[105][106] Three years later, Oualata also fell into their hands. He attempted to make Islam the faith of the nobility,[93] but kept to the imperial tradition of not forcing it on the populace. Ibn Khaldun in Levtzion and Hopkins, eds. Corrections? [124] Following this disastrous set of events, Mansa Mama Maghan abandoned the capital of Niani. Sundiata Keita - National Geographic Society [42] Another source of income for Mali during Musa's reign was taxation of the copper trade. Musa is reported to have reigned for 25 years, and different lines of evidence suggest he died either. Kankan Musa, better known as Mansa Musa probably took power in approximately 1312, although an earlier date is possible. Mansa Musa Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life & Achievements The other major source of information comes from Mandinka oral tradition, as recorded by storytellers known as griots.[5]. Sandaki likely means High Counsellor or Supreme Counsellor, from san or sanon (meaning "high") and adegue (meaning counsellor). In the 17th year of his reign (1324), he set out on his famous pilgrimage to Mecca. Upon stabbing their spears into the ground before Sundiata's throne, each of the twelve kings relinquished their kingdom to the Keita dynasty. His riches came from mining significant salt and gold deposits in the Mali kingdom. The empire began as a small Mandinka kingdom at the upper reaches of the Niger River, centered around the Manding region. "[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 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. In addition, Mansa Ms had a baggage train of 80 camels, each carrying 300 pounds of gold. Musa was a very successful military leader. [e] After the loss of the first expedition, Muhammad led the second expedition himself. [59], On his return journey, Musa met the Andalusian poet Abu Ishaq al-Sahili, whose eloquence and knowledge of jurisprudence impressed him, and whom he convinced to travel with him to Mali. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. King Mansa Musa is famous for his Hajj journey, during which he stopped off in Egypt and gave out so much gold that the Egyptian economy was ruined for years to come. Despite the faama of Niani's wishes to respect the prophecy and put Sundiata on the throne, the son from his first wife Sassouma Brt was crowned instead. [93] Musa may have brought as much as 18 tons of gold on his hajj,[94] equal in value to over US$957million in 2022. Does Mansa Musa have any living descendants? - Quora [15] He is also called Hidji Mansa Musa in oral tradition in reference to his hajj. The Mali Empire (Manding: Mand or Manden; Arabic: , romanized: Ml) was an empire in West Africa from c. 1226 to 1670. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. 24 June, 2022. 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. Abu Bakr was the first and only mansa to inherit through the female line, which has been argued to be either a break from or a return to tradition. [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. He was the son of Niani's faama, Nare Fa (also known as Maghan Kon Fatta meaning the handsome prince). Editing: Jack Rackam. The Keitas retreated to the town of Kangaba, where they became provincial chiefs. Mansa Musa's Pilgrimage to Mecca - Amazing Bible Timeline [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. He ruled oppressively and nearly bankrupted Mali with his lavish spending. 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. Longman, 1995. The Sankor University was capable of housing 25,000 students and had one of the largest libraries in the world with roughly 1,000,000 manuscripts.[100][101]. The kingdom of Mali was relatively unknown outside of West Africa until this event. While Mansa Musa's grandfather, Abu-Bakr, was a nephew of Sundiata Keita, the founder of the Malian Empire, neither he nor his descendants had a strong claim to the throne. Mansa Musa Family Tree | Family tree, Tree, Kankan - Pinterest Mansa Ms, either the grandson or the grandnephew of Sundiata, the founder of his dynasty, came to the throne in 1307. 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. Ms I of Mali, Ms also spelled Musa or Mousa, also called Kankan Ms or Mansa Musa, (died 1332/37? 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. [90] CelebrityNetWorth has been criticized for the unreliability of its estimates. World History Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. [135] Gold nuggets were the exclusive property of the mansa and were illegal to trade within his borders. Mansa Mahmud Keita II came to the throne in 1481 during Mali's downward spiral. One of the greatest caravans to ever cross the Sahara was led by Mansa Musa, the legendary ruler of the vast West African empire of Mali. It may have been located close to modern Kangaba. [122] They targeted Moroccan pashas still in Timbuktu and the mansas of Manden. 1312 is the most widely accepted by modern historians. [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]. Mansa Musa was a devout Muslim. The kingdom of Mali reached its greatest extent around the same time, a bustling, wealthy kingdom thanks to Mansa Musas expansion and administration.Mansa Musa died in 1337 and was succeeded by his sons. Several alternate spellings exist, such as Congo Musa, Gongo Musa, and Kankan Musa, but they are regarded as incorrect. 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. Konkodougou Kamissa Keita, named for the province he once governed,[70] was crowned as Mansa Mari Djata Keita II in 1360. 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. It wasn't long before the new kingdom of Great Fulo was warring against Mali's remaining provinces. Mansa Musa (Civ6) | Civilization Wiki | Fandom Geography, Human Geography, Social Studies, Ancient Civilizations, World History. The mansa could also replace a farba if he got out of control, as in the case of Diafunu. The historian al-Umar, who visited Cairo 12 years after the emperors visit, found the inhabitants of this city, with a population estimated at one million, still singing the praises of Mansa Ms. Musa made his pilgrimage between 1324 and 1325 spanning 2,700 miles. The three states warred with each other as much, if not more, than they did against outsiders, but rivalries generally stopped when faced with invasion. Mansa Musa brought architects and scholars from across the Islamic world into his kingdom, and the reputation of the Mali kingdom grew. [108], Despite their power in the west, Mali was losing the battle for supremacy in the north and northeast. He was the first African ruler to be widely known throughout Europe and the Middle East. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. The Story Of Mansa Musa, The Real 'Black Panther' - VIBE.com In the 17th year of his reign (1324), he set out on his famous pilgrimage to Mecca. [95] Musa himself further promoted the appearance of having vast, inexhaustible wealth by spreading rumors that gold grew like a plant in his kingdom. This was due to the tax on trade in and out of the empire, along with all the gold Mansa Musa had. [76] After unifying Manden, he added the Wangara goldfields, making them the southern border. Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton. The only major setback to his reign was the loss of Mali's Dyolof province in Senegal. If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. 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. Several 21st century historians have firmly rejected Niani as a capital candidate based on a lack of archaeological evidence of significant trade activity, clearly described by Arab visitors, particularly during the 14th century, Mali's golden age. Among these are references to "Pene" and "Malal" in the work of al-Bakri in 1068,[53][54] the story of the conversion of an early ruler, known to Ibn Khaldun (by 1397) as Barmandana,[55] and a few geographical details in the work of al-Idrisi. After Ibn Khaldun's death in 1406, there are no further Arab primary sources except for Leo Africanus, who wrote over a century later. Musa's reign is often regarded as the zenith of Mali's power and prestige. Musa embarked on a large building program, raising mosques and madrasas in Timbuktu and Gao. Last modified October 17, 2020. 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. We care about our planet! Islamic studies flourished thereafter. Musa stayed in the Qarafa district of Cairo, and befriended its governor, Ibn Amir Hajib, who learned much about Mali from him. 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. Mansa Musa | Stanford History Education Group It is implausible that Abu Bakr was Musa's father, due to the amount of time between Sunjata's reign and Musa's. [108] Alvise Cadamosto, a Venetian explorer, recorded that the Mali Empire was the most powerful entity on the coast in 1454. [125] Farin was a general term for northern commander at the time. We contribute a share of our revenue to remove carbon from the atmosphere and we offset our team's carbon footprint. Mansa Musa Keita's crowning achievement was his famous pilgrimage to Mecca, which started in 1324 and concluded with his return in 1326. 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. [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. Mansa Mahmud Keita II received the Portuguese envoys Pro d'vora and Gonalo Enes in 1487. He built mosques and large public buildings in cities like Gao and, most famously, Timbuktu. [73], Prince Sundjata was prophesied to become a great conqueror. The Twelve Doors of Mali were a coalition of conquered or allied territories, mostly within Manden, with sworn allegiance to Sundiata and his descendants. Mansa Musa (about 1280 - about 1337) was an emperor (mansa) of the Mali Empire during the 14th century. 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 . In his lifetime and beyond, he was known for his extravagant wealth and spending, funded by his kingdom's vast salt and gold mines. Upon his return in 1324, Ms Is pious pilgrimage inspired him to commission two enormous mosques in Timbuktu and Gao. Musa and his entourage gave and spent freely while in Cairo. [33] Some modern historians have cast doubt on Musa's version of events, suggesting he may have deposed his predecessor and devised the story about the voyage to explain how he took power. In their own country they use only slave women and men for transport, but for long journeys such as pilgrimages they have mounts. 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. [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]. Today, his net worth is estimated to have been $400 billion. The date of Mahmud's death and identity of his immediate successor are not recorded, and there is a gap of 65 years before another mansa's identity is recorded. 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,. [62] According to one account given by Ibn Khaldun, Musa's general Saghmanja conquered Gao. World History Encyclopedia, 17 Oct 2020. However, territories that were crucial to trade or subject to revolt would receive a farba. Around 1610, Mahmud Keita IV died. He has been subject to popular claims that he is the wealthiest person in history,[5] but his actual wealth is not known with any certainty. Mss rule defined the golden age of Mali. [43] In 1324, while in Cairo, Musa said that he had conquered 24 cities and their surrounding districts.[44]. While the accounts are of limited length, they provide a fairly good picture of the empire at its height. Mansa Musa developed cities like Timbuktu and Gao into important cultural centers. Mans third spouse tells court he was a despot, Woman describes treatment in Aguanga torture trial, Social worker: Children in torture case appeared happy, healthy, Calif. torture trial airs family horror stories, Polygamist who tortured his family is sentenced to 7 life terms, Aguanga man to serve seven life sentences, Emerging from a notorious hell of abuse to counsel others, Laura Cowan, Mansa Musa Muhummed: Sex, Torture, Beatings In Muslim Cult, Former Polygamy Wife Speaks Out On Justice By Any Means. Mansa Mss prodigious generosity and piety, as well as the fine clothes and exemplary behaviour of his followers, did not fail to create a most-favourable impression. However, many believe Mansa Musa's wealth outdoes that of all modern billionaires. [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. [g] Faga Leye was the son of Abu Bakr, a brother of Sunjata, the first mansa of the Mali Empire. The emperor himself rode on horseback and was directly preceded by 500 enslaved persons, each carrying a gold-adorned staff. The 14th-century traveller Ibn Baah noted that it took about four months to travel from the northern borders of the Mali empire to Niani in the south. Medieval Map Points to World's Richest Man, Maybe Ever He's especially famous for his hajj to Mecca, during which he sponsored numerous mosques and madrases, and supposedly spent so much gold along the way that the metal was severely devalued, which for many people was not a very good thing. The Portuguese decided to stay out of the conflict and the talks concluded by 1495 without an alliance.[110]. From the Mamma Haidara Commemorative Library, Timbuktu. The Catalan Atlas, created in 1375 C.E. the descendants of the nearly 1,000-year-old objects made in Africa. [8] Suleyman's death marked the end of Mali's Golden Age and the beginning of a slow decline. [83] He is criticized for being unfaithful to tradition, and some of the jeliw regard Musa as having wasted Mali's wealth. Updates? jeli), also known as griots, includes relatively little information about Musa compared to some other parts of the history of Mali. This is the first account of a West African kingdom made directly by an eyewitness; the others are usually second-hand. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Al-Umari reported that Mali had fourteen provinces. [51] Musa made a major point of showing off his nation's wealth. 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. He ruled between 707-732/737 according to the Islamic calendar (AH), which translates to 1307-1332/1337 CE. He also brought architects from the Middle East and across Africa to design new buildings for his cities. Through the oral tradition of griots, the Keita dynasty, from which nearly every Mali emperor came, claims to trace its lineage back to Lawalo, one of the sons of Bilal,[60] the faithful muezzin of Islam's prophet Muhammad, who was said to have migrated into Mali and his descendants established the ruling Keita dynasty through Maghan Kon Fatta, father of Sundiata Keita.[61]. The army of the Mali Empire used of a wide variety of weapons depending largely on where the troops originated. He made his wealth and that of Mali known through a long and extravagant pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324, the 17th year of his reign as emperor of Mali. Mansa Musa's personal name was Musa (Arabic: , romanized:Ms), the Arabic form of Moses. While this was probably an exaggeration, it is known that during his pilgrimage to Mecca one of his generals, Sagmandia (Sagaman-dir), extended the empire by capturing the Songhai capital of Gao. [70] Little is known of him except that he only reigned two years. [82], Musa is less renowned in Mand oral tradition as performed by the jeliw. [131] Mansa Musa placed a heavy tax on all objects that went through Timbuktu. During his reign, the Mossi emperor Bonga of Yatenga raided into Mali and plundered Macina. 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. Most West African canoes were of single-log construction, carved and dug out from one massive tree trunk.[144]. [23] Numbered individuals reigned as mansa; the numbers indicate the order in which they reigned. Not only do we pay for our servers, but also for related services such as our content delivery network, Google Workspace, email, and much more. His equipment furnishings were carried by 12.000 private slave women (Wasaif) wearing gown and brocade (dibaj) and Yemeni silk []. Musa was a Muslim, and his pilgrimage to Mecca, also known as hajj, made him well known across Northern Africa and the Middle East. These oral stories . There are a few references to Mali in early Islamic literature. The mansa also made a successful hajj, kept up correspondence with Morocco and Egypt and built an earthen platform at Kangaba called the Camanbolon where he held court with provincial governors and deposited the holy books he brought back from Hedjaz.