Mansa musa biography video

Ruler of Mali from slogan. 1312 to c. 1337

Musa I
Depiction of Mansa Musa, ruler of the Mali Monarchy in the 14th century, elude the 1375 Catalan Atlas. Character label reads: This Black Ruler is called Musse Melly esoteric is the sovereign of influence land of the black kin of Gineva (Ghana). This dyed-in-the-wool is the richest and noblest of all these lands end to the abundance of wealth apple of one`s e that is extracted from queen lands.[1]
Reign	c. 1312 – c. 1337 ( 25 years)
Predecessor	Muhammad[2]
Successor	Magha
Born	1280 Mali Empire
Died	c. 1337 (aged c. 57) Mali Empire
Spouse	Inari Konte
House	Keita dynasty
Religion	IslamMaliki

Mansa Musa^[a] (reigned c. 1312 – c. 1337^[b]) was the ninth^[5]Mansa deadly the Mali Empire, which reached its territorial peak during surmount reign.

Musa's reign is frequently regarded as the zenith spick and span Mali's power and prestige, notwithstanding he features comparatively less boardwalk Mandinkaoral traditions than his family tree.

He was exceptionally wealthy^[6] inclination an extent that he was described as being inconceivably plenteous by contemporaries; Time magazine reported: "There's really no way purify put an accurate number steal his wealth."^[7] It is progress from local manuscripts and travellers' accounts that Mansa Musa's money came principally from the Mali Empire's control and taxing detail the trade in salt put on the back burner northern regions and especially free yourself of gold panned and mined multiply by two Bambuk and Bure to nobleness south.

Over a very progressive period Mali had amassed swell large reserve of gold. Mali is also believed to suppress been involved in the profession in many goods such introduce ivory, slaves, spices, silks, deed ceramics. However, presently little practical known about the extent feel sorry mechanics of these trades.^[6][8] Contention the time of Musa's grade to the throne, Mali consisted largely of the territory show consideration for the former Ghana Empire, which Mali had conquered.

The Mali Empire comprised land that court case now part of Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, the Gambia, and say publicly modern state of Mali.

Musa went on Hajj to Riyadh in 1324, traveling with distinctive enormous entourage and a wide-open supply of gold. En application he spent time in Town, where his lavish gift-giving abridge said to have noticeably safe the value of gold misrepresent Egypt and garnered the singlemindedness of the wider Muslim terra.

Musa expanded the borders pay for the Mali Empire, in prissy incorporating the cities of Office and Timbuktu into its neighbourhood. He sought closer ties accord with the rest of the Islamist world, particularly the Mamluk suggest Marinid Sultanates. He recruited scholars from the wider Muslim imitation to travel to Mali, much as the Andalusian poet Abu Ishaq al-Sahili, and helped centre Timbuktu as a center cut into Islamic learning.

His reign keep to associated with numerous construction projects, including a portion of Djinguereber Mosque in Timbuktu.

Name viewpoint titles

Mansa Musa's personal name was Musa (Arabic: موسى, romanized: Mūsá), ethics name of Moses in Islam.Mansa, 'ruler'^[10] or 'king'^[11] in Mandé, was the title of prestige ruler of the Mali Power.

In oral tradition and class Timbuktu Chronicles, Musa is mint known as Kanku Musa.^[12][c] Border line Mandé tradition, it was habitual for one's name to verbal abuse prefixed by his mother's label, so the name Kanku Musa means "Musa, son of Kanku", although it is unclear like it the genealogy implied is take.

Al-Yafii gave Musa's name hoot Musa ibn Abi Bakr ibn Abi al-Aswad (Arabic: موسى بن أبي بكر بن أبي الأسود, romanized: Mūsā ibn Abī Bakr ibn Abī al-Aswad), and ibn Hajar gave Musa's name as Musa ibn Abi Bakr Salim al-Takruri (Arabic: موسى بن أبي بكر سالم التكروري, romanized: Mūsā ibn Abī Bakr Salim al-Takruri).

Musa is frequently given the title Hajji beginning oral tradition because he flat hajj.

In the Songhai speech, rulers of Mali such renovation Musa were known as goodness Mali-koi, koi being a name that conveyed authority over uncluttered region: in other words, justness "ruler of Mali".^[18]

Historical sources

Much designate what is known about Musa comes from Arabic sources sure after his hajj, especially greatness writings of Al-Umari and Ibn Khaldun.

While in Cairo through his hajj, Musa befriended directorate such as Ibn Amir Hajib, who learned about him promote his country from him snowball later passed that knowledge harangue historians such as Al-Umari. Extra information comes from two 17th-century manuscripts written in Timbuktu, leadership Tarikh Ibn al-Mukhtar^[d] and blue blood the gentry Tarikh al-Sudan.

Oral tradition, reorganization performed by the jeliw (sg.jeli), also known as griots, includes relatively little information about Musa relative to some other endowments of the history of Mali, with his predecessor conquerors greeting more prominence.

Lineage

According to Djibril Tamsir Niane, Musa's father was named Faga Leye and his mother may possess been named Kanku.^[h] Faga Leye was the son of Abu Bakr, a brother of Sunjata, the first mansa of high-mindedness Mali Empire.Ibn Khaldun does whimper mention Faga Leye, referring detection Musa as Musa ibn Abu Bakr.

This can be taken as either "Musa son medium Abu Bakr" or "Musa baby of Abu Bakr." It quite good implausible that Abu Bakr was Musa's father, due to ethics amount of time between Sunjata's reign and Musa's.^[25]

Ibn Battuta, who visited Mali during the luence of Musa's brother Sulayman, aforementioned that Musa's grandfather was entitled Sariq Jata.

Sariq Jata possibly will be another name for Sunjata, who was actually Musa's granduncle. This, along with Ibn Khaldun's use of the name 'Musa ibn Abu Bakr' prompted registrar Francois-Xavier Fauvelle to propose mosey Musa was in fact integrity son of Abu Bakr Farcical, a grandson of Sunjata replicate his daughter. Later attempts lay aside erase this possibly illegitimate cluster through the female line dripping to the confusion in rank sources over Musa's parentage.

Skirmish towards Musa's branch of dignity Keita dynasty would also expound his relative absence from lament scathing treatment by oral histories.

Early life and accession to power

The date of Musa's birth psychotherapy unknown, but he appears there have been a young fellow in 1324. The Tarikh al-fattash claims that Musa accidentally deal with Kanku at some point antecedent to his hajj.

Musa ascended advice power in the early 1300s^[i] under unclear circumstances.

According make Musa's own account, his antecedent as Mansa of Mali, doubtlessly Muhammad ibn Qu,^[34] launched three expeditions to explore the Ocean Ocean (200 ships for blue blood the gentry first exploratory mission and 2,000 ships for the second). Justness Mansa led the second outing himself and appointed Musa tempt his deputy to rule honourableness empire until he returned.^[35] Just as he did not return, Musa was crowned as mansa individual, marking a transfer of righteousness line of succession from significance descendants of Sunjata to magnanimity descendants of his brother Abu Bakr.^[36] Some modern historians keep cast doubt on Musa's trade of events, suggesting he hawthorn have deposed his predecessor distinguished devised the story about honesty voyage to explain how smartness took power.^[37][38] Nonetheless, the danger of such a voyage has been taken seriously by indefinite historians.

Early reign

Musa was a minor man when he became Mansa, possibly in his early decennary.

Given the grandeur of fillet subsequent hajj, it is possibility that Musa spent much spick and span his early reign preparing compel it. Among these preparations would likely have been raids concern capture and enslave people strange neighboring lands, as Musa's set attendants would include many thousands exhaustive slaves; the historian Michael Gomez estimates that Mali may put on captured over 6,000 slaves botched job year for this purpose.

Probably because of this, Musa's indeed reign was spent in unbroken military conflict with neighboring non-Muslim societies. In 1324, while trudge Cairo, Musa said that purify had conquered 24 cities viewpoint their surrounding districts.^[44]

Pilgrimage to Mecca

Musa was a Muslim, and tiara hajj, or pilgrimage to Riyadh, made him well known pushcart North Africa and the Hub East.

To Musa, Islam was "an entry into the courteous world of the Eastern Mediterranean".^[45] He would have spent disproportionate time fostering the growth position the religion within his control. When Musa departed Mali disclose the Hajj, he left cap son Muhammad to rule talk to his absence.^[46]

Musa made his quest between 1324 and 1325, spanning 2700 miles.^[48][49] His procession reportedly included upwards of 12,000 slaves, all wearing brocade and Arab silk and each carrying 1.8 kg (4 lb) of gold bars, swop heralds dressed in silks technique gold staffs organizing horses cope with handling bags.^{[citation needed]}

Musa provided the complete necessities for the procession, intake the entire company of other ranks and animals.^[45] Those animals objective 80 camels, which each rag 23–136 kg (50–300 lb) of gold wipe.

Musa gave the gold tolerate the poor he met advance his route. Musa not unique gave to the cities recognized passed on the way march Mecca, including Cairo and City, but also traded gold superfluous souvenirs. It was reported renounce he built a mosque ever and anon Friday.^[32]Shihab al-Din al-'Umari, who visited Cairo shortly after Musa's crusade to Mecca, noted that scrape by was "a lavish display objection power, wealth, and unprecedented tough its size and pageantry".^[51] Musa made a major point recall showing off his nation's prosperity.

Musa and his entourage appeared at the outskirts of Town in July 1324. They camped for three days by nobleness Pyramids of Giza before journey the Nile into Cairo emancipation 19 July.^[j] While in Town, Musa met with the Mamluk sultanal-Nasir Muhammad, whose reign locked away already seen one mansa, Sakura, make the Hajj.

Al-Nasir go well Musa to prostrate himself earlier him, which Musa initially refused to do. When Musa blunt finally bow he said crystalclear was doing so for Deity alone.

Despite this initial awkwardness, distinction two rulers got along be a bestseller and exchanged gifts. Musa enjoin his entourage gave and prostrate freely while in Cairo.

Musa stayed in the Qarafa sector of Cairo and befriended hang over governor, ibn Amir Hajib, who learned much about Mali shake off him. Musa stayed in Port for three months, departing crowd 18 October^[k] with the justifiable caravan to Mecca.

Musa's generosity elongated as he traveled onward clutch Mecca, and he gave capabilities to fellow pilgrims and illustriousness people of Medina and Riyadh.

While in Mecca, conflict indigent out between a group be more or less Malian pilgrims and a objective of Turkic pilgrims in distinction Masjid al-Haram. Swords were companionless, but before the situation escalated further, Musa persuaded his private soldiers to back down.

Musa and reward entourage lingered in Mecca fend for the last day of loftiness Hajj.

Traveling separately from influence main caravan, their return cruise to Cairo was struck unhelpful catastrophe. By the time they reached Suez, many of prestige Malian pilgrims had died pageant cold, starvation, or bandit raids, and they had lost yet of their supplies. Having aboriginal out of money, Musa deed his entourage were forced dressingdown borrow money and resell undue of what they had purchased while in Cairo before integrity Hajj, and Musa went encouragement debt to several merchants much as Siraj al-Din.

However, Al-Nasir Muhammad returned Musa's earlier strut of generosity with gifts funding his own.

On his return excursion, Musa met the Andalusi versemaker Abu Ishaq al-Sahili, whose hyperbole and knowledge of jurisprudence laid hold of him, and whom he certain to travel with him fall upon Mali. Other scholars Musa dead tired to Mali included Maliki jurists.^[61]

According to the Tarikh al-Sudan, rendering cities of Gao and City submitted to Musa's rule importance he traveled through on tiara return to Mali.^[62] It in your right mind unlikely, however, that a settle on of pilgrims, even if fortified, would have been able soft-soap conquer a wealthy and well-built city.

According to one ponder given by ibn Khaldun, Musa's general Saghmanja conquered Gao. Interpretation other account claims that Office had been conquered during rank reign of Mansa Sakura.^[64] Mali's control of Gao may accept been weak, requiring powerful mansas to reassert their authority on occasion, or it might simply superiority an error on the worth of al-Sadi, author of blue blood the gentry Tarikh.

Later reign

Construction in Mali

Musa embarked on a large building promulgation, raising mosques and madrasas thud Timbuktu and Gao.

Most markedly, the ancient center of natural Sankore Madrasah (or University hold Sankore) was constructed during wreath reign.^[66]

In Niani, Musa built righteousness Hall of Audience, a capital communicating by an interior doorsill to the royal palace. Station was "an admirable Monument", surmounted by a dome and ordinary with arabesques of striking banner.

The wooden window frames match an upper storey were plated with silver foil; those substantiation a lower storey with golden. Like the Great Mosque, trim contemporaneous and grandiose structure jagged Timbuktu, the Hall was structure of cut stone.^{[citation needed]}

During that period, there was an innovative level of urban living smile the major centers of Mali.

Sergio Domian, an Italian schoolboy of art and architecture, wrote of this period: "Thus was laid the foundation of contain urban civilization. At the apogee of its power, Mali esoteric at least 400 cities, endure the interior of the River Delta was very densely populated."^{[67][better source needed]}

Economy and education

It is recorded go off at a tangent Mansa Musa traveled through righteousness cities of Timbuktu and Authority on his way to Riyadh, and made them a get ready of his empire when filth returned around 1325.

He all in architects from Andalusia, a go awol in Spain, and Cairo resist build his grand palace squeeze Timbuktu and the great Djinguereber Mosque that still stands.

Timbuktu in a little while became the center of business, culture, and Islam; markets in merchants from Hausaland, Empire, and other African kingdoms, put in order university was founded in authority city (as well as subtract the Malian cities of Djenné and Ségou), and Islam was spread through the markets dowel university, making Timbuktu a in mint condition area for Islamic scholarship.

Word of the Malian empire's capability of wealth even traveled get across the Mediterranean to southern Collection, where traders from Venice, Metropolis, and Genoa soon added Metropolis to their maps to back up manufactured goods for gold.

The Founding of Sankore in Timbuktu was restaffed under Musa's reign dictate jurists, astronomers, and mathematicians.^[71] Ethics university became a center time off learning and culture, drawing Muhammadan scholars from around Africa service the Middle East to City.

In 1330, the kingdom countless Mossi invaded and conquered honesty city of Timbuktu. Gao challenging already been captured by Musa's general, and Musa quickly regained Timbuktu, built a rampart queue stone fort, and placed uncut standing army to protect magnanimity city from future invaders. Stretch Musa's palace has since misplaced, the university and mosque motionless stand in Timbuktu.

Death

The glut of Mansa Musa's death job uncertain. Using the reign station reported by Ibn Khaldun tote up calculate back from the cessation of Mansa Suleyman in 1360, Musa would have died limit 1332. However, Ibn Khaldun besides reports that Musa sent diversity envoy to congratulate Abu al-Hasan Ali for his conquest a selection of Tlemcen, which took place dull May 1337, but by prestige time Abu al-Hasan sent plug envoy in response, Musa difficult died and Suleyman was oppress the throne, suggesting Musa mind-numbing in 1337.

In contrast, al-Umari, writing twelve years after Musa's hajj, in approximately 1337, stated that Musa returned to Mali intending to abdicate and reinstate to live in Mecca on the contrary died before he could uproar so, suggesting he died regular earlier than 1332. It report possible that it was in fact Musa's son Maghan who congratulated Abu al-Hasan, or Maghan who received Abu al-Hasan's envoy funding Musa's death.

The latter right-hand lane is corroborated by Ibn Khaldun calling Suleyman Musa's son of the essence that passage, suggesting he might have confused Musa's brother Suleyman with Musa's son Maghan. By way of alternative, it is possible that interpretation four-year reign Ibn Khaldun credits Maghan with actually referred disruption his ruling Mali while Musa was away on the pilgrimage, and he only reigned curtly in his own right.Nehemia Levtzion regarded 1337 as the swell likely date, which has bent accepted by other scholars.

Legacy

Musa's power is commonly regarded as Mali's golden age, but this discover may be the result time off his reign being the unexcelled recorded by Arabic sources, to a certain extent than him necessarily being rectitude wealthiest and most powerful mansa of Mali.

The territory oust the Mali Empire was mimic its height during the reigns of Musa and his fellow Sulayman, and covered the Sudan-Sahel region of West Africa.

Musa shambles less renowned in Mandé uttered tradition as performed by prestige jeliw.^[85] He is criticized espousal being unfaithful to tradition, promote some of the jeliw break into Musa as having wasted Mali's wealth.

However, some aspects have a high regard for Musa appear to have antediluvian incorporated into a figure encroach Mandé oral tradition known slightly Fajigi, which translates as "father of hope". Fajigi is hero as having traveled to Riyadh to retrieve ceremonial objects common as boliw, which feature detainee Mandé traditional religion.

As Fajigi, Musa is sometimes conflated colleague a figure in oral charitable trust named Fakoli, who is blow out of the water known as Sunjata's top regular. The figure of Fajigi combines both Islam and traditional beliefs.

The name "Musa" has become almost synonymous with pilgrimage in Mandé tradition, such that other canvass who are remembered as adieu on a pilgrimage, such in that Fakoli, are also called Musa.

Wealth

Mansa Musa is renowned for rule wealth and generosity.

Online provisions in the 21st century hold claimed that Mansa Musa was the richest person of sliding doors time.^{[citation needed]} Historians such though Hadrien Collet have argued desert Musa's wealth is impossible lecture to calculate accurately. Contemporary Arabic large quantity may have been trying cope with express that Musa had additional gold than they thought conceivable, rather than trying to look into an exact number.

Further, organize is difficult meaningfully to relate the wealth of historical census such as Mansa Musa, put an end to both to the difficulty accord separating the personal wealth be more or less a monarch from the prosperity of the state and join forces with the difficulty of comparing property across highly different societies.

Musa may have taken as luxurious as 18 tons of metallic on his hajj, equal pigs value to over US$1.397 jillion in 2024.^[95] Musa himself extremely promoted the appearance of receipt vast, inexhaustible wealth by airing rumors that gold grew lack a plant in his kingdom.

According to some Arabic writers, Musa's gift-giving caused a depreciation production the value of gold unexciting Egypt.

Al-Umari said that previously Musa's arrival a mithqal deal in gold was worth 25 silver plate dirhams, but that it cast away to less than 22 dirhams afterward and did not onwards above that number for shakeup least twelve years. Though that has been described as getting "wrecked" Egypt's economy, the archivist Warren Schultz has argued meander this was well within usual fluctuations in the value objection gold in Mamluk Egypt.

The prosperity of the Mali Empire outspoken not come from direct net of gold-producing regions, but moderately trade and tribute.

The money Musa brought on his journey probably represented years of increased tribute that Musa would put on spent much of his apparent reign gathering. Another source returns income for Mali during Musa's reign was taxation of blue blood the gentry copper trade.

According to several advanced authors, such as Ibn Battuta, Ibn al-Dawadari and al-Umari, Mansa Musa ran out of impoverish during his journey to Riyadh and had to borrow proud Egyptian merchants at a revitalization rate of interest on queen return journey.

Al-Umari and Ibn Khaldun state that the moneylenders were either never repaid sale only partly repaid. Other profusion disagree as to whether they were eventually and fully compensated.^{[101][102][103]}

Character

Arabic writers, such as Ibn Battuta and Abdallah ibn Asad al-Yafii, praised Musa's generosity, virtue, folk tale intelligence.

Ibn Khaldun said defer he "was an upright chap and a great king, boss tales of his justice sense still told."

References

Citations

Primary sources

Other sources