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[39], The identity of the capital city of the Mali Empire is a matter of dispute among historians. His descendants migrated to the land of Mali and established the Mandinka clan of Keita. Mansa Musa was an important ruler of the golden age of the Malink kingdom, based on the upper Niger River in Mali, West Africa. Mansa Musa ruled the Malian empire from 1312-1337 CE. [59] Those not living in the mountains formed small city-states such as Toron, Ka-Ba and Niani. After a mere nine months of rule, Mansa Camba Keita was deposed by one of Maghan Keita I's three sons. Mansa Musa (died 1337), king of the Mali empire in West Africa, is known mostly for his fabulous pilgrimage to Mecca and for his promotion of unity and prosperity within Mali. The northern commercial towns of Oualata and Audaghost were also conquered and became part of the new state's northern border. Ibn Battuta comments on festival demonstrations of swordplay before the mansa by his retainers including the royal interpreter. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. [78] There was evidently a power struggle of some kind involving the gbara or great council and donson ton or hunter guilds. It was this pilgrimage that awakened the world to the stupendous wealth of Mali. Mali's Timbuktu was known for its schools and libraries. Another testimony from Ibn Khaldun describes the grand pilgrimage of Mansa Musa consisting of 12,000 slaves: "He made a pilgrimage in 724/1324 []. As founded by Mari Djata, it was composed of the "three freely allied states" of Mali, Mema and Wagadou plus the Twelve Doors of Mali.[60]. Still, throne names do not usually indicate blood relations. Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society. Bukar professed his support, but believing Mahmud's situation to be hopeless, secretly went over to the Moroccans. [130] Farbas were picked by the mansa from the conquering farin or family members. [28] The Tarikh al-fattash claims that Musa accidentally killed Kanku at some point prior to his hajj. [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]. Timbuktu was a place of trade, entertainment, and education. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. [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. [128] Nevertheless, the mansa managed to keep tax money and nominal control over the area without agitating his subjects into revolt. There are a few references to Mali in early Islamic literature. [8] Mansa, 'ruler'[9] or 'king'[10] in Mand, was the title of the ruler of the Mali Empire. Combined in the rapidly spoken language of the Mandinka, the names formed Sondjata, Sundjata or Sundiata Keita. Musa's reign is often regarded as the zenith of Mali's power and prestige. Afterward, he put himself and his kingdom, West Africa's Mali, on the map, literally. [40] Ibn Battuta and Leo Africanus both call the capital "Mali. That same year, after the Mandinka general known as Sagmandir put down yet another rebellion in Gao,[93] Mansa Musa came to Gao and accepted the capitulation of the King of Ghana and his nobles. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. [14], Medieval sources are divided over whether Mali is the name of a town or a region. [90] CelebrityNetWorth has been criticized for the unreliability of its estimates. [99] Mosques were built in Gao and Timbuktu along with impressive palaces also built in Timbuktu. Thank you for your help! However, many believe Mansa Musa's wealth outdoes that of all modern billionaires. The University of Sankore in Timbuktu was restaffed under Musa's reign with jurists, astronomers, and mathematicians. [40], Musa was a young man when he became mansa, possibly in his early twenties. The army of the Mali Empire used of a wide variety of weapons depending largely on where the troops originated. [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. At the height of its power, Mali had at least 400 cities, and the interior of the Niger Delta was very densely populated. It was "an admirable Monument", surmounted by a dome and adorned with arabesques of striking colours. There is some ambiguity over the identity of the mansa responsible for the voyages. Updates? One of these was Dioma, an area south of Niani populated by Fula Wassoulounk. Masuta the Descended is a miniboss in The Shadow Reef. by Spanish cartographers, shows West Africa dominated by a depiction of Mansa Musa sitting on a throne, holding a nugget of gold in one hand and a golden staff in the other. Al-Umari reported that Mali had fourteen provinces. so the name Kanku Musa means "Musa, son of Kanku", although it is unclear if the genealogy implied is literal. 1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society. In the 17th year of his reign (1324), he set out on his famous pilgrimage to Mecca. 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. "[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 latter told Ibn Khaldun about devastating struggle over Gao between Mali imperial forces against Berber Tuareg forces from Takedda. Around 1610, Mahmud Keita IV died. [133], There was no standard currency throughout the realm, but several forms were prominent by region. If Dakajalan was, in fact, situated near Kangaba, this may also have contributed to their conflation, beginning with Delafosse's speculation that the latter may have begun as a suburb of the former. Ibn Khaldun in Levtzion and Hopkins, eds. They tell of his hardships as a boy before he came to the throne. 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. [citation needed] The northern region on the other hand had no shortage of salt. This is the least known period in Mali's imperial history. His information about the empire came from visiting Malians taking the hajj, or pilgrim's voyage to Mecca. 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. 4. Longman, 1995. Musa not only gave to the cities he passed on the way to Mecca, including Cairo and Medina, but also traded gold for souvenirs. But more reasoned analysis suggests that his role, if any, was quite limited. Musa is reported to have reigned for 25 years, and different lines of evidence suggest he died either. In their own country they use only slave women and men for transport, but for long journeys such as pilgrimages they have mounts. [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. Musa made his pilgrimage between 1324 and 1325 spanning 2,700 miles. His name was Mansa Musa, and he was a devout Muslim. Mahmud Keita, possibly a grandchild or great-grandchild of Mansa Gao Keita, was crowned Mansa Maghan Keita III in 1390. [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. [19], Much of what is known about Musa comes from Arabic sources written after his hajj, especially the writings of Al-Umari and Ibn Khaldun. Ms Is pilgrimage caravan to Mecca in 1324 comprised some 60,000 people and an immeasurable amount of gold. [26] Sariq Jata may be another name for Sunjata, who was actually Musa's great-uncle. The Catalan Atlas, created in 1375 C.E. 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. His elaborate pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca in 1324 introduced him to rulers in the Middle East and in Europe. 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. This enabled him to rule over a realm larger than even the Ghana Empire in its apex. [d], Musa's father was named Faga Leye[12] and his mother may have been named Kanku. Omissions? [70] These men had to be of the horon (freemen) caste and appear with their own arms. [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. 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. Ms I is widely considered the wealthiest man in history. 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. When he did finally bow, he said he was doing so for God alone. World History Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. Mansa Musa Keita was succeeded by his son, Maghan Keita I, in 1337. 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. When Musa departed Mali for the hajj, he left his son Muhammad to rule in his absence. It was during Suleyman's 19-year reign that Ibn Battuta visited Mali. Historians who lived during the height and decline of the Mali Empire consistently record its standing army peaking at 100,000, with 10,000 of that number being made up of cavalry. [120], The old core of the empire was divided into three spheres of influence. [54] Despite this initial awkwardness, the two rulers got along well, and exchanged gifts. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. These conflicts also interrupted trade. [93] Mansa Maghan Keita I spent wastefully and was the first lacklustre emperor since Khalifa Keita. Please check the original source(s) for copyright information. [42] Another source of income for Mali during Musa's reign was taxation of the copper trade. What did Ms I do when he returned to Mali? The bow figured prominently in Mandinka warfare and was a symbol of military force throughout the culture. [11][12] The version recorded by medieval Arab geographers is Mali (Arabic: , romanized:Ml). The Rock art in the Sahara suggests that northern Mali has been inhabited since 10,000 BC, when the Sahara was fertile and rich in wildlife. He sought closer ties with the rest of the Muslim world, particularly the Mamluk and Marinid Sultanates. A very large number of families that make up the Mandinka community were born in Manding. [60] In return for their submission, they became "farbas", a combination of the Mandinka words "farin" and "ba" (great farin). Regardless of their title in the province, they were recognised as dyamani-tigui (province-master) by the mansa. The value of the salt was chiefly determined by the transport costs. Mansa Musa's personal name was Musa (Arabic: , romanized:Ms), the Arabic form of Moses. [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. harvnb error: no target: CITEREFKi-ZerboNiane (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFLevztionHopkins2000 (. 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. [45] Those animals included 80 camels which each carried 23136kg (50300lb) of gold dust. Mansa Musa was a smart, powerful, competent Islamic autocrat who ruled over and expanded the Malian empire. Embedded by Arienne King, published on 17 October 2020. The second account is that of the traveller Ibn Battuta, who visited Mali in 1352. 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. Muhummed's three wivesMarva Barfield, Laura Cowan, and Adrienne Easterwere also sexually assaulted, beaten, and imprisoned; Barfield participated in the children's abuse at Muhummed's instruction, and Cowan has also been accused of participating in the abuse. Stride, G. T., & C. Ifeka: "Peoples and Empires of West Africa: West Africa in History 10001800". 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. Contemporary sources claim 60 copper bars traded for 100 dinars of gold. The Mali Empire expanded through conquest or annexation. Gold dust had been weighed and bagged for use at least since the time of the Ghana Empire. [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]. 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. Dates: 4001591 C. E.", "Is Mansa Musa the richest man who ever lived? The Twelve Doors of Mali were a coalition of conquered or allied territories, mostly within Manden, with sworn allegiance to Sundiata and his descendants. World History Encyclopedia. Mansa Musa was the great-great-grandson of Sunjata, who was the founder of the empire of Mali. Mansa Mahmud Keita II came to the throne in 1481 during Mali's downward spiral. Alternate titles: Kankan Ms, Mansa Musa, Mousa, Musa. [81] He was replaced by Abu Bakr, a son of Sunjata's daughter. At the age of 18, he gained authority over all the 12 kingdoms in an alliance that would become the Mali Empire. Despite this disunity in the realm, the realm remained under Mandinka control into the mid-17th century. Niane, D. T.: "Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali". Running a website with millions of readers every month is expensive. [88], Mansa Musa is renowned for his wealth and generosity. Mansa Musa eventually gained the throne owing to a strange sequence of events that turned in his favor. UsefulCharts, . Mali flourished especially when Timbuktu came under Mansa Musa's control. [119], It would be the Mandinka themselves that would cause the final destruction of the empire. 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. For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. Mansa Abu Bakr II had departed on a large fleet of ships to explore the Atlantic Ocean, and never returned.Mansa Musa inherited a kingdom that was already wealthy, but his work in expanding trade made Mali the wealthiest kingdom in Africa. Mansa Musa's pilgrimage to Mecca happened between 1324 and 1325. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. [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. 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 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. The conquest of Sosso in c. 1235 gave the Mali Empire access to the trans-Saharan trade routes. Sakura was able to stabilize the political situation in Mali. The other account claims that Gao had been conquered during the reign of Mansa Sakura. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. [8] Suleyman's death marked the end of Mali's Golden Age and the beginning of a slow decline. Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton. 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. World History Encyclopedia. It wasn't long before the new kingdom of Great Fulo was warring against Mali's remaining provinces. He was deposed in 1389, marking the end of the Faga Laye Keita mansas. [93] Sandaki Keita should not however be taken to be this person's name but a title. ", "Recherches sur l'Empire du Mali au Moyen Age", "Towards a New Study of the So-Called Trkh al-fattsh", World History Encyclopedia Mansa Musa I, History Channel: Mansa Moussa: Pilgrimage of Gold, Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange across Medieval Saharan Africa, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mansa_Musa&oldid=1142573327, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Mansa Musa was portrayed in two games in the, Mansa Musa was portrayed in the episode ", This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 05:05. 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. Every year merchants entered Mali via Oualata with camel loads of salt to sell in Niani. Also, Sundiata divided the lands amongst the people assuring everyone had a place in the empire and fixed exchange rates for common products[127]. [123] Segou, defended by Bitn Coulibaly, successfully defended itself and Mama Maghan was forced to withdraw.