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Another testimony from Ibn Khaldun describes the grand pilgrimage of Mansa Musa consisting of 12,000 slaves: "He made a pilgrimage in 724/1324 []. While the accounts are of limited length, they provide a fairly good picture of the empire at its height. The new Songhai Empire conquered Mema,[93] one of Mali's oldest possessions, in 1465. 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. 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). 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). It was reported that he built a mosque every Friday. 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. Several alternate spellings exist, such as Congo Musa, Gongo Musa, and Kankan Musa, but they are regarded as incorrect. In that year he succeeded his father, Abu Bakr II, to the throne and thus gained the hereditary title of mansa. We care about our planet! [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". The oldest brother, Srbandjougou Keita, was crowned Mansa Foamed or Mansa Musa Keita III. 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. It was this pilgrimage that awakened the world to the stupendous wealth of Mali. [129] The county level administrators called kafo-tigui (county-master) were appointed by the governor of the province from within his own circle. In addition, the moral and religious principles he had taught his subjects endured after his death. 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. Mansa Musa Keita was succeeded by his son, Maghan Keita I, in 1337. This led to inflation throughout the kingdom. Among these are references to "Pene" and "Malal" in the work of al-Bakri in 1068,[53][54] the story of the conversion of an early ruler, known to Ibn Khaldun (by 1397) as Barmandana,[55] and a few geographical details in the work of al-Idrisi. [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. She or he will best know the preferred format. He brought a large entourage with him which impressed people everywhere they went. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. [112] Still, no help came from the envoy and further possessions of Mali were lost one by one. [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. There are a few references to Mali in early Islamic literature. In approximately 1140 the Sosso kingdom of Kaniaga, a former vassal of Wagadou, began conquering the lands of its old rulers. This thread is archived 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. He made a famous pilgrimage to Mecca from 1324 to 1326. Swords were drawn, but before the situation escalated further, Musa persuaded his men to back down. We all know of Mansa Musa, possibly the richest man to ever exist. Its first meeting, at the famous Kouroukan Fouga (Division of the World), had 29 clan delegates presided over by a belen-tigui (master of ceremony). Sundiata's mother was Maghan Kon Fatta's second wife, Sogolon Kdjou. UsefulCharts, . Wagadou and Mema became junior partners in the realm and part of the imperial nucleus. He could read and write Arabic and took an interest in the scholarly city of Timbuktu, which he peaceably annexed in 1324. The next great unit of exchange in the Mali Empire was salt. All gold was immediately handed over to the imperial treasury in return for an equal value of gold dust. Sakura was able to stabilize the political situation in Mali. [115] The breakup of the Wolof Empire allowed Mali to reassert authority over some of its former subjects on the north bank of the Gambia, such as Wuli, by 1576. The House of Saud is ruled by the descendants of King Abdulaziz, who founded and unified Saudi Arabia in 1932. [47], According to Jules Vidal and Levtzion, citing oral histories from Kangaba and Keyla, another onetime capital was Manikoro or Mali-Kura, founded after the destruction of Niani. When Musa departed Mali for the hajj, he left his son Muhammad to rule in his absence. [120] Each ruler used the title of mansa, but their authority only extended as far as their own sphere of influence. Several of the names are spelled in a variety of ways in different manuscripts. [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. The Twelve Doors of Mali were a coalition of conquered or allied territories, mostly within Manden, with sworn allegiance to Sundiata and his descendants. Mansa means (King or Emperor) and he was ruling the Mali kingdom from C.E 1312 to 1337 for around 25 years. His information about the empire came from visiting Malians taking the hajj, or pilgrim's voyage to Mecca. This can be interpreted as either "Musa son of Abu Bakr" or "Musa descendant of Abu Bakr." More than sixty years after the reign of Sundiata Keita, one of his descendants rose to become the King of Mali. Our publication has been reviewed for educational use by Common Sense Education, Internet Scout (University of Wisconsin), Merlot (California State University), OER Commons and the School Library Journal. [8] Suleyman's death marked the end of Mali's Golden Age and the beginning of a slow decline. [76] The latter possibility is corroborated by Ibn Khaldun calling Suleyman Musa's son in that passage, suggesting he may have confused Musa's brother Suleyman with Musa's son Maghan. [26][17] Ibn Khaldun said that he "was an upright man and a great king, and tales of his justice are still told."[101]. Stride, G. T., & C. Ifeka: "Peoples and Empires of West Africa: West Africa in History 10001800". [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]. This region straddles the border between what is now southern Mali and northeastern Guinea. Musa gave the gold to the poor he met along his route. Mansa Souleyman Keita died in 1360 and was succeeded by his son, Camba Keita. [56], In the 1960s, archaeological work at Niani village, reputed to be the capital of the Mali Empire, by Polish and Guinean archaeologists revealed the remains of a substantial town dating back as far as the 6th century. [93] Sandaki Keita should not however be taken to be this person's name but a title. World History Encyclopedia. Mansa Musa was the great-great-grandson of Sunjata, who was the founder of the empire of Mali. The empire he founded became one of the richest in the world, and his descendants included one of the richest individuals to ever live, Mansa Musa. Wali was succeeded by his brother Wati, about whom nothing is known,[82][83] and then his brother Khalifa. Mahmud Keita, possibly a grandchild or great-grandchild of Mansa Gao Keita, was crowned Mansa Maghan Keita III in 1390. [45], Many oral histories point to a town called Dakajalan as the original home of the Keita clan and Sundiata's childhood home and base of operations during the war against the Soso. [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. Mansa Musa Family Tree | Empire of Mali. [62] According to one account given by Ibn Khaldun, Musa's general Saghmanja conquered Gao. 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. During this period, trade routes shifted southward to the savanna, stimulating the growth of states such as Bono state. 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. 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. Sergio Domian, an Italian scholar of art and architecture, wrote of this period: "Thus was laid the foundation of an urban civilization. [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. 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). These oral stories . Bowmen formed a large portion of the field army as well as the garrison. 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. 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. [105][106] Three years later, Oualata also fell into their hands. [69] The Kangaba province, free of Sonink influence, splintered into twelve kingdoms with their own maghan (meaning prince) or faama. His riches came from mining significant salt and gold deposits in the Mali kingdom. Mansa Musa also ran out of gold on the hajj to Mecca but was not concerned because he knew he had enough gold back in Mali to pay back everyone he owed money to. Heusch, Luc de: "The Symbolic Mechanisms of Sacred Kingship: Rediscovering Frazer". [40], Musa was a young man when he became mansa, possibly in his early twenties. [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. [60] The anglicised version of this name, Sunjata, is also popular. Today, his net worth is estimated to have been $400 billion. Kangaba, the de facto capital of Manden since the time of the last emperor, became the capital of the northern sphere. The historian al-Umar, who visited Cairo 12 years after the emperors visit, found the inhabitants of this city, with a population estimated at one million, still singing the praises of Mansa Ms. [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]. The only real requirement was that the mansa knew he could trust this individual to safeguard imperial interests. UsefulCharts, . The growing trade in Mali's western provinces with Portugal witnessed the exchange of envoys between the two nations. [60] In return for their submission, they became "farbas", a combination of the Mandinka words "farin" and "ba" (great farin). Consequently, the name of Mali and Timbuktu appeared on 14th century world maps. Mansa Ms, whose empire was one of the largest in the world at that time, is reported to have observed that it would take a year to travel from one end of his empire to the other. Mansa Musa (Musa I of Mali) was the king of the ancient empire of Mali in West Africa. Musa's death may have occurred in 1337, 1332, or possibly even earlier, giving 1307 or 1312 as plausible approximate years of accession. 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? The voyage is often incorrectly attributed to a Mansa Abu Bakr II, but no such mansa ever reigned. Salt was as valuable, if not more valuable, than gold in sub-Saharan Africa. [45] Those animals included 80 camels which each carried 23136kg (50300lb) of gold dust. A legend claims that Sunjata transformed into a hippopotamus. [70][141] With the help of the river clans, this army could be deployed throughout the realm on short notice. Web. In Niani, Musa built the Hall of Audience, a building communicating by an interior door to the royal palace. We would much rather spend this money on producing more free history content for the world. 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. [j][52][53] While in Cairo, Musa met with the Mamluk sultan al-Nasir Muhammad, whose reign had already seen one mansa, Sakura, make the hajj. One of the five pillars of Islam states that Muslims should embark on a pilgrimage known as Hajj, to the holy city of Mecca.. The only Mandinka power spared from the campaign was Kangaba. In the interregnum following Sunjata's death, the jomba or court slaves may have held power. [86] Fajigi is remembered as having traveled to Mecca to retrieve ceremonial objects known as boliw, which feature in Mand traditional religion. UsefulCharts, . This is the least known period in Mali's imperial history. In 1481, Fula raids against Mali's Tekrur provinces began. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. Musa embarked on a large building program, raising mosques and madrasas in Timbuktu and Gao. To his parents' dread, the prince did not have a promising start. His elaborate pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca in 1324 introduced him to rulers in the Middle East and in Europe. The mansa could also replace a farba if he got out of control, as in the case of Diafunu. The Mali Empire (Manding: Mand[3] or Manden; Arabic: , romanized:Ml) was an empire in West Africa from c. 1226 to 1670. 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. 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. [92] He was one of the first truly devout Muslims to lead the Mali Empire. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. In the 17th year of his reign (1324), he set out on his famous pilgrimage to Mecca. Trade was Mali's form of income, and wealth. The history of the Mandinka started in Manding region. He has been subject to popular claims that he is the wealthiest person in history,[5] but his actual wealth is not known with any certainty. [137], Copper was also a valued commodity in imperial Mali. Afterward, he put himself and his kingdom, West Africa's Mali, on the map, literally. 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. Eventually, due to Muhammad's failure to return, Musa was recognized as mansa.[89]. [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. Mansa Musa's pilgrimage to Mecca happened between 1324 and 1325. [17] Whether Mali originated as the name of a town or region, the name was subsequently applied to the entire empire ruled from Mali. [96], According to some Arabic writers, Musa's gift-giving caused a depreciation in the value of gold in Egypt. Like the Great Mosque, a contemporaneous and grandiose structure in Timbuktu, the Hall was built of cut stone. He ruled oppressively and nearly bankrupted Mali with his lavish spending. The army of the Mali Empire used of a wide variety of weapons depending largely on where the troops originated. He became emperor in 1307. This was due to the tax on trade in and out of the empire, along with all the gold Mansa Musa had. Mansa Mss prodigious generosity and piety, as well as the fine clothes and exemplary behaviour of his followers, did not fail to create a most-favourable impression. [136] While it was as good as gold in the north, it was even better in the south. Sundiata, according to the oral traditions, did not walk until he was seven years old. [76] After unifying Manden, he added the Wangara goldfields, making them the southern border. 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