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. In Mali he promoted trans-Saharan trade that further increased the empires wealth. [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. 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. The Gao mosque was built of burnt bricks, which had not, until then, been used as a material for building in West Africa. [60] The anglicised version of this name, Sunjata, is also popular. CREDITS: Chart/Narration: Matt Baker. However, Al-Nasir Muhammad returned Musa's earlier show of generosity with gifts of his own. The other account claims that Gao had been conquered during the reign of Mansa Sakura. Like the Great Mosque, a contemporaneous and grandiose structure in Timbuktu, the Hall was built of cut stone. Musa's reign is often regarded as the zenith of Mali's power and prestige. Ms I of Mali, Ms also spelled Musa or Mousa, also called Kankan Ms or Mansa Musa, (died 1332/37? 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. Musa expanded the borders of the Mali Empire, in particular incorporating the cities of Gao and Timbuktu into its territory. Musa gave the gold to the poor he met along his route. Emperors and Empresses from Around the (Non-Roman) World Quiz, Armand-Jean du Plessis, cardinal et duc de Richelieu, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Musa-I-of-Mali, World History Encyclopedia - Mansa Musa I, Musa - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). 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. The Mali Empire covered a larger area for a longer period of time than any other West African state before or since. Eventually, due to Muhammad's failure to return, Musa was recognized as mansa.[89]. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. 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]. [102] The text of Ibn Khaldun says "Gao, at this time is devastated". Gold dust was used all over the empire, but was not valued equally in all regions. King of Kings in the Mandinka language a reference to a great ruler in the Mali Empire of ancient Africa. His 25-year reign (1312-1337 CE) is described as "the golden age of . One of the five pillars of Islam states that Muslims should embark on a pilgrimage known as Hajj, to the holy city of Mecca.. Mansa Musa ruled the Malian empire from 1312-1337 CE. The identification of Niani as imperial capital is rooted in an (possibly erroneous) interpretation of the Arab traveler al Umari's work, as well as some oral histories. [69] The university became a center of learning and culture, drawing Muslim scholars from around Africa and the Middle East to Timbuktu. Mansa Musa Family Tree | Empire of Mali. [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. Rather, authority would rest with the mansa and his court, wherever he went. We would much rather spend this money on producing more free history content for the world. [27] His list does not necessarily accurately reflect the actual organization of the Mali Empire,[28] and the identification of the listed provinces is controversial. The video and its description text are provided by Youtube. It wasn't long before the new kingdom of Great Fulo was warring against Mali's remaining provinces. It was common practice during the Middle Ages for both Christian and Muslim rulers to tie their bloodline back to a pivotal figure in their faith's history, so the lineage of the Keita dynasty may be dubious at best,[62] yet African Muslim scholars like the London-based Nigerian-British cleric Sheikh Abu-Abdullah Adelabu have laid claim of divine attainments to the reign of Mansa Mousa: "in Islamic history and its science stories of Old Mali Empire and significance of Mansa Mousa by ancient Muslim historians like Shihab al-Umari, documenting histories of African legendaries like Mansa Kankan Musa did actually exist in early Arabic sources about West African history including works of the author of Subh al-a 'sha one of the final expressions of the genre of Arabic administrative literature, Ahmad al-Qalqashandi Egyptian writer, mathematician and scribe of the scroll (katib al-darj) in the Mamluk chancery in Cairo[63] as well as by the author of Kitab al-Masalik wa al-Mamalik (Book of Highways and Kingdoms) Ab Ubayd Al-Bakri, an Arab Andalusian Muslim geographer and historian emboldened Keita Dynasty", wrote Adelabu. To his parents' dread, the prince did not have a promising start. Via one of the royal ladies of his court, Musa transformed Sankore from an informal madrasah into an Islamic university. [70] Manden was split in half with the Dodougou territory to the northeast and the Kri territory to the southwest. [8] Mansa, 'ruler'[9] or 'king'[10] in Mand, was the title of the ruler of the Mali Empire. [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. [8] Suleyman's death marked the end of Mali's Golden Age and the beginning of a slow decline. [citation needed]. [99] Mosques were built in Gao and Timbuktu along with impressive palaces also built in Timbuktu. "[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. Ibn Battuta comments on festival demonstrations of swordplay before the mansa by his retainers including the royal interpreter. She or he will best know the preferred format. According to Burkinab writer Joseph Ki-Zerbo, the farther a person travelled from Niani, the more decentralised the mansa's power became. Abu Bakr was the first and only mansa to inherit through the female line, which has been argued to be either a break from or a return to tradition. The date of Mansa Musa's death is not certain. [44] Niani's reputation as an imperial capital may derive from its importance in the late imperial period, when the Songhai Empire to the northeast pushed Mali back to the Manding heartland. Musa embarked on a large building program, raising mosques and madrasas in Timbuktu and Gao. [140], The Mali Empire maintained a semi-professional, full-time army in order to defend its borders. In the 17th year of his reign (1324), he set out on his famous pilgrimage to Mecca. The emperor was so overjoyed by the new acquisition that he decided to delay his return to Niani and to visit Gao instead, there to receive the personal submission of the Songhai king and take the kings two sons as hostages. While this was probably an exaggeration, it is known that during his pilgrimage to Mecca one of his generals, Sagmandia (Sagaman-dir), extended the empire by capturing the Songhai capital of Gao. Mansa means (King or Emperor) and he was ruling the Mali kingdom from C.E 1312 to 1337 for around 25 years. Songhai forces under the command of Askia Muhammad I defeated the Mali general Fati Quali Keita in 1502 and seized the province of Diafunu. UsefulCharts, . 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. Intro animation: Syawish Rehman. [70] Gbr Keita was crowned Mansa Ouali Keita II and ruled during the period of Mali's contact with Portugal. King Mansa Musa is famous for his Hajj journey, during which he stopped off in Egypt and gave out so much gold that the Egyptian economy was ruined for years to come. [75] This victory resulted in the fall of the Kaniaga kingdom and the rise of the Mali Empire. This can be interpreted as either "Musa son of Abu Bakr" or "Musa descendant of Abu Bakr." 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. Musa was a Muslim, and his pilgrimage to Mecca, also known as hajj, made him well known across Northern Africa and the Middle East. The bow figured prominently in Mandinka warfare and was a symbol of military force throughout the culture. Musa and his entourage gave and spent freely while in Cairo. Well after his death, Mansa Musa remained engrained in the imagination of the world as a symbol of fabulous wealth. Malink, also known as Mande, Mali, or Melle, was founded around 1200 CE, and under Mansa Musa's reign . [100], Arabic writers, such as Ibn Battuta and Abdallah ibn Asad al-Yafii, praised Musa's generosity, virtue, and intelligence. These conflicts also interrupted trade. His equipment furnishings were carried by 12.000 private slave women (Wasaif) wearing gown and brocade (dibaj) and Yemeni silk []. and transl. Mansa Musa Keita was succeeded by his son, Maghan Keita I, in 1337. The only real requirement was that the mansa knew he could trust this individual to safeguard imperial interests. It was this pilgrimage that awakened the world to the stupendous wealth of Mali. 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). [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. Mansa Musa was immensely wealthy (whether he can be regarded as personally wealthy or wealthy because he controlled the gold mines of Mali is, of course, a . Mans third spouse tells court he was a despot, Woman describes treatment in Aguanga torture trial, Social worker: Children in torture case appeared happy, healthy, Calif. torture trial airs family horror stories, Polygamist who tortured his family is sentenced to 7 life terms, Aguanga man to serve seven life sentences, Emerging from a notorious hell of abuse to counsel others, Laura Cowan, Mansa Musa Muhummed: Sex, Torture, Beatings In Muslim Cult, Former Polygamy Wife Speaks Out On Justice By Any Means. Log in, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). Editing: Jack Rackam. It was this pilgrimage that awakened the world to the stupendous wealth of Mali. [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. 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. [92] He was one of the first truly devout Muslims to lead the Mali Empire. Today, his net worth is estimated to have been $400 billion. His reign came with huge physical, economic and intellectual development in the Mali Empire. [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. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [17] Whether Mali originated as the name of a town or region, the name was subsequently applied to the entire empire ruled from Mali. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. UsefulCharts, . Mali is the Fula form of the word. The 1375 Catalan Atlas portrayed a "city of Melly" (Catalan: ciutat de Melly) in West Africa. He brought back with him descendants of Mohammed, Islamic scholars, and architect Abu Es Haq es Saheli, who went on to create the Djinguereber mosque. In 1534, Mahmud III, the grandson of Mahmud II, received another Portuguese envoy to the Mali court by the name of Pero Fernandes. He had first-hand information from several sources, and from a second-hand source, he learned of the visit of Mansa Musa. 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. Around 1550, Mali attacked Bighu in an effort to regain access to its gold. Mansa Mahmud Keita II's rule was characterised by more losses to Mali's old possessions and increased contact between Mali and Portuguese explorers along the coast. At its peak, Mali was the largest empire in West Africa, widely . Hamana (or Amana), southwest of Joma, became the southern sphere, with its capital at Kouroussa in modern Guinea. Musa I (known more commonly as Mansa Musa) was the tenth Mansa (a Mandinka word for "emperor") of the Mali Empire. The child of this marriage received the first name of his mother (Sogolon) and the surname of his father (Djata). [43] In 1324, while in Cairo, Musa said that he had conquered 24 cities and their surrounding districts.[44]. National Geographic Headquarters 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036. During this period only the Mongol Empire was larger. The other major source of information comes from Mandinka oral tradition, as recorded by storytellers known as griots.[5]. [132], The Mali Empire flourished because of its trade above all else. As soon as Sassouma's son Dankaran Touman took the throne, he and his mother forced the increasingly popular Sundjata into exile along with his mother and two sisters. Gao had already been captured by Musa's general, and Musa quickly regained Timbuktu, built a rampart and stone fort, and placed a standing army to protect the city from future invaders.[70]. 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. Mansa Musa (about 1280 - about 1337) was an emperor (mansa) of the Mali Empire during the 14th century. "Mansa Musa Family Tree | Empire of Mali." 4. 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. The Venetian explorer Alvise Cadamosto and Portuguese traders confirmed that the peoples of the Gambia were still subject to the mansa of Mali. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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]. He ruled between 707-732/737 according to the Islamic calendar (AH), which translates to 1307-1332/1337 CE. [27] The date of Musa's birth is unknown, but he still appeared to be a young man in 1324. [93] In 1514, the Denianke dynasty was established in Tekrour. . There are a few references to Mali in early Islamic literature. They are descendants of. 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. The three states warred with each other as much, if not more, than they did against outsiders, but rivalries generally stopped when faced with invasion. 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. [81] He went on the hajj during the reign of Mamluk sultan Baibars (12601277). Sadly for Sundjata, this did not occur before his father died. During this period, there was an advanced level of urban living in the major centers of Mali. [22], Genealogy of the mansas of the Mali Empire up to Magha II (d.c.1389), based on Levtzion's interpretation of Ibn Khaldun. 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 provided all necessities for the procession, feeding the entire company of men and animals. [115], Mali's fortunes seem to have improved in the second half of the 16th century. [93] Only at the state or province level was there any palpable interference from the central authority in Niani. At the height of its power, Mali had at least 400 cities, and the interior of the Niger Delta was very densely populated. 1312 is the most widely accepted by modern historians. His reign saw the first in a string of many great losses to Mali. [e] After the loss of the first expedition, Muhammad led the second expedition himself. The Mali Empire expanded through conquest or annexation. Historians who lived during the height and decline of the Mali Empire consistently record its standing army peaking at 100,000, with 10,000 of that number being made up of cavalry.
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