It was this pilgrimage that awakened the world to the stupendous wealth of Mali. During his reign, the Mossi emperor Bonga of Yatenga raided into Mali and plundered Macina. 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. The University of Sankore in Timbuktu was restaffed under Musa's reign with jurists, astronomers, and mathematicians. He sought closer ties with the rest of the Muslim world, particularly the Mamluk and Marinid Sultanates. Updates? [135] Gold nuggets were the exclusive property of the mansa and were illegal to trade within his borders. He also made Eid celebrations at the end of Ramadan a national ceremony. Mansa means (King or Emperor) and he was ruling the Mali kingdom from C.E 1312 to 1337 for around 25 years. [69] The Kangaba province, free of Sonink influence, splintered into twelve kingdoms with their own maghan (meaning prince) or faama. Sundiata Keita - National Geographic Society Bowmen formed a large portion of the field army as well as the garrison. Who would native Malians have considered their greatest ruler? He had first-hand information from several sources, and from a second-hand source, he learned of the visit of Mansa Musa. Consequently, the name of Mali and Timbuktu appeared on 14th century world maps. There are a few references to Mali in early Islamic literature. We care about our planet! [93] He did not, however, hold the power of previous mansas because of the influence of his kankoro-sigui. However, it went through radical changes before reaching the legendary proportions proclaimed by its subjects. These conflicts also interrupted trade. 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. The Cairo that Mansa Ms visited was ruled by one of the greatest of the Mamlk sultans, Al-Malik al-Nir. [124] Following this disastrous set of events, Mansa Mama Maghan abandoned the capital of Niani. 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. 1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society. [62] According to one account given by Ibn Khaldun, Musa's general Saghmanja conquered Gao. The World History Encyclopedia logo is a registered trademark. Much of the history is oral, given by professional "historians". At the age of 18, he gained authority over all the 12 kingdoms in an alliance that would become the Mali Empire. Accounts of how many people and how much gold he spent vary. [86] As Fajigi, Musa is sometimes conflated with a figure in oral tradition named Fakoli, who is best known as Sunjata's top general. [102], The Songhai settlement effectively shook off Mali's authority in 1375. 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. [129] The county level administrators called kafo-tigui (county-master) were appointed by the governor of the province from within his own circle. World History Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. Musa made his pilgrimage between 1324 and 1325 spanning 2,700 miles. Mansa Musa Family Tree - World History Encyclopedia Ibn Battuta comments on festival demonstrations of swordplay before the mansa by his retainers including the royal interpreter. The Royal Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay: Life in Medieval Africa By Patricia McKissack, Fredrick McKissack Page 60, "The richest person who ever lived had unimaginable wealth. World History Encyclopedia. Using the reign lengths reported by Ibn Khaldun to calculate back from the death of Mansa Suleyman in 1360, Musa would have died in 1332. Sadly for Sundjata, this did not occur before his father died. Side by side with the encouragement of trade and commerce, learning and the arts received royal patronage. In 14331434, the Mali Empire lost control of Timbuktu to the Tuareg, led by Akil [10], Mali, Mand, Manden, and Manding are all various pronunciations of the same word across different languages and dialects. "[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]. 05 Mar 2023. Hamana (or Amana), southwest of Joma, became the southern sphere, with its capital at Kouroussa in modern Guinea. To Musa, Islam was "an entry into the cultured world of the Eastern Mediterranean". In their own country they use only slave women and men for transport, but for long journeys such as pilgrimages they have mounts. "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. 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. Musa I of Mali | Biography, Wealth, Slaves, Pilgrimage, & Facts [15] Leo Africanus said that the capital city was called Melli. His name was Mansa Musa, and he was a devout Muslim. He was deposed in 1389, marking the end of the Faga Laye Keita mansas. Musa provided all necessities for the procession, feeding the entire company of men and animals. The empire he founded became one of the richest in the world, and his descendants included one of the richest individuals to ever live, Mansa Musa. His elaborate pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca in 1324 introduced him to rulers in the Middle East and in Europe. It is not known if this was an attempt to correct the depreciation of gold in the area due to his spending,[7] or if he had simply run out of the funds needed for the return trip. The Mali Empire (Manding: Mand[3] or Manden; Arabic: , romanized:Ml) was an empire in West Africa from c. 1226 to 1670. Most notably, the ancient center of learning Sankore Madrasah (or University of Sankore) was constructed during his reign. Ibn Battuta, who visited the capital city from 1352 to 1353, called it Mali. Mansa Musa brought the architect back to Mali to beautify some of the cities. 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. [93] In 1514, the Denianke dynasty was established in Tekrour. This region straddles the border between what is now southern Mali and northeastern Guinea. [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. Mansa Musa was a devout Muslim. The Keitas retreated to the town of Kangaba, where they became provincial chiefs. 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. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. The Gbara or Great Assembly would serve as the Mandinka deliberative body until the collapse of the empire in 1645. [76] After unifying Manden, he added the Wangara goldfields, making them the southern border. By the end of Mansa Musa's reign, the Sankor University had been converted into a fully staffed university with the largest collections of books in Africa since the Library of Alexandria. [102] The text of Ibn Khaldun says "Gao, at this time is devastated". Ibn Battuta observed the employment of servants in both towns. Bukar professed his support, but believing Mahmud's situation to be hopeless, secretly went over to the Moroccans. Urban Dictionary: mansa musa 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 . [22] Oral tradition, as performed by the jeliw (sg. Khalifa would shoot arrows at his subjects, so he was overthrown and killed. Running a website with millions of readers every month is expensive. [29] Al-Umari, who visited Cairo shortly after Musa's pilgrimage to Mecca, noted that it was "a lavish display of power, wealth, and unprecedented by its size and pageantry". Mansa Musa - Wikipedia During Musa's 25-year-rule the Mali Empire more than tripled in size and had significant influence in several modern day countries including Mauritania, Senegal, Nigeria, Burkino Faso and Chad. [137], Copper was also a valued commodity in imperial Mali. The third great account is that of Ibn Khaldun, who wrote in the early 15th century. [e] After the loss of the first expedition, Muhammad led the second expedition himself. In 1203, the Sosso king Soumaoro of the Kant clan came to power and reportedly terrorised much of Manden stealing women and goods from both Dodougou and Kri. 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. 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. [70] The mansa lost control of Jalo during this period. Scholars have located the capital in Niani, or somewhere on the Niger, or proposed that it changed several times, that there was no true capital, or even that it lay as far afield as the upper Gambia River in modern-day Senegal. Mansa Musa was the great nephew of Sundiata Keita, who was founder . Musa gave the gold to the poor he met along his route. [98] Musa's hajj, and especially his gold, caught the attention of both the Islamic and Christian worlds. The buildings were constructed from slabs of salt and roofed with camel skins. [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. Musa embarked on a large building program, raising mosques and madrasas in Timbuktu and Gao. [54] Despite this initial awkwardness, the two rulers got along well, and exchanged gifts. It is implausible that Abu Bakr was Musa's father, due to the amount of time between Sunjata's reign and Musa's. Musa's name Kanku Musa means "Musa son of Kanku", but the genealogy may not be literal. [70] These men had to be of the horon (freemen) caste and appear with their own arms. 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. Al-Umari reported that Mali had fourteen provinces. Every year merchants entered Mali via Oualata with camel loads of salt to sell in Niani. [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. 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). In the 17th year of his reign (1324), he set out on his famous pilgrimage to Mecca. Konkodougou Kamissa Keita, named for the province he once governed,[70] was crowned as Mansa Mari Djata Keita II in 1360. Medieval Map Points to World's Richest Man, Maybe Ever The current King, Salman bin Abdulaziz, is the 25th son of King Abdulaziz and has continued to maintain the . During this period only the Mongol Empire was larger. During most of his journey, Ibn Battuta travelled with a retinue that included servants, most of whom carried goods for trade. After the publication of this atlas, Mansa Musa became cemented in the global imagination as a figure of stupendous wealth.After his return from Mecca, Mansa Musa began to revitalize cities in his kingdom. At both Gao and Timbuktu, a Songhai city almost rivalling Gao in importance, Mansa Ms commissioned Ab Isq al-Sil, a Granada poet and architect who had travelled with him from Mecca, to build mosques. While the accounts are of limited length, they provide a fairly good picture of the empire at its height. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. More than sixty years after the reign of Sundiata Keita, one of his descendants rose to become the King of Mali. The new Songhai Empire conquered Mema,[93] one of Mali's oldest possessions, in 1465. In Ibn Khaldun's account, Sundjata is recorded as Mari Djata with "Mari" meaning "Amir" or "Prince". [70][141] With the help of the river clans, this army could be deployed throughout the realm on short notice. [73], Prince Sundjata was prophesied to become a great conqueror. 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. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. [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. Mansa Musa Family Tree | Empire of Mali. Longman, 1995. jeli), also known as griots, includes relatively little information about Musa compared to some other parts of the history of Mali. However, his riches are only one part of his legacy, and he is also remembered for his Islamic faith, promotion of scholarship, and patronage of culture in Mali. Musa and his entourage gave and spent freely while in Cairo. Upon his return in 1324, Ms Is pious pilgrimage inspired him to commission two enormous mosques in Timbuktu and Gao. At its peak, Mali was the largest empire in West Africa, widely . There was also a palace conspiracy to overthrow him hatched by the Qasa (the Manding term meaning Queen) Kassi and several army commanders. 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. The other major source of information comes from Mandinka oral tradition, as recorded by storytellers known as griots.[5]. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. UsefulCharts, . The Historic Hajj of Mansa Musa, King of Mali | About Islam Also, Sundiata divided the lands amongst the people assuring everyone had a place in the empire and fixed exchange rates for common products[127].
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