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. Mansa Musa - Wikipedia The organization and smooth administration of a purely African empire, the founding of the University of Sankore, the expansion of trade in Timbuktu, the architectural innovations in Gao, Timbuktu, and Niani and, indeed, throughout the whole of Mali and in the subsequent Songhai empire are all testimony to Mansa Mss superior administrative gifts. It was this pilgrimage that awakened the world to the stupendous wealth of Mali. Scholars who were mainly interested in history, Qurnic theology, and law were to make the mosque of Sankore in Timbuktu a teaching centre and to lay the foundations of the University of Sankore. Mansa Musa (Civ6) | Civilization Wiki | Fandom 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. (2020, October 17). Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. You cannot download interactives. While on the hajj, he met the Andalusian poet and architect es-Saheli. [108] Alvise Cadamosto, a Venetian explorer, recorded that the Mali Empire was the most powerful entity on the coast in 1454. [4] Much of the recorded information about the Mali Empire comes from 14th-century Tunisian historian Ibn Khaldun, 14th-century Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta and 16th-century Andalusian traveller Leo Africanus. Jansen, Jan: "The Younger Brother and the Stranger. Captivation History summarizes Mansa Musa's story from his ancestors to his descendants as they reigned over the Mali Empire beginning in the 1300s. 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. The dates of Musa's reign are uncertain. At the local level (village, town and city), kun-tiguis elected a dougou-tigui (village-master) from a bloodline descended from that locality's semi-mythical founder. He became emperor in 1307. Mali's domain also extended into the desert. Musa's name Kanku Musa means "Musa son of Kanku", but the genealogy may not be literal. Ibn Battuta comments on festival demonstrations of swordplay before the mansa by his retainers including the royal interpreter. It is implausible that Abu Bakr was Musa's father, due to the amount of time between Sunjata's reign and Musa's. 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. [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. "Mansa Musa Family Tree | Empire of Mali." [24] The empire's total area included nearly all the land between the Sahara Desert and coastal forests. Facts About Mansa Musa - The Richest Human Being Who Ever Lived This is the first account of a West African kingdom made directly by an eyewitness; the others are usually second-hand. 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. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. [47][48][49] His procession reportedly included 60,000 men, all wearing brocade and Persian silk, including 12,000 slaves,[50] who each carried 1.8kg (4lb) of gold bars, and heralds dressed in silks, who bore gold staffs, organized horses, and handled bags. [45] He would have spent much time fostering the growth of the religion within his empire. During the peak of the kingdom, Mali was extremely wealthy. Mansa Ms probably died in 1332. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. [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. [12][h] Ibn Battuta, who visited Mali during the reign of Musa's brother Sulayman, said that Musa's grandfather was named Sariq Jata. At its peak, Mali was the largest empire in West Africa, widely . [40] Ibn Battuta and Leo Africanus both call the capital "Mali. [83] He is criticized for being unfaithful to tradition, and some of the jeliw regard Musa as having wasted Mali's wealth. Well after his death, Mansa Musa remained engrained in the imagination of the world as a symbol of fabulous wealth. 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. Ms I of Mali, Ms also spelled Musa or Mousa, also called Kankan Ms or Mansa Musa, (died 1332/37? Mansa Musa's reign itself was 25 years long. Very little is known about the life of Mansa Musa before 1312. The fame of Mansa Musa and his phenomenal wealth spread as he traveled on his hajjto Mecca. 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. "[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. Musa took out large loans from money lenders in Cairo before beginning his journey home. Barring any other difficulties, the dyamani-tigui would run the province by himself collecting taxes and procuring armies from the tribes under his command. Gold dust was used all over the empire, but was not valued equally in all regions. He intended to abdicate the throne and return to Mecca but died before he was able to do so. The people of the south needed salt for their diet, but it was extremely rare. [41] Given the grandeur of his subsequent hajj, it is likely that Musa spent much of his early reign preparing for it. [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. Al-Umari reported that Mali had fourteen provinces. Mansa Musa Keita's crowning achievement was his famous pilgrimage to Mecca, which started in 1324 and concluded with his return in 1326. In 1542, the Songhai invaded the capital city but were unsuccessful in conquering the empire. 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. Included in al-Qalqashandi's quotation of al-'Umari, but not in any manuscript of al-'Umari's text itself, which only list thirteen provinces despite saying there are fourteen. [83] This term was used interchangeably with dinar, though it is unclear if coined currency was used in the empire. 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). 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. 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]. 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. Mali's Timbuktu was known for its schools and libraries. They are descendants of. He brought back with him descendants of Mohammed, Islamic scholars, and architect Abu Es Haq es Saheli, who went on to create the Djinguereber mosque. [60] The anglicised version of this name, Sunjata, is also popular. 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]. 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. In his attempt to justify the importance of the Keita and their civilisation in early Arabic literatures, Adelabu, the head of Awqaf Africa in London, coined the Arabic derivatives K(a)-W(e)-Y(a) of the word Keita which in (in what he called) Arabicised Mandingo language Allah(u) Ka(w)eia meaning "Allah Creates All" as a favourable motto of reflection for Bilal Ibn Rabah, one of the most trusted and loyal Sahabah (companions) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, whom he described (quoting William Muir's book The Life of Muhammad) as 'a tall, dark, and with African feature and bushy hair'[64] pious man who overcame slavery, racism and socio-political obstacles in Arabia to achieve a lofty status in this world and in the Hereafter.[65]. [98] Musa's hajj, and especially his gold, caught the attention of both the Islamic and Christian worlds. [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. The third great account is that of Ibn Khaldun, who wrote in the early 15th century. The growing trade in Mali's western provinces with Portugal witnessed the exchange of envoys between the two nations. In that year he succeeded his father, Abu Bakr II, to the throne and thus gained the hereditary title of mansa. 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. The bow figured prominently in Mandinka warfare and was a symbol of military force throughout the culture. Mansa Musa was the great-great-grandson of Sunjata, who was the founder of the empire of Mali. He left Kanku Musa, a grandson of Sunjata's brother Mande Bori, in charge during his absence. 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. Gold dust had been weighed and bagged for use at least since the time of the Ghana Empire. The farimba operated from a garrison with an almost entirely slave force, while a farima functioned on field with virtually all freemen. Corrections? [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.". [39], The identity of the capital city of the Mali Empire is a matter of dispute among historians. [93] Mansa Maghan Keita I spent wastefully and was the first lacklustre emperor since Khalifa Keita. He is believed to be one of the richest individuals to have walked on this planet. [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. [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. Cairo and Mecca received this royal personage, whose glittering procession, in the superlatives employed by Arab chroniclers, almost put Africas sun to shame. His 25-year reign (1312-1337 CE) is described as "the golden age of . Musa embarked on a large building program, raising mosques and madrasas in Timbuktu and Gao. Editing: Jack Rackam. 24 June, 2022. [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". It was reported that he built a mosque every Friday. The only major setback to his reign was the loss of Mali's Dyolof province in Senegal. Sundiata's mother was Maghan Kon Fatta's second wife, Sogolon Kdjou. During his monarchy Musa or Musa, I was highly powered and the richest individual king Mansa Musa the . [15] He is also called Hidji Mansa Musa in oral tradition in reference to his hajj. Mansa Musa's personal name was Musa (Arabic: , romanized:Ms), the Arabic form of Moses. The Bamana, likewise, vowed not to advance farther upstream than Niamina. [113], In 1544 or 1545,[f] a Songhai force led by kanfari Dawud, who would later succeed his brother Askia Ishaq as ruler of the Songhai Empire, sacked the capital of Mali and purportedly used the royal palace as a latrine. The World History Encyclopedia logo is a registered trademark. 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 Mahmud Keita II came to the throne in 1481 during Mali's downward spiral. [17] Whether Mali originated as the name of a town or region, the name was subsequently applied to the entire empire ruled from Mali. Musa gave the gold to the poor he met along his route. to 1337 C.E. 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. By the time of his death in 1337, Mali had control over Taghazza, a salt-producing area in the north, which further strengthened its treasury. Free warriors from the north (Mandekalu or otherwise) were usually equipped with large reed or animal hide shields and a stabbing spear that was called a tamba. His information about the empire came from visiting Malians taking the hajj, or pilgrim's voyage to Mecca. En route, he spent time in Cairo, where his lavish gift-giving is said to have noticeably affected the value of gold in Egypt and garnered the attention of the wider Muslim world. After Ibn Khaldun's death in 1406, there are no further Arab primary sources except for Leo Africanus, who wrote over a century later. ), mansa (emperor) of the West African empire of Mali from 1307 (or 1312). 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). Musa's reign is often regarded as the zenith of Mali's power and prestige. Islamic studies flourished thereafter. Mansa Musa, also known as Musa Keita I of Mali, was the tenth Sultan of the Mali Empire. [52][55], Musa's generosity continued as he traveled onwards to Mecca, and he gave gifts to fellow pilgrims and the people of Medina and Mecca. [72] In contrast, al-Umari, writing twelve years after Musa's hajj, in approximately 1337,[73] claimed that Musa returned to Mali intending to abdicate and return to live in Mecca but died before he could do so,[74] suggesting he died even earlier than 1332. Al-Umari said that before Musa's arrival, a mithqal of gold was worth 25 silver dirhams, but that it dropped to less than 22 dirhams afterward and did not go above that number for at least twelve years. UsefulCharts, . [40], Musa was a young man when he became mansa, possibly in his early twenties. Thank you for your help! 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. 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. Bowmen formed a large portion of the field army as well as the garrison. It is unknown from whom he descended; however, another emperor, Mansa Maghan Keita III, is sometimes cited as Mansa Mahmud Keita I. Al-Nasir expected Musa to prostrate himself before him, which Musa initially refused to do. The Venetian explorer Alvise Cadamosto and Portuguese traders confirmed that the peoples of the Gambia were still subject to the mansa of Mali.

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