[116] Songhai authority over Bendugu and Kala declined by 1571, and Mali may have been able to reassert some authority over them. [60] She was a hunchback from the land of Do, south of Mali. [81] He was replaced by Abu Bakr, a son of Sunjata's daughter. [27] The date of Musa's birth is unknown, but he still appeared to be a young man in 1324. [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. The only real requirement was that the mansa knew he could trust this individual to safeguard imperial interests. Arabic sources omit Faga Leye, referring to Musa as Musa ibn Abi Bakr. The post of a farba was very prestigious, and his descendants could inherit it with the mansa's approval. [3] During the 11th and 12th centuries, an empire began to develop following the decline of the Ghana Empire, or Wagadu, to the north. 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). [78] Nehemia Levtzion regarded 1337 as the most likely date,[72] which has been accepted by other scholars. Mansa Musa, one of the wealthiest people who ever lived - Jessica Smith TED-Ed 7.1M views 7 years ago The history of Nigeria explained in 6 minutes (3,000 Years of Nigerian history) Epimetheus. [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. [145] Another common weapon of Mandekalu warriors was the poison javelin used in skirmishes. Al-Umari, who wrote down a description of Mali based on information given to him by Abu Said 'Otman ed Dukkali (who had lived 35 years in the capital), reported the realm as being square and an eight-month journey from its coast at Tura (at the mouth of the Senegal River) to Muli. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. Mansa Fadima Musa Keita, or Mansa Musa Keita II, began the process of reversing his brother's excesses. His descendants migrated to the land of Mali and established the Mandinka clan of Keita. [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. [147][148], The Sudano-Sahelian influence was particularly widely incorporated during the rule of Mansa Musa I, who constructed many architectural projects, including the Great Mosque of Gao and Royal Palace in Timbuktu, which was built with the assistance of Ishaak al-Tuedjin, an architect brought by Musa from his pilgrimage to Mecca. His skillful administration left his empire well-off at the time of his death, but eventually, the empire fell apart.
The Story Of Mansa Musa, The Real 'Black Panther' - VIBE.com The oldest brother, Srbandjougou Keita, was crowned Mansa Foamed or Mansa Musa Keita III. From the Mamma Haidara Commemorative Library, Timbuktu. [40] Ibn Battuta and Leo Africanus both call the capital "Mali. The history of the Mandinka started in Manding region. Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton. Mansa Musa's pilgrimage to Mecca happened between 1324 and 1325. [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.
Musa I of Mali | Biography, Wealth, Slaves, Pilgrimage, & Facts 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. . 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. [14], Medieval sources are divided over whether Mali is the name of a town or a region. Musa is known for his wealth and generosity. [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. The voyage is often incorrectly attributed to a Mansa Abu Bakr II, but no such mansa ever reigned. A manuscript page from Timbuktu showing a table of astronomical information. The Catalan Atlas, created in 1375 C.E. A very large number of families that make up the Mandinka community were born in Manding. 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. [98] Musa's hajj, and especially his gold, caught the attention of both the Islamic and Christian worlds. At its peak, Mali was the largest empire in West Africa, widely . [48], Parallel to this debate, many scholars have argued that the Mali Empire may not have had a permanent "capital" in the sense that the word is used today, and historically was used in the Mediterranean world.
Mali Empire - Wikipedia [114] However, the Songhai do not maintain their hold on the Malian capital. 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].
Does Mansa Musa have any living descendants? - Quora [26][17] Ibn Khaldun said that he "was an upright man and a great king, and tales of his justice are still told."[101]. It then seized Timbuktu from the Tuareg in 1468 under Sunni Ali Ber. Ibn Battuta observed the employment of servants in both towns. It wasn't long before the new kingdom of Great Fulo was warring against Mali's remaining provinces. The identification of Niani as imperial capital is rooted in an (possibly erroneous) interpretation of the Arab traveler al Umari's work, as well as some oral histories.
Medieval Map Points to World's Richest Man, Maybe Ever [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. While on the hajj, he met the Andalusian poet and architect es-Saheli. Musa and his entourage arrived at the outskirts of Cairo in July 1324. [22] Oral tradition, as performed by the jeliw (sg. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The empire taxed every ounce of gold, copper and salt that entered its borders. In their own country they use only slave women and men for transport, but for long journeys such as pilgrimages they have mounts. Imperial Malian architecture was characterised by Sudano-Sahelian architecture with a Malian substyle, which is exemplified by the Great Mosque of Djenne. Musa's name Kanku Musa means "Musa son of Kanku", but the genealogy may not be literal. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. [62] According to one account given by Ibn Khaldun, Musa's general Saghmanja conquered Gao. In 1542, the Songhai invaded the capital city but were unsuccessful in conquering the empire. Mansa Musa is potentially the richest person to ever live; as ruler of Mali from 1312 to 1337, he came into power after his brother, King Abu Bakr the Second, vanished on an oceanic voyage. [93] Dyamani-tiguis had to be approved by the mansa and were subject to his oversight. The empire began as a small Mandinka kingdom at the upper reaches of the Niger River, centered around the Manding region. Niane, D. T.: "Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali". It is implausible that Abu Bakr was Musa's father, due to the amount of time between Sunjata's reign and Musa's. Sundiata Keita was a warrior-prince of the Keita dynasty who was called upon to free the local people from the rule of the king of the Sosso Empire, Soumaoro Kant. Who would native Malians have considered their greatest ruler? [20] Additional information comes from two 17th-century manuscripts written in Timbuktu, the Tarikh Ibn al-Mukhtar[c] and the Tarikh al-Sudan. [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. Ibn Battuta comments on festival demonstrations of swordplay before the mansa by his retainers including the royal interpreter. [95] When he passed through Cairo, historian al-Maqrizi noted "the members of his entourage proceeded to buy Turkish and Ethiopian slave girls, singing girls and garments, so that the rate of the gold dinar fell by six dirhams.". Trade was a significant factor to the rise and success of Mali. [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. As soon as Sassouma's son Dankaran Touman took the throne, he and his mother forced the increasingly popular Sundjata into exile along with his mother and two sisters. 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 Souleyman's generals successfully fought off the military incursions, and the senior wife Kassi behind the plot was imprisoned. [119], It would be the Mandinka themselves that would cause the final destruction of the empire. He is believed to be one of the richest individuals to have walked on this planet. Wagadou's control over Manden came to a halt after internal instability lead to its decline. 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. [46] [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. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Sundiata Keita is the first ruler for which there is accurate written information (through Ibn Khaldun). Mansa Mari Djata Keita II became seriously ill in 1372,[93] and power moved into the hands of his ministers until his death in 1374. In the event of conquest, farins took control of the area until a suitable native ruler could be found. Jansen, Jan: "The Younger Brother and the Stranger. [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. the descendants of the nearly 1,000-year-old objects made in Africa. From 1389 onwards Mali gained a host of mansas of obscure origins. [108] Alvise Cadamosto, a Venetian explorer, recorded that the Mali Empire was the most powerful entity on the coast in 1454. After the loyalty or at least the capitulation of an area was assured, it was allowed to select its own dyamani-tigui. [132], The Mali Empire flourished because of its trade above all else.
Mansa Musa's Pilgrimage to Mecca - Amazing Bible Timeline 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. Between 1324 - 1325, Mansa Musa . Mansa Musa, also known as Musa Keita I of Mali, was the tenth Sultan of the Mali Empire. 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. "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. The Mali Empire consisted of land that is now part of Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, The Gambia, and the modern state of Mali. [115] The breakup of the Wolof Empire allowed Mali to reassert authority over some of its former subjects on the north bank of the Gambia, such as Wuli, by 1576. [76] After unifying Manden, he added the Wangara goldfields, making them the southern border. In 1307, Mansa Musa came to the throne after a series of civil wars and ruled for thirty years. Ibn Khaldun claims Musa reigned for 25 years, so his accession is dated to 25 years before his death. What made this possible was the decentralised nature of administration throughout the state.
Mansa Musa: The Financial Recklessness of the Richest Man in History [93], In 1477, the Yatenga emperor Nassr made yet another Mossi raid into Macina, this time conquering it and the old province of BaGhana (Wagadou).[109]. Timbuktu became a major Islamic university center during the 14th century due to Mansa Musas developments. Thank you for your help! This led to inflation throughout the kingdom. [135] Gold nuggets were the exclusive property of the mansa and were illegal to trade within his borders. [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].
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 . His name was Mansa Musa, and he was a devout Muslim. 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. [15], Musa ascended to power in the early 1300s[i] under unclear circumstances. 6. [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. It was during Suleyman's 19-year reign that Ibn Battuta visited Mali. 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,. 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 by UsefulCharts. 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? Please check the original source(s) for copyright information. [15] Leo Africanus said that the capital city was called Melli. While in Mecca, conflict broke out between a group of Malian pilgrims and a group of Turkic pilgrims in the Masjid al-Haram. Upon stabbing their spears into the ground before Sundiata's throne, each of the twelve kings relinquished their kingdom to the Keita dynasty.
What happened to Mansa Musa I wealth? - Quora [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. Mansa Souleyman Keita (or Suleiman) took steep measures to put Mali back into financial shape, thereby developing a reputation for miserliness. 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). Accounts of how many people and how much gold he spent vary. She or he will best know the preferred format. The Mali Empire covered a larger area for a longer period of time than any other West African state before or since. While the accounts are of limited length, they provide a fairly good picture of the empire at its height. Mansa Musa's reign itself was 25 years long. [129] The county level administrators called kafo-tigui (county-master) were appointed by the governor of the province from within his own circle. Rather, authority would rest with the mansa and his court, wherever he went. He describes it as being north of Mali but under its domination implying some sort of vassalage for the Antasar, Yantar'ras, Medussa and Lemtuna Berber tribes. He was crowned under the throne name Sunidata Keita becoming the first Mandinka emperor. [8] Mansa, 'ruler'[9] or 'king'[10] in Mand, was the title of the ruler of the Mali Empire. [93] Mansa Maghan Keita I spent wastefully and was the first lacklustre emperor since Khalifa Keita. [102], The Songhai settlement effectively shook off Mali's authority in 1375. Three bowmen supporting one spearman was the ratio in Kaabu and the Gambia by the mid-16th 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. [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". Stride, G. T., & C. Ifeka: "Peoples and Empires of West Africa: West Africa in History 10001800". Sundjata is credited with at least the initial organisation of the Manding military. It may have been located close to modern Kangaba. [104] He would only reign a year before a descendant of Mansa Gao Keita removed him.[70]. 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. Cairo and Mecca received this royal personage, whose glittering procession, in the superlatives employed by Arab chroniclers, almost put Africas sun to shame. [133], There was no standard currency throughout the realm, but several forms were prominent by region. During this period only the Mongol Empire was larger. [128] Nevertheless, the mansa managed to keep tax money and nominal control over the area without agitating his subjects into revolt. The farba could also take power away from the native administration if required and raise an army in the area for defence or putting down rebellions.[130]. Sakura was able to stabilize the political situation in 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. He made a famous pilgrimage to Mecca from 1324 to 1326. 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. The child of this marriage received the first name of his mother (Sogolon) and the surname of his father (Djata).
Sundiata Keita - National Geographic Society During the height of Sundiata's power, the land of Manden (the area populated by the Mandinka people) became one of its provinces. Running a website with millions of readers every month is expensive. Mansa Mahmud Keita II received the Portuguese envoys Pro d'vora and Gonalo Enes in 1487. [130] Farbas were picked by the mansa from the conquering farin or family members. [120] Each ruler used the title of mansa, but their authority only extended as far as their own sphere of influence. [124] Following this disastrous set of events, Mansa Mama Maghan abandoned the capital of Niani. Ibn Battuta, who visited the capital city from 1352 to 1353, called it Mali. Mansa Musa was the great-great-grandson of Sunjata, who was the founder of the empire of Mali. [131] Mansa Musa placed a heavy tax on all objects that went through Timbuktu. The emperor himself rode on horseback and was directly preceded by 500 enslaved persons, each carrying a gold-adorned staff. [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. This can be interpreted as either "Musa son of Abu Bakr" or "Musa descendant of Abu Bakr." World History Encyclopedia, 17 Oct 2020. It had a well-organised army with an elite corps of horsemen and many foot soldiers in each battalion. [e] After the loss of the first expedition, Muhammad led the second expedition himself. 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. This trend would continue into colonial times against Tukulor enemies from the west.[121]. [25] The empire also reached its highest population during the Laye period ruling over 400 cities,[26] towns and villages of various religions and elasticities.
Atlantic voyage of the predecessor of Mansa Musa - Wikipedia In oral tradition and the Timbuktu Chronicles, Musa is known as Kanku Musa. [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. [70] Two noble brothers from Niani, of unknown lineage, went to Dioma with an army and drove out the Fula Wassoulounk. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. 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. [23] Numbered individuals reigned as mansa; the numbers indicate the order in which they reigned. Answer (1 of 3): The same thing that happened to anybody else's wealth in history: it was spent, looted, donated, or otherwise distributed. You cannot download interactives. This process was essential to keep non-Manding subjects loyal to the Manding elites that ruled them.