1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society. [42] Another source of income for Mali during Musa's reign was taxation of the copper trade. [83] This term was used interchangeably with dinar, though it is unclear if coined currency was used in the empire. The date of Mansa Musa's death is not certain. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. [56], In the 1960s, archaeological work at Niani village, reputed to be the capital of the Mali Empire, by Polish and Guinean archaeologists revealed the remains of a substantial town dating back as far as the 6th 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. Mali's wealth in gold did not primarily come from direct rule of gold-producing regions, but rather from tribute and trade with the regions where gold was found. He became emperor in 1307. Malink, also known as Mande, Mali, or Melle, was founded around 1200 CE, and under Mansa Musa's reign . [75] This victory resulted in the fall of the Kaniaga kingdom and the rise of the Mali Empire. Ibn Khaldun claims Musa reigned for 25 years, so his accession is dated to 25 years before his death. . In that year he succeeded his father, Abu Bakr II, to the throne and thus gained the hereditary title of mansa. [78] Nehemia Levtzion regarded 1337 as the most likely date,[72] which has been accepted by other scholars. 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 mansa could also replace a farba if he got out of control, as in the case of Diafunu. It was this pilgrimage that awakened the world to the stupendous wealth of Mali. The Manding languages were spoken in the empire. [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]. This can be interpreted as either "Musa son of Abu Bakr" or "Musa descendant of Abu Bakr." [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. 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. The World History Encyclopedia logo is a registered trademark. Although this time in the kingdom was prosperous, Mali's wealth and power soon declined. The Manding languages were spoken in the empire. [93] Mansa Souleyman's generals successfully fought off the military incursions, and the senior wife Kassi behind the plot was imprisoned. [128] Nevertheless, the mansa managed to keep tax money and nominal control over the area without agitating his subjects into revolt. Robert Smith, "The Canoe in West African History", harvnb error: no target: CITEREFBourgeois1987 (, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Kitab al-Masalik wa al-Mamalik (Book of Highways and Kingdoms) Ab Ubayd Al-Bakri, "The Empire of Mali, In Our Time BBC Radio 4", "Tracing History in Dia, in the Inland Niger Delta of Mali -Archaeology, Oral Traditions and Written Sources". 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. UsefulCharts, . [69] The Kangaba province, free of Sonink influence, splintered into twelve kingdoms with their own maghan (meaning prince) or faama. UsefulCharts, . It was cut into pieces and spent on goods with close to equal buying power throughout the empire. [140], The Mali Empire maintained a semi-professional, full-time army in order to defend its borders. 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. Mansa Musa, also known as Musa Keita I of Mali, was the tenth Sultan of the Mali Empire. With a global population of some 11 million, the Mandinka are the best-known ethnic group of the Mande peoples, all of whom speak different dialects of the Mande language. He has sometimes been called the wealthiest person in history. Masuta performs many of the same attacks as his original incarnation (though he yells a quote prior to using his abilities), but does not summon thrashing waters or create . Answer (1 of 3): The same thing that happened to anybody else's wealth in history: it was spent, looted, donated, or otherwise distributed. Around 1550, Mali attacked Bighu in an effort to regain access to its gold. [36][37][38], According to the Tarikh al-Fattash, Musa had a wife named Inari Konte. It is unknown from whom he descended; however, another emperor, Mansa Maghan Keita III, is sometimes cited as Mansa Mahmud Keita I. 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. 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 . Research/Artwork: From Nothing Team. [15] Leo Africanus said that the capital city was called Melli. [137], Copper was also a valued commodity in imperial Mali. During this period only the Mongol Empire was larger. "[65], It is recorded that Mansa Musa traveled through the cities of Timbuktu and Gao on his way to Mecca, and made them a part of his empire when he returned around 1325. Sundjata is credited with at least the initial organisation of the Manding military. Trade was a significant factor to the rise and success of Mali. [110] Meanwhile, Songhai seized the salt mines of Taghazza in 1493. We care about our planet! [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. This process was essential to keep non-Manding subjects loyal to the Manding elites that ruled them. 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]. By the beginning of the 14th century, Mali was the source of almost half the Old World's gold exported from mines in Bambuk, Boure and Galam. [12][h] Ibn Battuta, who visited Mali during the reign of Musa's brother Sulayman, said that Musa's grandfather was named Sariq Jata. We would much rather spend this money on producing more free history content for the world. Mansa Mahmud Keita II received the Portuguese envoys Pro d'vora and Gonalo Enes in 1487. [39], The identity of the capital city of the Mali Empire is a matter of dispute among historians. After the victory, King Soumaoro disappeared, and the Mandinka stormed the last of the Sosso cities. 24 June, 2022. He made a pilgrimage to Mecca during the reign of Mamluk Sultan An-Nasir Muhammad (r. 12981308), but died on his voyage home. He was an extremely successful military leader Also, Sundiata divided the lands amongst the people assuring everyone had a place in the empire and fixed exchange rates for common products[127]. [90] CelebrityNetWorth has been criticized for the unreliability of its estimates. Stories of his fabulous wealth even reached Europe. [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. Mansa Musa Keita's crowning achievement was his famous pilgrimage to Mecca, which started in 1324 and concluded with his return in 1326. Al-Qalqashandi quotes al-'Umari as spelling it. It wasn't long before the new kingdom of Great Fulo was warring against Mali's remaining provinces. 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. It was "an admirable Monument", surmounted by a dome and adorned with arabesques of striking colours. [93] He did not, however, hold the power of previous mansas because of the influence of his kankoro-sigui. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. These farbas would rule their old kingdoms in the name of the mansa with most of the authority they held prior to joining the empire. [93] Only at the state or province level was there any palpable interference from the central authority in Niani. Sakura was able to stabilize the political situation in Mali. Biti, Buti, Yiti, Tati). However, it went through radical changes before reaching the legendary proportions proclaimed by its subjects. 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. 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. [70] Two noble brothers from Niani, of unknown lineage, went to Dioma with an army and drove out the Fula Wassoulounk. 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. [60] In return for their submission, they became "farbas", a combination of the Mandinka words "farin" and "ba" (great farin). Mansa Mahmud Keita II came to the throne in 1481 during Mali's downward spiral. Ibn Khaldun in Levtzion and Hopkins, eds. [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. His reign saw the first in a string of many great losses to Mali. The Mandinka went on to form the powerful and rich Mali Empire, which produced the richest Black man who ever lived, King Mansa Musa. He built mosques and large public buildings in cities like Gao and, most famously, Timbuktu. Then, in 1630, the Bamana of Djenn declared their version of holy war on all Muslim powers in present-day Mali. Most West African canoes were of single-log construction, carved and dug out from one massive tree trunk.[144]. 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. 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. The Gao mosque was built of burnt bricks, which had not, until then, been used as a material for building in West Africa. They also used flaming arrows for siege warfare. Bukar professed his support, but believing Mahmud's situation to be hopeless, secretly went over to the Moroccans. "[42], Early European writers such as Maurice Delafosse believed that Niani, a city on what is now the border between Guinea and Mali, was the capital for most of the empire's history, and this notion has taken hold in the popular imagination. 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. What made this possible was the decentralised nature of administration throughout the state. [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. After the loyalty or at least the capitulation of an area was assured, it was allowed to select its own dyamani-tigui. CREDITS: Chart/Narration: Matt Baker. The buildings were constructed from slabs of salt and roofed with camel skins. 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]. His elaborate pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca in 1324 introduced him to rulers in the Middle East and in Europe. In oral tradition and the Timbuktu Chronicles, Musa is known as Kanku Musa. Mansa Musa's reign itself was 25 years long. 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. [10], Mali, Mand, Manden, and Manding are all various pronunciations of the same word across different languages and dialects. Geography, Human Geography, Social Studies, Ancient Civilizations, World History. [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. Mansa Musa even built the Great Mosque of Djenn, one of the most famous mosques in Mali, to recognize his pilgrimage. Side by side with the encouragement of trade and commerce, learning and the arts received royal patronage. to 1337 C.E. 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. Mansa Musa's personal name was Musa (Arabic: , romanized:Ms), the Arabic form of Moses. When Mansa Musa was giving gold away, he was following 2 . Mansa Musa was the great-great-grandson of Sunjata, who was the founder of the empire of Mali. Musa and his entourage gave and spent freely while in Cairo. 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). Like the Great Mosque, a contemporaneous and grandiose structure in Timbuktu, the Hall was built of cut stone. [78] There was evidently a power struggle of some kind involving the gbara or great council and donson ton or hunter guilds. Kankoro-sigui Mari Djata, who had no relation to the Keita clan, essentially ran the empire in Musa Keita II's stead. [123] Segou, defended by Bitn Coulibaly, successfully defended itself and Mama Maghan was forced to withdraw.
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