In approximately 1140 the Sosso kingdom of Kaniaga, a former vassal of Wagadou, began conquering the lands of its old rulers. The second account is that of the traveller Ibn Battuta, who visited Mali in 1352. In that year he succeeded his father, Abu Bakr II, to the throne and thus gained the hereditary title of mansa. The other major source of information comes from Mandinka oral tradition, as recorded by storytellers known as griots.[5]. 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. [123] Segou, defended by Bitn Coulibaly, successfully defended itself and Mama Maghan was forced to withdraw. While in Cairo during his hajj, Musa befriended officials such as Ibn Amir Hajib, who learned about him and his country from him and later passed on that information to historians such as Al-Umari. UsefulCharts, . Musa not only gave to the cities he passed on the way to Mecca, including Cairo and Medina, but also traded gold for souvenirs. Al-Qalqashandi quotes al-'Umari as spelling it. [115], Mali's fortunes seem to have improved in the second half of the 16th century. [87] The figure of Fajigi combines both Islam and traditional beliefs. His elaborate pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca in 1324 introduced him to rulers in the Middle East and in Europe. His riches came from mining significant salt and gold deposits in the Mali kingdom. [122] They targeted Moroccan pashas still in Timbuktu and the mansas of Manden. [15], Musa ascended to power in the early 1300s[i] under unclear circumstances. Medieval Map Points to World's Richest Man, Maybe Ever This was due to the tax on trade in and out of the empire, along with all the gold Mansa Musa had. . Mansa Souleyman Keita died in 1360 and was succeeded by his son, Camba Keita. The voyage is often incorrectly attributed to a Mansa Abu Bakr II, but no such mansa ever reigned. Combined in the rapidly spoken language of the Mandinka, the names formed Sondjata, Sundjata or Sundiata Keita. This style is characterised by the use of mudbricks and an adobe plaster, with large wooden-log support beams that jut out from the wall face for large buildings such as mosques or palaces. 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. Mansa Musa eventually gained the throne owing to a strange sequence of events that turned in his favor. [99] Mosques were built in Gao and Timbuktu along with impressive palaces also built in Timbuktu. Ms Is pilgrimage caravan to Mecca in 1324 comprised some 60,000 people and an immeasurable amount of gold. Al-Umari reported that Mali had fourteen provinces. Evidence of cavalry in terracotta figures suggest the empire's prosperous economy as horses are not indigenous to Africa. 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. [93] It is during his reign that Fula raids on Takrur began. This process was essential to keep non-Manding subjects loyal to the Manding elites that ruled them. [128] Nevertheless, the mansa managed to keep tax money and nominal control over the area without agitating his subjects into revolt. It contained three immense gold mines within its borders unlike the Ghana Empire, which was only a transit point for gold. Is Mansa Musa the richest man who ever lived? - BBC News Web. This led to inflation throughout the kingdom. It is unknown from whom he descended; however, another emperor, Mansa Maghan Keita III, is sometimes cited as Mansa Mahmud Keita I. [75] This victory resulted in the fall of the Kaniaga kingdom and the rise of the Mali Empire. Sadly for Sundjata, this did not occur before his father died. 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. [81] He went on the hajj during the reign of Mamluk sultan Baibars (12601277). All of them agree that he took a very large group of people; the mansa kept a personal guard of some 500 men,[94] and he gave out so many alms and bought so many things that the value of gold in Egypt and Arabia depreciated for twelve years. Mali Emperors Family Tree | Mansa Musa - The Richest Man in World [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 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. The family tree of Mansa Musa. Embedded by Arienne King, published on 17 October 2020. Available from http://incompetech.com. [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. Today, his net worth is estimated to have been $400 billion. 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. [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. [80] Ibn Khaldun regarded Wali as one of Mali's greatest rulers. The Manding languages were spoken in the empire. Rulers of West African states had made pilgrimages to Mecca before Mansa Ms, but the effect of his flamboyant journey was to advertise both Mali and Mansa Ms well beyond the African continent and to stimulate a desire among the Muslim kingdoms of North Africa, and among many of European nations as well, to reach the source of this incredible wealth. Musa's reign is often regarded as the zenith of Mali's power and prestige. The Gbara or Great Assembly would serve as the Mandinka deliberative body until the collapse of the empire in 1645. The oldest brother, Srbandjougou Keita, was crowned Mansa Foamed or Mansa Musa Keita III. 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. Therefore, Arabic visitors may have assigned the "capital" label merely to whatever major city the mansa was based out of at the time of their visit. 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. [20] Additional information comes from two 17th-century manuscripts written in Timbuktu, the Tarikh Ibn al-Mukhtar[c] and the Tarikh al-Sudan. 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]. [12] However, these hypotheses have been rejected by locals and are inconsistent with the apparent cognate status of Mali and Mand.[19]. The exact date of Musa's accession is debated. [26][17] Ibn Khaldun said that he "was an upright man and a great king, and tales of his justice are still told."[101]. Who is the richest monarch in the world? - coalitionbrewing.com [78] There was evidently a power struggle of some kind involving the gbara or great council and donson ton or hunter guilds. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Under his leadership, Mali conquered new territories and trade with North Africa increased. The empire began as a small Mandinka kingdom at the upper reaches of the Niger River, centered around the Manding region. Wagadou's control over Manden came to a halt after internal instability lead to its decline. The bow figured prominently in Mandinka warfare and was a symbol of military force throughout the culture. 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 Mali he promoted trans-Saharan trade that further increased the empires wealth. We would much rather spend this money on producing more free history content for the world. 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 made a famous pilgrimage to Mecca from 1324 to 1326. Mss rule defined the golden age of Mali. Your email address will not be published. A very large number of families that make up the Mandinka community were born in Manding. [93] In 1514, the Denianke dynasty was established in Tekrour. 6. By 1350, the empire covered approximately 478,819 square miles (1,240,140km2). In 1324 Musa embarked on a hajj, a religious pilgrimage to Mecca, traveling with an entourage that included 8,000 courtiers, 12,000 servants and 100 camel loads of . [70], The number and frequency of conquests in the late 13th century and throughout the 14th century indicate the Kolonkan mansas inherited and/or developed a capable military. [70] The mansa lost control of Jalo during this period. [70] Two noble brothers from Niani, of unknown lineage, went to Dioma with an army and drove out the Fula Wassoulounk. The wooden window frames of an upper storey were plated with silver foil; those of a lower storey with gold. 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. [10], Mali, Mand, Manden, and Manding are all various pronunciations of the same word across different languages and dialects. World History Encyclopedia. The World History Encyclopedia logo is a registered trademark. Most West African canoes were of single-log construction, carved and dug out from one massive tree trunk.[144]. When he did finally bow, he said he was doing so for God alone. [119], It would be the Mandinka themselves that would cause the final destruction of the empire. [d], Musa's father was named Faga Leye[12] and his mother may have been named Kanku. 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 could read and write Arabic and took an interest in the scholarly city of Timbuktu, which he peaceably annexed in 1324. [43] Perhaps because of this, Musa's early reign was spent in continuous military conflict with neighboring non-Muslim societies. [90] CelebrityNetWorth has been criticized for the unreliability of its estimates. [75] It is possible that it was actually Musa's son Maghan who congratulated Abu al-Hasan, or Maghan who received Abu al-Hasan's envoy after Musa's death. If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. 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. [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. He encouraged his subjects immersion in scholarship, the arts, and the Qurn. [110] Meanwhile, Songhai seized the salt mines of Taghazza in 1493. 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. 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 Musa brought the architect back to Mali to beautify some of the cities. Mali Empire - Wikipedia [122] This campaign gutted Manden and destroyed any hope of the three mansas cooperating to free their land. [116] Songhai authority over Bendugu and Kala declined by 1571, and Mali may have been able to reassert some authority over them. Is Mansa Musa the richest man who ever lived? - BBC News [24] The empire's total area included nearly all the land between the Sahara Desert and coastal forests. During the 17th century, the Mali Empire faced incursions from the Bamana Empire. [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]. [41] A particular challenge lies in interpreting early Arabic manuscripts, in which, without vowel markings and diacritics, foreign names can be read in numerous different ways (e.g. In the 1450s, Portugal began sending raiding parties along the Gambian coast. Much of the history is oral, given by professional "historians". [93], Following Musa Keita III's death, his brother Gbr Keita became emperor in the mid-15th century. The Rock art in the Sahara suggests that northern Mali has been inhabited since 10,000 BC, when the Sahara was fertile and rich in wildlife. [60] The anglicised version of this name, Sunjata, is also popular. Ibn Khaldun in Levtzion and Hopkins, eds. Kangaba, the de facto capital of Manden since the time of the last emperor, became the capital of the northern sphere. [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 House of Saud is ruled by the descendants of King Abdulaziz, who founded and unified Saudi Arabia in 1932. [93] Mansa Souleyman's generals successfully fought off the military incursions, and the senior wife Kassi behind the plot was imprisoned. [108], Despite their power in the west, Mali was losing the battle for supremacy in the north and northeast. 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. Kankoro-sigui Mari Djata, who had no relation to the Keita clan, essentially ran the empire in Musa Keita II's stead. 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. 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. [117], The swan song of the Mali Empire came in 1599, under the reign of Mansa Mahmud IV. [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. [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. 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). [43] Djibril Tamsir Niane, a Guinean historian, has been a forceful advocate of this position in recent decades. 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. and transl. Ibn Battuta had written that in Taghaza there were no trees and there is only sand and the salt mines. 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. "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. Ag-Amalwal. The Catalan Atlas, published in 1375, depicts the richest man of his day: Mansa Musa, the emperor of 14th-century Mali. His equipment furnishings were carried by 12.000 private slave women (Wasaif) wearing gown and brocade (dibaj) and Yemeni silk []. . [120], The old core of the empire was divided into three spheres of influence. The Mali Empire expanded through conquest or annexation. In addition, the moral and religious principles he had taught his subjects endured after his death. To Musa, Islam was "an entry into the cultured world of the Eastern Mediterranean". [51] Musa made a major point of showing off his nation's wealth. In 1481, Fula raids against Mali's Tekrur provinces began. 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. They founded the first village of the Manding, Kirikoroni, then Kirina, Siby, Kita. All gold was immediately handed over to the imperial treasury in return for an equal value of gold dust. 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. 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. His information about the empire came from visiting Malians taking the hajj, or pilgrim's voyage to Mecca. [86] Qu was succeeded by his son Muhammad, who launched two voyages to explore the Atlantic Ocean. Sundiata Keita is the first ruler for which there is accurate written information (through Ibn Khaldun). The tarikh states that a Sultan Kunburu became a Muslim and had his palace pulled down and the site turned into a mosque; he then built another palace for himself near the mosque on the east side. Ms Is hajj left a lasting impression of Malis splendour on both the Islamic and European worlds. He ruled the nation for nearly 25 years until his death in 1337 and is . The only real requirement was that the mansa knew he could trust this individual to safeguard imperial interests. So lavish was the emperor in his spending that he flooded the Cairo market with gold, thereby causing such a decline in its value that the market some 12 years later had still not fully recovered. Barring any other difficulties, the dyamani-tigui would run the province by himself collecting taxes and procuring armies from the tribes under his command. No single Keita ever ruled Manden after Mahmud Keita IV's death, resulting in the end of the Mali Empire. [74] The combined forces of northern and southern Manden defeated the Sosso army at the Battle of Kirina (then known as Krina) in approximately 1235. [92] He was one of the first truly devout Muslims to lead the Mali Empire. 4. Mansa Musa's pilgrimage to Mecca happened between 1324 and 1325. [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]. 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. [56] Musa and his entourage lingered in Mecca after the last day of the hajj. But the Mali Empire built by his predecessors was too strong for even his misrule and it passed intact to Musa's brother, Souleyman Keita in 1341. In 14331434, the Mali Empire lost control of Timbuktu to the Tuareg, led by Akil . While on the hajj, he met the Andalusian poet and architect es-Saheli. harvnb error: no target: CITEREFKi-ZerboNiane (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFLevztionHopkins2000 (. Mansa Musa's Pilgrimage to Mecca - Amazing Bible Timeline Mansa Musa: The Financial Recklessness of the Richest Man in History After the loyalty or at least the capitulation of an area was assured, it was allowed to select its own dyamani-tigui. 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. Musa conquered more than 20 major cities in his lifetime. 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. [45] Those animals included 80 camels which each carried 23136kg (50300lb) of gold dust. We care about our planet! 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. 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. Only sofa were equipped by the state, using bows and poisoned arrows. ), mansa (emperor) of the West African empire of Mali from 1307 (or 1312). [8] Suleyman's death marked the end of Mali's Golden Age and the beginning of a slow decline. [79] Some oral traditions agree with Ibn Khaldun in indicating that a son of Sunjata, named Yerelinkon in oral tradition and Wali in Arabic, took power as Sunjata's successor. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. Timbuktu became a major Islamic university center during the 14th century due to Mansa Musas developments. 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. Masuta the Descended - The RuneScape Wiki 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. At both Gao and Timbuktu, a Songhai city almost rivalling Gao in importance, Mansa Ms commissioned Ab Isq al-Sil, a Granada poet and architect who had travelled with him from Mecca, to build mosques. With trade being disrupted by wars, there was no way for the economy to continue to prosper. 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. [93] Mansa Maghan Keita I spent wastefully and was the first lacklustre emperor since Khalifa Keita. [98] Musa's hajj, and especially his gold, caught the attention of both the Islamic and Christian worlds. [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. Mansa Musa (Musa I of Mali) was the king of the ancient empire of Mali in West Africa. Mansa Musa Dbq Essay - 223 Words | Bartleby 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.