[26] Sariq Jata may be another name for Sunjata, who was actually Musa's great-uncle. 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. He also states that Djata or "Jatah" means "lion". 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. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Sundiata Keita - National Geographic Society The Portuguese decided to stay out of the conflict and the talks concluded by 1495 without an alliance.[110]. In the 1450s, Portugal began sending raiding parties along the Gambian coast. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. [47], According to Jules Vidal and Levtzion, citing oral histories from Kangaba and Keyla, another onetime capital was Manikoro or Mali-Kura, founded after the destruction of Niani. [26][17] Ibn Khaldun said that he "was an upright man and a great king, and tales of his justice are still told."[101]. It contained three immense gold mines within its borders unlike the Ghana Empire, which was only a transit point for gold. Mansa Musa was the great-great-grandson of Sunjata, who was the founder of the empire of Mali. . published on 17 October 2020. While Musa's palace has since vanished, the university and mosque still stand in Timbuktu today. The final incarnation of the Gbara, according to the surviving traditions of northern Guinea, held 32 positions occupied by 28 clans. The lands of Bambougou, Jalo (Fouta Djallon), and Kaabu were added into Mali by Fakoli Koroma (Nkrumah in Ghana, Kurumah in the Gambia, Colley in Casamance, Senegal),[70] Fran Kamara (Camara) and Tiramakhan Traore (Tarawelley in the Gambia),[77] respectively Among the many different ethnic groups surrounding Manden were Pulaar speaking groups in Macina, Tekrur and Fouta Djallon. [133], There was no standard currency throughout the realm, but several forms were prominent by region. 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. Contemporary sources claim 60 copper bars traded for 100 dinars of gold. The ancient kingdom of Mali spread across parts of modern-day Mali, Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Mauritania, and Burkina Faso. The other account claims that Gao had been conquered during the reign of Mansa Sakura. [92] Furthermore, it is difficult to meaningfully compare the wealth of historical figures such as Mansa Musa, due to the difficulty of separating the personal wealth of a monarch from the wealth of the state and the difficulty of comparing wealth in highly different societies. Swords were drawn, but before the situation escalated further, Musa persuaded his men to back down. Mansa Musa's personal name was Musa (Arabic: , romanized:Ms), the Arabic form of Moses. Heusch, Luc de: "The Symbolic Mechanisms of Sacred Kingship: Rediscovering Frazer". They founded the first village of the Manding, Kirikoroni, then Kirina, Siby, Kita. [83] This term was used interchangeably with dinar, though it is unclear if coined currency was used in the empire. [66], Timbuktu soon became the center of trade, culture, and Islam; markets brought in merchants from Hausaland, Egypt, and other African kingdoms, a university was founded in the city (as well as in the Malian cities of Djenn and Sgou), and Islam was spread through the markets and university, making Timbuktu a new area for Islamic scholarship. The only major setback to his reign was the loss of Mali's Dyolof province in Senegal. [100], Arabic writers, such as Ibn Battuta and Abdallah ibn Asad al-Yafii, praised Musa's generosity, virtue, and intelligence. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. 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. [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. The next great unit of exchange in the Mali Empire was salt. He is the resurrected spirit of Masuta the Ascended, the second boss in the first elite dungeon, Temple of Aminishi . During this period only the Mongol Empire was larger. Musa was a very successful military leader. [62] According to one account given by Ibn Khaldun, Musa's general Saghmanja conquered Gao. The farba could also take power away from the native administration if required and raise an army in the area for defence or putting down rebellions.[130]. At its peak, Mali was the largest empire in West Africa, widely . 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. He sought closer ties with the rest of the Muslim world, particularly the Mamluk and Marinid Sultanates. During his reign, the Mossi emperor Bonga of Yatenga raided into Mali and plundered Macina. During his reign, Mali was one of the richest kingdoms of Africa, and Mansa Musa was among the richest individuals in the world. In 1645, the Bamana attacked Manden, seizing both banks of the Niger right up to Niani. When he did finally bow, he said he was doing so for God alone. Mali Emperors Family Tree | Mansa Musa - The Richest Man in World Mansa Musa's reign itself was 25 years long. At the age of 18, he gained authority over all the 12 kingdoms in an alliance that would become the Mali Empire. 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. Mali and Mansa Musa - Precolonial Africa - KS3 History - BBC [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. [57][58] Having run out of money, Musa and his entourage were forced to borrow money and re-sell much of what they had purchased while in Cairo before the hajj, and Musa went into debt to several merchants, such as Siraj al-Din. Mansa Musa Keita was succeeded by his son, Maghan Keita I, in 1337. Oral tradition states that he had three sons who fought over Manden's remains. This can be interpreted as either "Musa son of Abu Bakr" or "Musa descendant of Abu Bakr." The last son of Maghan Keita I, Tenin Maghan Keita (also known as Kita Tenin Maghan Keita for the province he once governed) was crowned Mansa Maghan Keita II in 1387. 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. The area was famous as a hunting ground for the large amount of game that it sheltered, as well as its dense vegetation. Khalifa would shoot arrows at his subjects, so he was overthrown and killed. A legend claims that Sunjata transformed into a hippopotamus. [149], Imperial banner carried with Musa I in 1325 Hajj, Social, economic and governmental reformation. Mali flourished especially when Timbuktu came under Mansa Musa's control. He ruled between 707-732/737 according to the Islamic calendar (AH), which translates to 1307-1332/1337 CE. This was due to the tax on trade in and out of the empire, along with all the gold Mansa Musa had. [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. The Mandinka went on to form the powerful and rich Mali Empire, which produced the richest Black man who ever lived, King Mansa Musa. 10 Facts About Mansa Musa - Richest Man in History? He was the first African ruler to be widely known throughout Europe and the Middle East. Log in, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). A Golden Age: King Mansa Musa's Reign - Northwestern Magazine They tell of his hardships as a boy before he came to the throne. CREDITS: Chart/Narration: Matt Baker. This is the least known period in Mali's imperial history. The value of the salt was chiefly determined by the transport costs. Mansa Musa Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life & Achievements Salt was as valuable, if not more valuable, than gold in sub-Saharan Africa. Research/Artwork: From Nothing Team. He was an extremely successful military leader Much of the history is oral, given by professional "historians". 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. All rights reserved. Sundiata Keita is the first ruler for which there is accurate written information (through Ibn Khaldun). Mansa Musa brought architects and scholars from across the Islamic world into his kingdom, and the reputation of the Mali kingdom grew. Musa was a Muslim, and his pilgrimage to Mecca, also known as hajj, made him well known across Northern Africa and the Middle East. Sakura was able to stabilize the political situation in Mali. He brought architects from Andalusia, a region in Spain, and Cairo to build his grand palace in Timbuktu and the great Djinguereber Mosque that still stands today. Very little is known about the life of Mansa Musa before 1312. 24 June, 2022. [108], Despite their power in the west, Mali was losing the battle for supremacy in the north and northeast. He is also called Hidji Mansa . [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. The Wolof populations of the area united into their own state known as the Jolof Empire in the 1350s. so the name Kanku Musa means "Musa, son of Kanku", although it is unclear if the genealogy implied is literal. His descendants migrated to the land of Mali and established the Mandinka clan of Keita. Mansa Musa (Musa I of Mali) was the ruler of the kingdom of Mali from 1312 C.E. Mande bards in the region speak of the Dakajalan site, containing Sundiata's grave, as sacrosanct. [118] Mahmud sought support from several other rulers, including the governor of Kala, Bukar. As a result of this the empire fell. 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. [17] Whether Mali originated as the name of a town or region, the name was subsequently applied to the entire empire ruled from Mali. According to Burkinab writer Joseph Ki-Zerbo, the farther a person travelled from Niani, the more decentralised the mansa's power became. Every year merchants entered Mali via Oualata with camel loads of salt to sell in Niani. [93] Sandaki Keita should not however be taken to be this person's name but a title. During the height of Sundiata's power, the land of Manden (the area populated by the Mandinka people) became one of its provinces. The other major source of information comes from Mandinka oral tradition, as recorded by storytellers known as griots.[5]. In addition, Mansa Ms had a baggage train of 80 camels, each carrying 300 pounds of gold. His riches came from the mining of significant gold and salt deposits in the Mali Empire, along with the slave and ivory trade.[6][7]. While on the hajj, he met the Andalusian poet and architect es-Saheli. [86] As Fajigi, Musa is sometimes conflated with a figure in oral tradition named Fakoli, who is best known as Sunjata's top general. He describes it as being north of Mali but under its domination implying some sort of vassalage for the Antasar, Yantar'ras, Medussa and Lemtuna Berber tribes. He had so much gold that during his hajj to Mecca, the Mansa passed out gold to all the poor along the way. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Arabic sources omit Faga Leye, referring to Musa as Musa ibn Abi Bakr. Gold, copper, and salt were a major source of income in the 12th century and the empire happened to be blessed with it, even more as it expanded. The buildings were constructed from slabs of salt and roofed with camel skins. . 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. [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. In the event of conquest, farins took control of the area until a suitable native ruler could be found. Still, throne names do not usually indicate blood relations. [93] Mansa Maghan Keita I spent wastefully and was the first lacklustre emperor since Khalifa Keita. 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. From the Mamma Haidara Commemorative Library, Timbuktu. Wali was succeeded by his brother Wati, about whom nothing is known,[82][83] and then his brother Khalifa. [15] He is also called Hidji Mansa Musa in oral tradition in reference to his hajj. There was also a palace conspiracy to overthrow him hatched by the Qasa (the Manding term meaning Queen) Kassi and several army commanders. 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.
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