[7] Maghan I succeeded his father as mansa in 1337, but was deposed by his uncle Suleyman in 1341. Please check the original source(s) for copyright information. The value of the salt was chiefly determined by the transport costs. Mali's Timbuktu was known for its schools and libraries. Mansa Musa brought the architect back to Mali to beautify some of the cities. Mama Maghan, mansa of Kangaba, campaigned against the Bamana in 1667 and laid siege to SegouKoro for a reported three years. [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. The Malian and Moroccan armies fought at Jenne on 26 April, the last day of Ramadan, and the Moroccans were victorious thanks to their firearms and Bukar's support, but Mahmud was able to escape. [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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [86] Fajigi is remembered as having traveled to Mecca to retrieve ceremonial objects known as boliw, which feature in Mand traditional religion. Mansa Musa's pilgrimage to Mecca happened between 1324 and 1325. (2020, October 17). [81] The territory of the Mali Empire was at its height during the reigns of Musa and his brother Sulayman, and covered the Sudan-Sahel region of West Africa. Sundiata Keita was a warrior-prince of the Keita dynasty who was called upon to free the local people from the rule of the king of the Sosso Empire, Soumaoro Kant. [140], The Mali Empire maintained a semi-professional, full-time army in order to defend its borders. Al-Umari reported that Mali had fourteen provinces. Despite this disunity in the realm, the realm remained under Mandinka control into the mid-17th century. In the 17th year of his reign (1324), he set out on his famous pilgrimage to Mecca. The University of Sankore in Timbuktu was restaffed under Musa's reign with jurists, astronomers, and mathematicians. https://www.worldhistory.org/video/2147/mansa-musa-family-tree--empire-of-mali/. [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. Around 1550, Mali attacked Bighu in an effort to regain access to its gold. [18][16], Another hypothesis suggests that the name Mali is derived from Mand mali "hippopotamus", an animal that had special significance to the Keitas, and that Mand means "little manatee". [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. [104] He would only reign a year before a descendant of Mansa Gao Keita removed him.[70]. 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. 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. He had so much gold that during his hajj to Mecca, the Mansa passed out gold to all the poor along the way. Afterward, he put himself and his kingdom, West Africa's Mali, on the map, literally. While on the hajj, he met the Andalusian poet and architect es-Saheli. Answer (1 of 3): The same thing that happened to anybody else's wealth in history: it was spent, looted, donated, or otherwise distributed. From 1389 onwards Mali gained a host of mansas of obscure origins. [117], The swan song of the Mali Empire came in 1599, under the reign of Mansa Mahmud IV. World History Encyclopedia. [71] The tiny kingdom of Niani was one of several in the Kri area of Manden. The farimba operated from a garrison with an almost entirely slave force, while a farima functioned on field with virtually all freemen. Consequently, the name of Mali and Timbuktu appeared on 14th century world maps. When Musa departed Mali for the hajj, he left his son Muhammad to rule in his absence. [16] However, al-Umari gives Mali as the name of the capital province and Ibn Khaldun refers to Mali as a people, with each giving different names for the capital city itself. "LEAD: International: The History of Guinea-Bissau", "Four People Who Single-handedly Caused Economic Crises", "Lessons from Timbuktu: What Mali's Manuscripts Teach About Peace | World Policy Institute", "Mossi (12501575 AD) DBA 2.0 Variant Army List", "The history of Africa Peul and Toucouleur", "Africa and Slavery 15001800 by Sanderson Beck", "How the Mali Empire in the 12th century revolved levels of governance", Trade, Transport, Temples, and Tribute: The Economics of Power, "Gold, Islam and Camels: The Transformative Effects of Trade and Ideology", "Power and permanence in precolonial Africa: a case study from the central Sahel", "Recherches sur l'Empire du Mali au Moyen Age", "Expansion and Contraction Patterns of Large Polities: Context for Russia", "East-West Orientation of Historical Empires", Metropolitan Museum Empires of the Western Sudan: Mali Empire, Ibn Battuta: Travels in Asia and Africa 13251354, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mali_Empire&oldid=1142808910, Identification disputed; possibly no fixed capital, Yantaar or Kel Antasar: Located in the vicinity of the, Tn Ghars or Yantar'ras: Correspond to the modern, This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 13:53. To Westerners, he seems to have been the greatest of Mali rulers, as visible in games like Civilization. [122] They targeted Moroccan pashas still in Timbuktu and the mansas of Manden. 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]. The empire taxed every ounce of gold, copper and salt that entered its borders. Three bowmen supporting one spearman was the ratio in Kaabu and the Gambia by the mid-16th century. The final incarnation of the Gbara, according to the surviving traditions of northern Guinea, held 32 positions occupied by 28 clans. published on 17 October 2020. Yet native sources seem to pay him little attention. Musa stayed in the Qarafa district of Cairo, and befriended its governor, Ibn Amir Hajib, who learned much about Mali from him. [26][17] Ibn Khaldun said that he "was an upright man and a great king, and tales of his justice are still told."[101]. Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton. Several alternate spellings exist, such as Congo Musa, Gongo Musa, and Kankan Musa, but they are regarded as incorrect. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Very little is known about the life of Mansa Musa before 1312. and transl. [70] These men had to be of the horon (freemen) caste and appear with their own arms. [108], Despite their power in the west, Mali was losing the battle for supremacy in the north and northeast. [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. Grades 5 - 8 Subjects Geography, Human Geography, Social Studies, Ancient Civilizations, World History Image Timbuktu, Henrich Barth Painting The fame of Mansa Musa and his phenomenal wealth spread as he traveled on his hajj to Mecca. A very large number of families that make up the Mandinka community were born in Manding. It was this pilgrimage that awakened the world to the stupendous wealth of Mali. Musa took out large loans from money lenders in Cairo before beginning his journey home. Musa's death may have occurred in 1337, 1332, or possibly even earlier, giving 1307 or 1312 as plausible approximate years of accession. Timbuktu became a major Islamic university center during the 14th century due to Mansa Musas developments. According to Burkinab writer Joseph Ki-Zerbo, the farther a person travelled from Niani, the more decentralised the mansa's power became. During this period, trade routes shifted southward to the savanna, stimulating the growth of states such as Bono state. [22], Genealogy of the mansas of the Mali Empire up to Magha II (d.c.1389), based on Levtzion's interpretation of Ibn Khaldun. Editing: Jack Rackam. [110] Meanwhile, Songhai seized the salt mines of Taghazza in 1493. After the victory, King Soumaoro disappeared, and the Mandinka stormed the last of the Sosso cities. In 1534, Mahmud III, the grandson of Mahmud II, received another Portuguese envoy to the Mali court by the name of Pero Fernandes. . [97] Though this has been described as having "wrecked" Egypt's economy,[85] the historian Warren Schultz has argued that this was well within normal fluctuations in the value of gold in Mamluk Egypt. Musa conquered more than 20 major cities in his lifetime. Wagadou's control over Manden came to a halt after internal instability lead to its decline. [123] Segou, defended by Bitn Coulibaly, successfully defended itself and Mama Maghan was forced to withdraw. Stride, G. T., & C. Ifeka: "Peoples and Empires of West Africa: West Africa in History 10001800". [81] He was replaced by Abu Bakr, a son of Sunjata's daughter. No single Keita ever ruled Manden after Mahmud Keita IV's death, resulting in the end of the Mali Empire. However, territories that were crucial to trade or subject to revolt would receive a farba. Mss rule defined the golden age of Mali. This can be interpreted as either "Musa son of Abu Bakr" or "Musa descendant of Abu Bakr." [142][143] Numerous sources attest that the inland waterways of West Africa saw extensive use of war canoes and vessels used for war transport where permitted by the environment. Mansa Musa was an important ruler of the golden age of the Malink kingdom, based on the upper Niger River in Mali, West Africa. 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 only major setback to his reign was the loss of Mali's Dyolof province in Senegal. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. 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. His leadership of Mali, a state which stretched across two thousand . Upon his return in 1324, Ms Is pious pilgrimage inspired him to commission two enormous mosques in Timbuktu and Gao. 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). More than sixty years after the reign of Sundiata Keita, one of his descendants rose to become the King of Mali. He has sometimes been called the wealthiest person in history. [39] Her jamu (clan name) Konte is shared with both Sunjata's mother Sogolon Konte and his arch-enemy Sumanguru Konte. Biti, Buti, Yiti, Tati). 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. Ms I is widely considered the wealthiest man in history. [120] Each ruler used the title of mansa, but their authority only extended as far as their own sphere of influence. The Manding languages were spoken in the empire. Musa is known for his wealth and generosity. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. He was crowned under the throne name Sunidata Keita becoming the first Mandinka emperor. Konkodougou Kamissa Keita, named for the province he once governed,[70] was crowned as Mansa Mari Djata Keita II in 1360. Last modified October 17, 2020. [111] This envoy from the Portuguese coastal port of Elmina arrived in response to the growing trade along the coast and Mali's now urgent request for military assistance against Songhai. Trade was Mali's form of income, and wealth. 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. Barring any other difficulties, the dyamani-tigui would run the province by himself collecting taxes and procuring armies from the tribes under his command. Trade was a significant factor to the rise and success of Mali. Ms Is hajj left a lasting impression of Malis splendour on both the Islamic and European worlds. [135] Gold nuggets were the exclusive property of the mansa and were illegal to trade within his borders. Oral tradition states that he had three sons who fought over Manden's remains. [86] After Sakura's death, power returned to the line of Sunjata, with Wali's son Qu taking the throne. This thread is archived 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]. In his lifetime and beyond, he was known for his extravagant wealth and spending, funded by his kingdom's vast salt and gold mines. Musa is reported to have reigned for 25 years, and different lines of evidence suggest he died either. Duties of the farba included reporting on the activities of the territory, collecting taxes and ensuring the native administration didn't contradict orders from Niani. Mansa Musa also known as Musa I of Mali and was the ninth Islamic ancient Emperor of West Africa in a kingdom known as the Mali Empire. We would much rather spend this money on producing more free history content for the world. One of the five pillars of Islam states that Muslims should embark on a pilgrimage known as Hajj, to the holy city of Mecca.. [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. 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. Mansa means (King or Emperor) and he was ruling the Mali kingdom from C.E 1312 to 1337 for around 25 years. [70] Gbr Keita was crowned Mansa Ouali Keita II and ruled during the period of Mali's contact with Portugal. [72], According to Niane's version of the epic, during the rise of Kaniaga, Sundiata of the Keita clan was born in the early 13th century. Musa and his entourage arrived at the outskirts of Cairo in July 1324. Mansa Musa Family Tree | Empire of Mali. Your email address will not be published. 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. The Songhai Empire had fallen to the Saadi Sultanate of Morocco eight years earlier, and Mahmud sought to take advantage of their defeat by trying to capture Jenne. . Mansa Musa (Musa I of Mali) was the king of the ancient empire of Mali in West Africa. Mansa Musa (about 1280 - about 1337) was an emperor (mansa) of the Mali Empire during the 14th century. The ton-tigi belonged to an elite force of cavalry commanders called the farari ("brave men"). [93] He did not, however, hold the power of previous mansas because of the influence of his kankoro-sigui. 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. [145] Another common weapon of Mandekalu warriors was the poison javelin used in skirmishes. 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. 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. [128] Nevertheless, the mansa managed to keep tax money and nominal control over the area without agitating his subjects into revolt. The kingdom of Mali was relatively unknown outside of West Africa until this event. Hamana (or Amana), southwest of Joma, became the southern sphere, with its capital at Kouroussa in modern Guinea. He made a pilgrimage to Mecca during the reign of Mamluk Sultan An-Nasir Muhammad (r. 12981308), but died on his voyage home. 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. The empire began as a small Mandinka kingdom at the upper reaches of the Niger River, centered around the Manding region. According to the records of Ibn Battuta,[138][139] copper which traded in bars was mined from Takedda in the north and traded in the south for gold. Mali borrowed the practice to stem inflation of the substance, since it was so prominent in the region. This trend would continue into colonial times against Tukulor enemies from the west.[121]. Musa I ( Arabic: , romanized : Mans Ms, N'Ko: ; r. c. 1312 - c. 1337 [a]) was the ninth [4] mansa of the Mali Empire, which reached its territorial peak during his reign. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. Mansa Musa began extending the shores of the empire alongside amassing great wealth and riches. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. The northern commercial towns of Oualata and Audaghost were also conquered and became part of the new state's northern border. 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]. 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. Musa and his entourage gave and spent freely while in Cairo. [46] The Mali Empire (Manding: Mand[3] or Manden; Arabic: , romanized:Ml) was an empire in West Africa from c. 1226 to 1670. 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. 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. Nelson, 1971. Still, by the time of Mansa Musa Keita II's death in 1387, Mali was financially solvent and in control of all of its previous conquests short of Gao and Dyolof. This website claims no authorship of this content; we are republishing it for educational purposes. 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"). It was cut into pieces and spent on goods with close to equal buying power throughout the empire. While spears and bows were the mainstay of the infantry, swords and lances of local or foreign manufacture were the choice weapons of the cavalry. As soon as Sassouma's son Dankaran Touman took the throne, he and his mother forced the increasingly popular Sundjata into exile along with his mother and two sisters. Although this time in the kingdom was prosperous, Mali's wealth and power soon declined. Masuta the Descended is a miniboss in The Shadow Reef. The latter told Ibn Khaldun about devastating struggle over Gao between Mali imperial forces against Berber Tuareg forces from Takedda. During most of his journey, Ibn Battuta travelled with a retinue that included servants, most of whom carried goods for trade. By the end of Mansa Musa's reign, the Sankor University had been converted into a fully staffed university with the largest collections of books in Africa since the Library of Alexandria. He is believed to be one of the richest individuals to have walked on this planet. Ibn Battuta had written that in Taghaza there were no trees and there is only sand and the salt mines. Mansa Musa ruled the Malian empire from 1312-1337 CE. [40], Musa was a young man when he became mansa, possibly in his early twenties. Mansa Musa was the great nephew of Sundiata Keita, who was founder . We all know of Mansa Musa, possibly the richest man to ever exist. 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. It was reported that he built a mosque every Friday. Kankan Musa, better known as Mansa Musa probably took power in approximately 1312, although an earlier date is possible. However, from 1507 onwards neighboring states such as Diara, Great Fulo and the Songhai Empire chipped away at the outer borders of Mali. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. Sadly for Sundjata, this did not occur before his father died. 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 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. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. by UsefulCharts. 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. Longman, 1995. Thank you for your help! Mansa Musa brought architects and scholars from across the Islamic world into his kingdom, and the reputation of the Mali kingdom grew. 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. [98], The wealth of the Mali Empire did not come from direct control of gold-producing regions, but rather trade and tribute. Elephant ivory was another major source of wealth.When Mansa Musa went on a pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca in 1324 C.E., his journey through Egypt caused quite a stir. [122] This campaign gutted Manden and destroyed any hope of the three mansas cooperating to free their land. Musa not only gave to the cities he passed on the way to Mecca, including Cairo and Medina, but also traded gold for souvenirs. 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. [133], There was no standard currency throughout the realm, but several forms were prominent by region. [81] He went on the hajj during the reign of Mamluk sultan Baibars (12601277). [149], Imperial banner carried with Musa I in 1325 Hajj, Social, economic and governmental reformation. 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. What is evident is that there is no steady lineage governing the empire. In this lesson, students read one recent blog post about Musa I of Mali's wealth, followed by two historical documents from the fourteenth-century, to answer the question: Was Mansa Musa the richest person ever? [115], Mali's fortunes seem to have improved in the second half of the 16th century. 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. Accounts of how many people and how much gold he spent vary. Malink, also known as Mande, Mali, or Melle, was founded around 1200 CE, and under Mansa Musa's reign . The Keitas retreated to the town of Kangaba, where they became provincial chiefs. [86] Qu was succeeded by his son Muhammad, who launched two voyages to explore the Atlantic Ocean. Musa's reign is often regarded as the zenith of Mali's power and prestige. 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 . [77] Alternatively, it is possible that the four-year reign Ibn Khaldun credits Maghan with actually referred to his ruling Mali while Musa was away on the hajj, and he only reigned briefly in his own right. In Ibn Khaldun's account, Sundjata is recorded as Mari Djata with "Mari" meaning "Amir" or "Prince". Furthermore, his hajj in 1324 was in some ways an act of solidarity that showed his connection to other rulers and peoples throughout the Islamic world. [13][12] In the Manding languages, the modern descendants of the language spoken at the core of the Mali Empire, Manden or Manding is the name of the region corresponding to the heartland of the Mali Empire. [98] Musa's hajj, and especially his gold, caught the attention of both the Islamic and Christian worlds. [93] Only at the state or province level was there any palpable interference from the central authority in Niani. Traveling separately from the main caravan, their return journey to Cairo was struck by catastrophe. 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. [d], Musa's father was named Faga Leye[12] and his mother may have been named Kanku. This region straddles the border between what is now southern Mali and northeastern Guinea. Arab writers from the time said that he travelled with an entourage of tens of thousands of people and dozens of camels, each carrying 136 kilograms (300 pounds) of gold. harvnb error: no target: CITEREFKi-ZerboNiane (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFLevztionHopkins2000 (.