Another testimony from Ibn Khaldun describes the grand pilgrimage of Mansa Musa consisting of 12,000 slaves: "He made a pilgrimage in 724/1324 []. [76] After unifying Manden, he added the Wangara goldfields, making them the southern border. 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]. Mali was thriving for a long time, but like other west African kingdoms, Mali began to fall. He was crowned under the throne name Sunidata Keita becoming the first Mandinka emperor. 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]. According to Burkinab writer Joseph Ki-Zerbo, the farther a person travelled from Niani, the more decentralised the mansa's power became. His reign saw the first in a string of many great losses to Mali. During the height of Sundiata's power, the land of Manden (the area populated by the Mandinka people) became one of its provinces. The 1375 Catalan Atlas portrayed a "city of Melly" (Catalan: ciutat de Melly) in West Africa. World History Encyclopedia. A Golden Age: King Mansa Musa's Reign. [102] It seems quite possible that an exodus of the inhabitants took place at this juncture and the importance of the city was not revived until the rise of the Songhai empire. The World History Encyclopedia logo is a registered trademark. At the height of its power, Mali had at least 400 cities, and the interior of the Niger Delta was very densely populated. Al-Nasir expected Musa to prostrate himself before him, which Musa initially refused to do. There are a few references to Mali in early Islamic literature. [108] Alvise Cadamosto, a Venetian explorer, recorded that the Mali Empire was the most powerful entity on the coast in 1454. Mansa Musa began extending the shores of the empire alongside amassing great wealth and riches. 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,. The people of the south needed salt for their diet, but it was extremely rare. 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? Khalifa would shoot arrows at his subjects, so he was overthrown and killed. But more reasoned analysis suggests that his role, if any, was quite limited. The conquest of Sosso in c. 1235 gave the Mali Empire access to the trans-Saharan trade routes. [49] It has been suggested that the name given in the Arabic sources for the capital of Mali is derived the Manding word "bambi", meaning "dais", and as such refers to the "seat of government" in general rather than being the name of a specific city. During the 17th century, the Mali Empire faced incursions from the Bamana Empire. Mansa Musa eventually gained the throne owing to a strange sequence of events that turned in his favor. 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. [8] Mansa, 'ruler'[9] or 'king'[10] in Mand, was the title of the ruler of the Mali Empire. 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"). [128] Nevertheless, the mansa managed to keep tax money and nominal control over the area without agitating his subjects into revolt. 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]. [33] Some modern historians have cast doubt on Musa's version of events, suggesting he may have deposed his predecessor and devised the story about the voyage to explain how he took power. [112] Still, no help came from the envoy and further possessions of Mali were lost one by one. Who would native Malians have considered their greatest ruler? One of the greatest caravans to ever cross the Sahara was led by Mansa Musa, the legendary ruler of the vast West African empire of Mali. [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. 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. 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]. It then seized Timbuktu from the Tuareg in 1468 under Sunni Ali Ber. Upon stabbing their spears into the ground before Sundiata's throne, each of the twelve kings relinquished their kingdom to the Keita dynasty. [45] Those animals included 80 camels which each carried 23136kg (50300lb) of gold dust. It is unknown from whom he descended; however, another emperor, Mansa Maghan Keita III, is sometimes cited as Mansa Mahmud Keita I. [10], Mali, Mand, Manden, and Manding are all various pronunciations of the same word across different languages and dialects. 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. His equipment furnishings were carried by 12.000 private slave women (Wasaif) wearing gown and brocade (dibaj) and Yemeni silk []. Although this time in the kingdom was prosperous, Mali's wealth and power soon declined. [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. In 1645, the Bamana attacked Manden, seizing both banks of the Niger right up to Niani. 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. [118] Mahmud sought support from several other rulers, including the governor of Kala, Bukar. Umari also describes the empire as being south of Marrakesh and almost entirely inhabited except for few places. After Ibn Khaldun's death in 1406, there are no further Arab primary sources except for Leo Africanus, who wrote over a century later. 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. A very large number of families that make up the Mandinka community were born in Manding. Mansa means (King or Emperor) and he was ruling the Mali kingdom from C.E 1312 to 1337 for around 25 years. . Musa's reign is often regarded as the zenith of Mali's power and prestige. In the first millennium BC, early cities and towns were created by Mande peoples related to the Soninke people, along the middle Niger River in central Mali, including at Dia which began from around 900 BC, and reached its peak around 600 BC,[52] and Djenne-Djenno, which lasted from around 250 BC to 900 AD. 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. [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. On the return from Takedda to Morocco, his caravan transported 600 female servants, suggesting that indentured servitude was a substantial part of the commercial activity of the empire.[134]. [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. His leadership of Mali, a state which stretched across two thousand . Mansa Musa was a smart, powerful, competent Islamic autocrat who ruled over and expanded the Malian empire. Mali borrowed the practice to stem inflation of the substance, since it was so prominent in the region. Your email address will not be published. Al-Umari reported that Mali had fourteen provinces. [93] Emperor Bonga did not appear to hold the area, and it stayed within the Mali Empire after Maghan Keita III's death in 1400. [51] Musa made a major point of showing off his nation's wealth. "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. Mansa Musa brought the architect back to Mali to beautify some of the cities. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. Ibn Battuta observed the employment of servants in both towns. Imperial Mali's horsemen also used iron helmet and mail armour for defence[146] as well as shields similar to those of the infantry. Ibn Battuta, who visited the capital city from 1352 to 1353, called it Mali. Still, throne names do not usually indicate blood relations. Inside the world's wealthiest", "Mansa Musa (Musa I of Mali) | National Geographic Society", "The 25 richest people who ever lived inflation adjusted", "Civilization VI the Official Site | News | Civilization VI: Gathering Storm Mansa Musa Leads Mali", International Journal of African Historical Studies, "Searching for History in The Sunjata Epic: The Case of Fakoli", "chos d'Arabie. [86] After Sakura's death, power returned to the line of Sunjata, with Wali's son Qu taking the throne. Most West African canoes were of single-log construction, carved and dug out from one massive tree trunk.[144]. https://www.worldhistory.org/video/2147/mansa-musa-family-tree--empire-of-mali/. Via one of the royal ladies of his court, Musa transformed Sankore from an informal madrasah into an Islamic university. 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. Mansa Musa is potentially the richest person to ever live; as ruler of Mali from 1312 to 1337, he came into power after his brother, King Abu Bakr the Second, vanished on an oceanic voyage. [36][37][38], According to the Tarikh al-Fattash, Musa had a wife named Inari Konte. By the time they reached Suez, many of the Malian pilgrims had died of cold, starvation, or bandit raids, and they had lost many of their supplies. During Musa's 25-year-rule the Mali Empire more than tripled in size and had significant influence in several modern day countries including Mauritania, Senegal, Nigeria, Burkino Faso and Chad. The empire began as a small Mandinka kingdom at the upper reaches of the Niger River, centered around the Manding region. [123] Segou, defended by Bitn Coulibaly, successfully defended itself and Mama Maghan was forced to withdraw. Why did Ms I make a pilgrimage to Mecca? The family tree of Mansa Musa. The Manding languages were spoken in the empire. The wooden window frames of an upper storey were plated with silver foil; those of a lower storey with gold. However, the legendary oral tradition that surrounds Keita suggests that he never turned away from his native religion. In 1307, Mansa Musa came to the throne after a series of civil wars and ruled for thirty years. His name was Mansa Musa, and he was a devout Muslim. [107] The Gambia was still firmly in Mali's control, and these raiding expeditions met with disastrous fates before Portugal's Diogo Gomes began formal relations with Mali via its remaining Wolof subjects.