The Mali Empire consisted of land that is now part of Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, The Gambia, and the modern state of Mali. The Sahelian and Saharan towns of the Mali Empire were organised as both staging posts in the long-distance caravan trade and trading centres for the various West African products. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. However, it went through radical changes before reaching the legendary proportions proclaimed by its subjects. However, territories that were crucial to trade or subject to revolt would receive a farba. [60] In return for their submission, they became "farbas", a combination of the Mandinka words "farin" and "ba" (great farin). Omissions? The only major setback to his reign was the loss of Mali's Dyolof province in Senegal. He was an extremely successful military leader Mansa Ms, either the grandson or the grandnephew of Sundiata, the founder of his dynasty, came to the throne in 1307. [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.". 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. [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. Sundiata's mother was Maghan Kon Fatta's second wife, Sogolon Kdjou. [93] He did not, however, hold the power of previous mansas because of the influence of his kankoro-sigui. Upon stabbing their spears into the ground before Sundiata's throne, each of the twelve kings relinquished their kingdom to the Keita dynasty. It was this pilgrimage that awakened the world to the stupendous wealth of Mali. At the age of 18, he gained authority over all the 12 kingdoms in an alliance that would become the Mali Empire. Maghan Sundiata was declared "faama of faamas" and received the title "mansa", which translates as "king". [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. Also, Sundiata divided the lands amongst the people assuring everyone had a place in the empire and fixed exchange rates for common products[127]. Trade was Mali's form of income, and wealth. Intro music: "Lord of the Land" by Kevin MacLeod and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution license 4.0. 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. [83] He is criticized for being unfaithful to tradition, and some of the jeliw regard Musa as having wasted Mali's wealth. The final incarnation of the Gbara, according to the surviving traditions of northern Guinea, held 32 positions occupied by 28 clans. 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. The kingdom of Mali was relatively unknown outside of West Africa until this event. Following the death of Sundiata Keita in c. 1255, the kings of Mali were referred to by the title mansa. Free warriors from the south came armed with bows and poisonous arrows. [118] Mahmud sought support from several other rulers, including the governor of Kala, Bukar. Using the reign lengths reported by Ibn Khaldun to calculate back from the death of Mansa Suleyman in 1360, Musa would have died in 1332. 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. After the loyalty or at least the capitulation of an area was assured, it was allowed to select its own dyamani-tigui. Mansa Musa developed cities like Timbuktu and Gao into important cultural centers. It may have been located close to modern Kangaba. Only sofa were equipped by the state, using bows and poisoned arrows. [122] This campaign gutted Manden and destroyed any hope of the three mansas cooperating to free their land. 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. Upon his return in 1324, Ms Is pious pilgrimage inspired him to commission two enormous mosques in Timbuktu and Gao. The Mali Empire (Manding: Mand or Manden; Arabic: , romanized: Ml) was an empire in West Africa from c. 1226 to 1670. The value of the salt was chiefly determined by the transport costs. He left Kanku Musa, a grandson of Sunjata's brother Mande Bori, in charge during his absence. 05 Mar 2023. [61], According to the Tarikh al-Sudan, the cities of Gao and Timbuktu submitted to Musa's rule as he traveled through on his return to Mali. From the Mamma Haidara Commemorative Library, Timbuktu. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. [132], The Mali Empire flourished because of its trade above all else. Mansa Musa (about 1280 - about 1337) was an emperor (mansa) of the Mali Empire during the 14th century. At Taghaza, for example, salt was exchanged; at Takedda, copper. 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]. 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. At the height of its power, Mali had at least 400 cities, and the interior of the Niger Delta was very densely populated. [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. by UsefulCharts. The Black emperors great civility notwithstanding, the meeting between the two rulers might have ended in a serious diplomatic incident, for so absorbed was Mansa Ms in his religious observances that he was only with difficulty persuaded to pay a formal visit to the sultan. Musa Keita I (c. 1280 - c. 1337), or Mansa Musa, was the ninth Mansa of the Mali Empire, one of the most powerful West African states. [83] This term was used interchangeably with dinar, though it is unclear if coined currency was used in the empire. It is unknown from whom he descended; however, another emperor, Mansa Maghan Keita III, is sometimes cited as Mansa Mahmud Keita I. . Geography, Human Geography, Social Studies, Ancient Civilizations, World History. Bukar professed his support, but believing Mahmud's situation to be hopeless, secretly went over to the Moroccans. 1312 is the most widely accepted by modern historians. The family tree of Mansa Musa. 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. In Mali he promoted trans-Saharan trade that further increased the empires wealth. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. One of these was Dioma, an area south of Niani populated by Fula Wassoulounk. According to Ibn Battuta who visited Mali in the mid-14th century, one camel load of salt sold at Walata for 810 mithqals of gold, but in Mali proper it realised 2030 ducats and sometimes even 40. https://www.worldhistory.org/video/2147/mansa-musa-family-tree--empire-of-mali/. Ibn Battuta comments on festival demonstrations of swordplay before the mansa by his retainers including the royal interpreter. With trade being disrupted by wars, there was no way for the economy to continue to prosper. As a result of steady tax revenue and stable government beginning in the last quarter of the 13th century, the Mali Empire was able to project its power throughout its own extensive domain and beyond. [86] After Sakura's death, power returned to the line of Sunjata, with Wali's son Qu taking the throne. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. National Geographic Society is a 501 (c)(3) organization. He brought a large entourage with him which impressed people everywhere they went. However, Al-Nasir Muhammad returned Musa's earlier show of generosity with gifts of his own. He is believed to be one of the richest individuals to have walked on this planet. 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 stayed in the Qarafa district of Cairo, and befriended its governor, Ibn Amir Hajib, who learned much about Mali from him. Intro animation: Syawish Rehman. Under Mansa Ms, Timbuktu grew to be a very important commercial city having caravan connections with Egypt and with all other important trade centres in North Africa. According to Burkinab writer Joseph Ki-Zerbo, the farther a person travelled from Niani, the more decentralised the mansa's power became. During his reign, Mali was one of the richest kingdoms of Africa, and Mansa Musa was among the richest individuals in the world. His elaborate pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca in 1324 introduced him to rulers in the Middle East and in Europe. The other major source of information comes from Mandinka oral tradition, as recorded by storytellers known as griots.[5]. 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. [19], Much of what is known about Musa comes from Arabic sources written after his hajj, especially the writings of Al-Umari and Ibn Khaldun. It then seized Timbuktu from the Tuareg in 1468 under Sunni Ali Ber. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. He was crowned under the throne name Sunidata Keita becoming the first Mandinka emperor. 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. [135] Gold nuggets were the exclusive property of the mansa and were illegal to trade within his borders. [45] He would have spent much time fostering the growth of the religion within his empire. His generous gifts to Mamluk Egypt and his expenditure of gold caused significant inflation in Egypt. [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. Musa made his pilgrimage between 1324 and 1325 spanning 2,700 miles. [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. [133], There was no standard currency throughout the realm, but several forms were prominent by region. The Manding languages were spoken in the empire. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. Masuta the Descended is a miniboss in The Shadow Reef. "[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. 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). Musa gave the gold to the poor he met along his route. In the 17th year of his reign (1324), he set out on his famous pilgrimage to Mecca. World History Encyclopedia. Manuscript of Nasir al-Din Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn al-Hajj al-Amin al-Tawathi al-Ghalawi's Kashf al-Ghummah fi Nafa al-Ummah. The date of Mahmud's death and identity of his immediate successor are not recorded, and there is a gap of 65 years before another mansa's identity is recorded. Mansa Musa (died 1337), king of the Mali empire in West Africa, is known mostly for his fabulous pilgrimage to Mecca and for his promotion of unity and prosperity within Mali. When Musa departed Mali for the hajj, he left his son Muhammad to rule in his absence. [128] Nevertheless, the mansa managed to keep tax money and nominal control over the area without agitating his subjects into revolt. Salt was as valuable, if not more valuable, than gold in sub-Saharan Africa. [10], Mali, Mand, Manden, and Manding are all various pronunciations of the same word across different languages and dialects. [136] One particular source of salt in the Mali Empire was salt-mining sites located in Taghaza. [75] This victory resulted in the fall of the Kaniaga kingdom and the rise of the Mali Empire. After a mere nine months of rule, Mansa Camba Keita was deposed by one of Maghan Keita I's three sons. . At each halt, he would regale us [his entourage] rare foods and confectionery. The Catalan Atlas, created in 1375 C.E. and transl. [80] Ibn Khaldun regarded Wali as one of Mali's greatest rulers. Mansa Musa turned the kingdom of Mali into a sophisticated center of learning in the Islamic world.Mansa Musa came to power in 1312 C.E., after the previous king, Abu Bakr II, disappeared at sea. That same year, Mahmud II sent another envoy to the Portuguese proposing alliance against the Fula. Mali is the Fula form of the word. Like the Great Mosque, a contemporaneous and grandiose structure in Timbuktu, the Hall was built of cut stone. Today, his net worth is estimated to have been $400 billion. 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. 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. Masuta performs many of the same attacks as his original incarnation (though he yells a quote prior to using his abilities), but does not summon thrashing waters or create . [76] After unifying Manden, he added the Wangara goldfields, making them the southern border. Musa expanded the borders of the Mali Empire, in particular incorporating the cities of Gao and Timbuktu into its territory. 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. [70][141] With the help of the river clans, this army could be deployed throughout the realm on short notice. Log in, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). It was reported that he built a mosque every Friday. This enabled him to rule over a realm larger than even the Ghana Empire in its apex. It was "an admirable Monument", surmounted by a dome and adorned with arabesques of striking colours. The latter told Ibn Khaldun about devastating struggle over Gao between Mali imperial forces against Berber Tuareg forces from Takedda. At its peak, Mali was the largest empire in West Africa, widely . Timbuktu became a major Islamic university center during the 14th century due to Mansa Musas developments.
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