World History Encyclopedia. Under his leadership, Mali conquered new territories and trade with North Africa increased. Three bowmen supporting one spearman was the ratio in Kaabu and the Gambia by the mid-16th century. [112] Still, no help came from the envoy and further possessions of Mali were lost one by one. The Songhai kingdom measured several hundreds of miles across, so that the conquest meant the acquisition of a vast territory. [j][52][53] While in Cairo, Musa met with the Mamluk sultan al-Nasir Muhammad, whose reign had already seen one mansa, Sakura, make the hajj. [61], According to the Tarikh al-Sudan, the cities of Gao and Timbuktu submitted to Musa's rule as he traveled through on his return to Mali. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. You cannot download interactives. The post of a farba was very prestigious, and his descendants could inherit it with the mansa's approval. 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. He also brought architects from the Middle East and across Africa to design new buildings for his cities. The only major setback to his reign was the loss of Mali's Dyolof province in Senegal. However, many believe Mansa Musa's wealth outdoes that of all modern billionaires. [56] Musa and his entourage lingered in Mecca after the last day of the hajj. At its peak, Mali was the largest empire in West Africa, widely . Mansa Ms, either the grandson or the grandnephew of Sundiata, the founder of his dynasty, came to the throne in 1307. Bowmen formed a large portion of the field army as well as the garrison. [26] Sariq Jata may be another name for Sunjata, who was actually Musa's great-uncle. The buildings were constructed from slabs of salt and roofed with camel skins. [15] Leo Africanus said that the capital city was called Melli. Like two mansolu (rulers of Mali) before him, Ms I undertook the hajj as an act of devotion in line with Islamic tradition. He had so much gold that during his hajj to Mecca, the Mansa passed out gold to all the poor along the way. 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. Mahmud Keita, possibly a grandchild or great-grandchild of Mansa Gao Keita, was crowned Mansa Maghan Keita III in 1390. 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. Umari also describes the empire as being south of Marrakesh and almost entirely inhabited except for few places. [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. They founded the first village of the Manding, Kirikoroni, then Kirina, Siby, Kita. [86] Qu was succeeded by his son Muhammad, who launched two voyages to explore the Atlantic Ocean. Mansa Musa (about 1280 - about 1337) was an emperor (mansa) of the Mali Empire during the 14th century. Answer (1 of 3): The same thing that happened to anybody else's wealth in history: it was spent, looted, donated, or otherwise distributed. [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. The other account claims that Gao had been conquered during the reign of Mansa Sakura. UsefulCharts, . Sakura was able to stabilize the political situation in Mali. During his reign, the Mossi emperor Bonga of Yatenga raided into Mali and plundered Macina. [120], The old core of the empire was divided into three spheres of influence. Mansa Musa was an important ruler of the golden age of the Malink kingdom, based on the upper Niger River in Mali, West Africa. The Keitas retreated to the town of Kangaba, where they became provincial chiefs. [40] Seemingly contradictory reports written by Arab visitors, a lack of definitive archaeological evidence, and the diversity of oral traditions all contribute to this uncertainty. To Westerners, he seems to have been the greatest of Mali rulers, as visible in games like Civilization. It spanned the modern-day countries of Senegal, southern Mauritania, Mali, northern Burkina Faso, western Niger, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, the Ivory Coast and northern Ghana. 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. [12] However, these hypotheses have been rejected by locals and are inconsistent with the apparent cognate status of Mali and Mand.[19]. [117], The swan song of the Mali Empire came in 1599, under the reign of Mansa Mahmud IV. [99] Mosques were built in Gao and Timbuktu along with impressive palaces also built in Timbuktu. [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. In Niani, Musa built the Hall of Audience, a building communicating by an interior door to the royal palace. This is one of the main factors to the fall of the kingdom. 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. A dknsi performed the same function except with slave troops called sofa ("guardian of the horse") and under the command of a farimba ("great brave man"). After many years in exile, first at the court of Wagadou and then at Mema, Sundiata was sought out by a Niani delegation and begged to combat the Sosso and free the kingdoms of Manden forever. Sundiata Keita is the first ruler for which there is accurate written information (through Ibn Khaldun). Jansen, Jan: "The Younger Brother and the Stranger. [70] Gbr Keita was crowned Mansa Ouali Keita II and ruled during the period of Mali's contact with Portugal. Each representative or ton-tigi ("quiver-master") provided counsel to the mansa at the Gbara, but only these two ton-tigi held such wide-ranging power. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. This is the least known period in Mali's imperial history. 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. [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]. No single Keita ever ruled Manden after Mahmud Keita IV's death, resulting in the end of the Mali Empire. After a mere nine months of rule, Mansa Camba Keita was deposed by one of Maghan Keita I's three sons. Musa is reported to have reigned for 25 years, and different lines of evidence suggest he died either. In 1330, the kingdom of Mossi invaded and conquered the city of Timbuktu. 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]. 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. Sundiata, according to the oral traditions, did not walk until he was seven years old. It is unknown from whom he descended; however, another emperor, Mansa Maghan Keita III, is sometimes cited as Mansa Mahmud Keita I. The other characteristic of this era is the gradual loss of its northern and eastern possessions to the rising Songhai Empire and the movement of the Mali's economic focus from the trans-Saharan trade routes to the burgeoning commerce along the coast. Mansa Musa was the great nephew of Sundiata Keita, who was founder . [45] He would have spent much time fostering the growth of the religion within his empire. [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". [102], The Songhai settlement effectively shook off Mali's authority in 1375. In 1534, Mahmud III, the grandson of Mahmud II, received another Portuguese envoy to the Mali court by the name of Pero Fernandes. After Ibn Khaldun's death in 1406, there are no further Arab primary sources except for Leo Africanus, who wrote over a century later. [70] However, once Sundiata did gain use of his legs he grew strong and very respected. Different oral traditions conflict with each other, as well as Ibn Khaldun, about the transfer of power following Sunjata's death. Who would native Malians have considered their greatest ruler? It then seized Timbuktu from the Tuareg in 1468 under Sunni Ali Ber. 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. The other major source of information comes from Mandinka oral tradition, as recorded by storytellers known as griots.[5]. Mama Maghan, mansa of Kangaba, campaigned against the Bamana in 1667 and laid siege to SegouKoro for a reported three years. 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. 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. Intro animation: Syawish Rehman. In the interregnum following Sunjata's death, the jomba or court slaves may have held power. [85] He went on the hajj during the reign of Mamluk sultan an-Nasir Muhammad (12981308) and was killed in Tajura on his way back to Mali. so the name Kanku Musa means "Musa, son of Kanku", although it is unclear if the genealogy implied is literal. Sadly for Sundjata, this did not occur before his father died. The growing trade in Mali's western provinces with Portugal witnessed the exchange of envoys between the two nations. After the loyalty or at least the capitulation of an area was assured, it was allowed to select its own dyamani-tigui. Musa went on hajj to Mecca in 1324, traveling with an enormous entourage and a vast supply of gold. Mali flourished especially when Timbuktu came under Mansa Musa's control. He could read and write Arabic and took an interest in the scholarly city of Timbuktu, which he peaceably annexed in 1324. [citation needed]. According to Musa's own account, his predecessor as Mansa of Mali, presumably Muhammad ibn Qu,[31] launched two expeditions to explore the Atlantic Ocean (200 ships for the first exploratory mission and 2,000 ships for the second). Several of the names are spelled in a variety of ways in different manuscripts. The Manding languages were spoken in the empire. Rather, authority would rest with the mansa and his court, wherever he went. Ibn Khaldun in Levtzion and Hopkins, eds. The "Qur'an" had a great importance to Mansa Musa as it states "God loves the charitable" (Document D). Research/Artwork: From Nothing Team. Ms Is hajj left a lasting impression of Malis splendour on both the Islamic and European worlds. 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. 1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society. ), mansa (emperor) of the West African empire of Mali from 1307 (or 1312). Ms I of Mali, Ms also spelled Musa or Mousa, also called Kankan Ms or Mansa Musa, (died 1332/37? The Catalan Atlas, published in 1375, depicts the richest man of his day: Mansa Musa, the emperor of 14th-century Mali. Imperial Mali's horsemen also used iron helmet and mail armour for defence[146] as well as shields similar to those of the infantry. Mali was thriving for a long time, but like other west African kingdoms, Mali began to fall. What did Ms I do when he returned to Mali? Today, his net worth is estimated to have been $400 billion. [34][35] Nonetheless, the possibility of such a voyage has been taken seriously by several historians. During his reign, Mali was one of the richest kingdoms of Africa, and Mansa Musa was among the richest individuals in the world. [12][h] Ibn Battuta, who visited Mali during the reign of Musa's brother Sulayman, said that Musa's grandfather was named Sariq Jata. Another testimony from Ibn Khaldun describes the grand pilgrimage of Mansa Musa consisting of 12,000 slaves: "He made a pilgrimage in 724/1324 []. 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. His riches came from mining significant salt and gold deposits in the Mali kingdom. This is the first account of a West African kingdom made directly by an eyewitness; the others are usually second-hand. [93] It is during his reign that Fula raids on Takrur began. Under his reign, Mali conquered the neighbouring kingdom of Songhai. He also states that Djata or "Jatah" means "lion". [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]. He built mosques and large public buildings in cities like Gao and, most famously, Timbuktu. Mansa Musa was very wealthy and religious man who went on his Hajj for religious reasons and to also help people from his empire make the holy trip to Mecca for the god Allah. There are a few references to Mali in early Islamic literature. Musa and his entourage gave and spent freely while in Cairo. Embedded by Arienne King, published on 17 October 2020. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. [5] In c. 1285 Sakoura, a former royal court slave, became emperor and was one of Mali's most powerful rulers, greatly expanding the empire's territory. This thread is archived [70] These men had to be of the horon (freemen) caste and appear with their own arms. We contribute a share of our revenue to remove carbon from the atmosphere and we offset our team's carbon footprint. This process was essential to keep non-Manding subjects loyal to the Manding elites that ruled them. [50] Such impermanent capitals are a historically widespread phenomenon, having occurred in other parts of Africa such as Ethiopia, as well as outside Africa, such as in the Holy Roman Empire.[51]. Malink, also known as Mande, Mali, or Melle, was founded around 1200 CE, and under Mansa Musa's reign . 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). Nelson, 1971. 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. 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. Mansa Souleyman Keita (or Suleiman) took steep measures to put Mali back into financial shape, thereby developing a reputation for miserliness. This enabled him to rule over a realm larger than even the Ghana Empire in its apex. The Camara (or Kamara) are said to be the first family to have lived in Manding, after having left, due to the drought, Ouallata, a region of Wagadou, in the south-east of present-day Mauritania. [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. 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. Salt was as valuable, if not more valuable, than gold in sub-Saharan Africa. Mansa Ms, whose empire was one of the largest in the world at that time, is reported to have observed that it would take a year to travel from one end of his empire to the other. 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. [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. Mali's Timbuktu was known for its schools and libraries. The Wangara, an Old Soninke Diaspora in West Africa? In 1645, the Bamana attacked Manden, seizing both banks of the Niger right up to Niani. Mansa Ms left a realm notable for its extent and richeshe built the Great Mosque at Timbuktubut he is best remembered in the Middle East and Europe for the splendour of his pilgrimage to Mecca (1324). 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, who is . 4. Mali's domain also extended into the desert. 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. A Golden Age: King Mansa Musa's Reign. In search of a status discourse for Mande". The final incarnation of the Gbara, according to the surviving traditions of northern Guinea, held 32 positions occupied by 28 clans. Khalifa would shoot arrows at his subjects, so he was overthrown and killed. [124] Following this disastrous set of events, Mansa Mama Maghan abandoned the capital of Niani. Only sofa were equipped by the state, using bows and poisoned arrows. [132], The Mali Empire flourished because of its trade above all else. Ibn Battuta mentions that the value of salt increased fourfold when transported between Oualata and the Malian capital. Swords were drawn, but before the situation escalated further, Musa persuaded his men to back down. The people of the south needed salt for their diet, but it was extremely rare. Available from http://incompetech.com. In his lifetime and beyond, he was known for his extravagant wealth and spending, funded by his kingdom's vast salt and gold mines. "[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. He made a pilgrimage to Mecca during the reign of Mamluk Sultan An-Nasir Muhammad (r. 12981308), but died on his voyage home. His skillful administration left his empire well-off at the time of his death, but eventually, the empire fell apart. Al-Umari's list, which is quoted with slight differences by al-Qalqashandi, is as follows: Al-Umari also indicates that four Amazigh tribes were subjects of Mali: Gomez instead suggests that these tribes would have inhabited territory in the vicinity of Mema, Ghana, and Diafunu. The Wolof populations of the area united into their own state known as the Jolof Empire in the 1350s. The child of this marriage received the first name of his mother (Sogolon) and the surname of his father (Djata). 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 If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. [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. 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. One of these was Dioma, an area south of Niani populated by Fula Wassoulounk. Mansa Musa developed cities like Timbuktu and Gao into important cultural centers. 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. The empire taxed every ounce of gold, copper and salt that entered its borders. 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. [93] He did not, however, hold the power of previous mansas because of the influence of his kankoro-sigui. 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. In oral tradition and the Timbuktu Chronicles, Musa is known as Kanku Musa. [58] This area was composed of mountains, savannah and forest providing ideal protection and resources for the population of hunters. 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. [76] After unifying Manden, he added the Wangara goldfields, making them the southern border. Your email address will not be published. In Ibn Khaldun's account, Sundjata is recorded as Mari Djata with "Mari" meaning "Amir" or "Prince". The wooden window frames of an upper storey were plated with silver foil; those of a lower storey with gold. After unsuccessful attempts by Mansa Mama Maghan to conquer Bamana, the Bamana in 1670 sacked and burned the capital, and the Mali Empire rapidly disintegrated and ceased to exist, being replaced by independent chiefdoms. It was reported that he built a mosque every Friday. King of Kings in the Mandinka language a reference to a great ruler in the Mali Empire of ancient Africa. Mansa Musa was a devout Muslim. [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. From at least the beginning of the 11th century, Mandinka kings known as faamas ruled Manden from Ka-ba in the name of the Ghanas.[68]. 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. [18], In the Songhai language, rulers of Mali such as Musa were known as the Mali-koi, koi being a title that conveyed authority over a region: in other words, the "ruler of Mali".

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