extremely unlikely that a cultured and wealthy poet would have had anything more than a dilettante's knowledge of the intricacies of contemporary architectural practice. "[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]. 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. Sundiata's mother was Maghan Kon Fatta's second wife, Sogolon Kdjou. After many years in exile, first at the court of Wagadou and then at Mema, Sundiata was sought out by a Niani delegation and begged to combat the Sosso and free the kingdoms of Manden forever. [23] Numbered individuals reigned as mansa; the numbers indicate the order in which they reigned. This website claims no authorship of this content; we are republishing it for educational purposes. [123] Segou, defended by Bitn Coulibaly, successfully defended itself and Mama Maghan was forced to withdraw. Masuta the Descended is a miniboss in The Shadow Reef. Emperors and Empresses from Around the (Non-Roman) World Quiz, Armand-Jean du Plessis, cardinal et duc de Richelieu, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Musa-I-of-Mali, World History Encyclopedia - Mansa Musa I, Musa - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). The Mansa led the second expedition himself, and appointed Musa as his deputy to rule the empire until he returned. [86] Fajigi is remembered as having traveled to Mecca to retrieve ceremonial objects known as boliw, which feature in Mand traditional religion. The Bamana, likewise, vowed not to advance farther upstream than Niamina. Available from http://incompetech.com. Running a website with millions of readers every month is expensive. Mansa Musa, also known as Musa Keita I of Mali, was the tenth Sultan of the Mali Empire. While Musa's palace has since vanished, the university and mosque still stand in Timbuktu today. His equipment furnishings were carried by 12.000 private slave women (Wasaif) wearing gown and brocade (dibaj) and Yemeni silk []. Wagadou and Mema became junior partners in the realm and part of the imperial nucleus.

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