[84] As Fajigi, Musa is sometimes conflated with a figure in oral tradition named Fakoli, who is best known as Sunjata's top general. However, during his reign the kingdom grew far and wide with the new king annexing around 24 cities, stretching the border of the empire from the Atlantic Ocean on the east to what is now Niger in the west. Mansa Musa I ruled West Africa's Malian Empire in the early 1300s, making his fortune by exploiting his country's salt and gold production. The 16-year-old Ethiopian High School Student is being lauded for single-handedly designing and assembling two mini rockets. Emperor Mana Musa, born Musa Keita I in 1312 died in 1337. Did Mansa Musa ruin Egypts economy? On his return from his Hajj trip to Mali, Mansa Musa would devote himself to his kingdom and embark in a frenzy of activities planning and building mosques, universities (Madrassas) and turning his kingdom into a reputable Centre of Islamic learning and culture. His wealth was so vast that historians and economists struggle to put an official number on it. It was as a result of Musa Keitas brilliance and design, however, that the Kingdom expanded to legendary status. Emperor Kankan Musa. Mansa Musa The Richest African King King Ki'el 2020-05-10 Urbantoons "The King Of Mali", is a story about the rise of a young African boy named Musa, who grew up humbly in the Mali Empire under the King Sundiata. [80], Musa is less renowned in Mand oral tradition as performed by the jeliw. [26] Al-Umari who visited Cairo shortly after Musa's pilgrimage to Mecca, noted that it was "a lavish display of power, wealth, and unprecedented by its size and pageantry". [69] In contrast, al-Umari, writing twelve years after Musa's hajj, in approximately 1337,[70] claimed that Musa returned to Mali intending to abdicate and return to live in Mecca but died before he could do so,[71] suggesting he died even earlier than 1332. Mansa, 'ruler' or 'king' in Mande, was the title of the ruler of the Mali Empire. Musa Keita 1s life paints a picture of the larger Africa, one of splendour and unfathomable richness of culture, religion, resources and above all else, people. He let the ruler of Cairo know that he was not there to discuss politics; he was on a sacred pilgrimage to Mecca and just stopping by. Mansa Musa - The Richest African King by Ki'El King Groomed to a royal guard for the king, Musa had a bigger dream. While in Cairo, Mansa Musa met with the Sultan of Egypt, and his caravan spent and gave away so much gold that the overall value of gold decreased in Egypt for the next 12 years. His net worth would have topped $400 billion in today's dollars. [72] It is possible that it was actually Musa's son Maghan who congratulated Abu al-Hasan, or Maghan who received Abu al-Hasan's envoy after Musa's death. Show More. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. Musa ruled as mansa, or king, of the West African empire of Mali from 1312 to 1337, controlling about 80 percent of the world's gold. However, the history of the Mali Kingdom, as we know it, would not be the same afterwards. Mansa Musa (Arabic: , romanized: Mans Ms; r. c. 1312 - c. 1337) was the ninth mansa of the Mali Empire, which reached its territorial peak during his reign.Musa is known for his wealth, and has sometimes been called the wealthiest person in history.. At the time of Musa's ascension to the throne, Mali in large part consisted of the territory of the former Ghana Empire . Ms I's pilgrimage caravan to Mecca in 1324 comprised some 60,000 people and an immeasurable amount of gold. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is the richest man in the world, according to the 2019 Forbes billionaires' list. Elephant ivory was another major source of wealth.When Mansa Musa went on a pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca in 1324 C.E., his journey through Egypt caused quite a stir. So much so that in the famous Spanish Catalan map of the world, drawn in 1375, Mansa Musa I would be shown holding a nugget of gold in one hand and a golden staff in the other. His reign was between 1312 and 1337 AD. He was the first African ruler to be famous in all of Europe and the Middle East he was also the 9th emperor in his times. "[97], Musa depicted holding an Imperial Golden Globe in the 1375, The dates of Musa's reign are uncertain. In oral tradition and the Timbuktu Chronicles, Musa is known as Kanku Musa. Whilst the sun had set on the Empire of Mali, the legend of Mansa Musa and his enormous wealth was only just beginning. The Muslim King. It was reported that he built a mosque every Friday. The mansa led the second expedition himself, and appointed Musa as his deputy to rule the empire until he returned. West Africa's fearsome female fighters, The history of black Britain: Roman Africans, 5 legendary lost cities of gold from Akakor to El Dorado, Hannibal: The Carthaginian general who almost toppled Rome, 'Black History is literally on their doorstep': Interview with the Tony Warner from 'Black History Walks', How Victoria became queen: The succession crisis of 1817, The biggest royal scandals of Queen Victorias reign, Everything you need to know about Royal Mob, Win a copy of 'Black History Walks' by Tony Warner, Asquith Xavier: The man who broke thecolour barat Euston station, 'Let's see if we can adjust history': The campaign to award Walter Tull a Military Cross. Musa and his entourage arrived at the outskirts of Cairo in July 1324. How did Mansa Musa's pilgrimage impact all of Africa economically? . Thus, having utilized this mineral, its people are the most technologically advanced society the world is yet to see! The great African emperor Mansa Musa, ruler of the Mali Empire of the . Afterward, he put himself and his kingdom, West Africa's Mali, on the map, literally. Musa Keita, commonly referred to as Mansa Musa in Western manuscripts and literature, held many titles such as Emire of Melle, Lord of the Mines of Wangara, C Born in 1280, Mansa Musa came to power in 1312. [48] Musa made a major point of showing off his nation's wealth. The map depicted Mansa Musa sitting upon a throne in Timbuktu whilst holding a nugget of gold. Mansa Musa (Musa I of Mali) was the king of the ancient empire of Mali in West Africa. Vocabulary. Musa went on hajj to Mecca in 1324, traveling with an enormous entourage and a vast supply of gold. For starters, the name "Mansa" translates into "King of kings" or "emperor". [30] 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. [89] Historians such as Hadrien Collet have argued that Musa's wealth is impossible to accurately calculate. Today, he is honoured for his brilliant policies and good administration. His reign is associated with numerous construction projects, including part of Djinguereber Mosque in Timbuktu. However, Al-Nasir Muhammad returned Musa's earlier show of generosity with gifts of his own. It also became a place of Islamic education with the construction of what would become Sankore University. *The birth of Mansa Musa is celebrated on this date in c. 1280. This figure could quite frankly be insulting to the true monetary value of his bank account. [85] The figure of Fajigi combines both Islam and traditional beliefs. Musa stayed in Cairo for three months, departing on 18 October[k] with the official caravan to Mecca. Mansa Musa (about 1280 - about 1337) was an emperor (manse) of the Mali Empire during the 14th century. 1312 is the most widely accepted by modern historians. Mansa Musa, the 14th century African king of the Mali Empire, is said to have amassed a fortune that possibly made him one of the wealthiest people who ever lived. He said he would only bow before Allah or the almighty. This in its self is well, noteworthy, eclipsing this, however, are the many pleasures enjoyed by the ruler of this seemingly perfect civilization. [15], In the Songhai language, rulers of Mali such as Musa were known as the Mali-koi, koi being a title that conveyed authority over a region: in other words, the "ruler of Mali". In the year 2018, one of the biggest blockbuster films was released. The most popular number floating around tends to have his wealth at around $400 billion in todays dollars. Musa developed his cities of Timbuktu and Gao and turned them into major cultural and commercial centres. When Musa I ascended the throne of Mali in 1312 A.D., following the disappearance at sea of his uncle Abu Bakr II, who had gone on an expeditionary trip to explore the Atlantic Ocean, his kingdom, in West Africa, then comprised parts of the Ghanaian Empire as well as the States of Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, The Gambia, Burkina Faso and what is now modern Mali. Ibn Amir Hajib later recounted to the scholar al-Umari what he had learned of Mali from his conversations with Musa. [82][83] However, some aspects of Musa appear to have been incorporated into a figure in Mand oral tradition known as Fajigi, which translates as "father of hope". [citation needed] Mansa, 'ruler'[4] or 'king'[5] in Mand, was the title of the ruler of the Mali Empire. Luckily for those who encountered the caravan, Mansa Musa was a benevolent ruler and wilfully handed out gold, especially to the impoverished. Al-Umari said that, before Musa's arrival, a mithqal of gold was worth 25 silver dirhams, but that it dropped to less than 22 dirhams afterward and did not go above that number for at least twelve years. Much of what we know about Mansa Musa (Mansa translates as king) comes from the writings of ancient Arab historians and scholars. [j][49][50] While in Cairo, Musa met with the Mamluk sultan al-Nasir Muhammad, whose reign had already seen one mansa, Sakura, make the hajj. His dream was bigger and he lived to be richest king to ever live. Timbuktu became an important place culturally and economically for Mansa Musa as he built schools, libraries, and mosques, including the still-standing Djinguereber Mosque. Musa Keita I (Mansa Musa which translates as, "Kings of Kings" or "Emperor" of Ancient Mali) Keita 1 was the 10th Musa of the Mansa Dynasty. In the same breath, Musa Keita 1 established one of Africas first Islamic universities which in turn attracted scholars from across the Islamic world. [73] 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. At the center of it all was a West African king named Mansa Musa, who reigned over a vast Muslim empire stretching 2,000 miles (3,219 kilometers) from the Atlantic Ocean to modern-day Niger. It was then that a man of Musas wealth made his mark on the world- quite literally. It has also been translated as "conqueror" and "priest-king". Groomed to a royal guard for the king, Musa had a bigger dream. Mediterranean North Africa features numerous cultures, including kingdoms in Tunis and Egypt . Described as a city moving through the desert, each person was adorned with gold finery and even the slaves wore Persian silk. Either way, his sons inherited the throne but couldnt keep the empire together. The kingdom of Mali was relatively unknown outside of West Africa until this event. Was Mansa Musa a trillionaire? The law dictated that they had to appoint a deputy to take care of the empire while the Mansa was absent, and as you can guess, Musa was the one selected by the king to do so. Mansa Musa was the great-great-grandson of Sunjata, who was the founder of the empire of Mali. The king is by far, the wealthiest individual in the world owing of course, to his absolute control over among other things, the neigh invaluable vibranium. [19] Oral tradition, as performed by the jeliw (sg. Musa is known for his wealth, and has s. Kindly show us Africa. Around 60,000 men, including the entire royal court, soldiers, and 12,000 slaves accompanied the king along with a huge caravan of resources such as goats and sheep. Nonetheless, he more than made up for his lack of super strength with a strategic mind, not to mention his deep sense of culture, heritage and religion but of the most renown, his astronomical wealth. But more important than the size of Mansa Musa's empire was the richness of his natural resources two highly productive gold fields renowned for . [93] Musa himself further promoted the appearance of having vast, inexhaustible wealth by spreading rumors that gold grew like a plant in his kingdom. Mansa Musa developed cities like Timbuktu and Gao into important cultural centers. According to a number of sources, Abubakari II, Mansa (King) of the Mali Empire in the 14th century, led Malian sailors to the Americas, specifically present-day Brazil, almost 200 years before . Of course, the entry also . Mansa means "Emperor" or "Sultan". It contains a rare medieval depiction of Mansa Musa, who ruled the West African Mali Empire, a territory the covered parts of present-day Mauritania and Mali, from 1312 . Mansa I of Mali was identified by quite a few names throughout his life together with Emir of Melle, Lord of the Mines of Wangara, Conqueror of Ghanata, Lion of Mali, and Kankan Musa. But Mansa Musa had made the point. to 1337 C.E. In 1597, German Protestant scholar and cartographer Heinrich Bnting designed a map of Africa marked by both real and imagined kingdoms. When he arrived in Cairo, he would prove himself to be overly generous with his gold so much so, it is said, that his generous gift-giving would directly impact on the price of gold in Egypt. Musa Keita, formerly known as "Mansa Musa" was an African king from the late 13th century and isconsidered the richest person to ever lived. The mosque stands tall to this day albeit a shadow of its former self owing to decades of erosion by the elements and looting by unscrupulous individuals. 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.[67]. This particular movies release haphazardly ushered in a new era of black, and more significantly, African pride. For more articles about Black History, check out Sky HISTORY's Black History Month hub. As of September 2022, the richest person in the world, according to Forbes, is Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk with a fortune of $241 billion. However, his riches are only one part of his legacy, and he is also remembered for his Islamic faith, promotion of scholarship, and patronage of culture in Mali. A Photograph of Mansa Musa, King of Mali on a map of North Africa circa 1375. [51] Despite this initial awkwardness, the two rulers got along well, and exchanged gifts. [64] News of the Malian empire's city of wealth even traveled across the Mediterranean to southern Europe, where traders from Venice, Granada, and Genoa soon added Timbuktu to their maps to trade manufactured goods for gold.[65]. 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. Patrimoine de la capitale : ces difices sauvs de la ruine, Deux-frres : un front de mer bientt amnag, Cascavelle : Une gare dautobus inaugure, Elon Musk dfend ses projets pour donner le pouvoir au peuple sur Twitter, Maurice 1er pays dAfrique faire partie de lOCDE, Ganga Asnan : des consignes pour garder les plages propres, Affaire Laurette : Bhadain attend dautres lments denqute avant de se prononcer, Saisie de Rs 231 M de stupfiants : contre-offensive et versions contradictoires, Saisie de 40kg de haschisch : la MCIT se concentre sur la BMW immatricule JR12. This temporary position became permanent after Abu-Bakr failed to return. Mansa Musa: African King of Gold. Contact email: abubakarrjalloh@theafricandreamsl.com 24 June, 2022. The city of Timbuktu was of particular interest to Mansa Musa as it had been for years a centre of learning and religion. Musa stayed in the Qarafa district of Cairo, and befriended its governor, Ibn Amir Hajib, who learned much about Mali from him. Musa's death may have occurred in 1337, 1332, or possibly even earlier, giving 1307 or 1312 as plausible approximate years of accession. [g] Faga Leye was the son of Abu Bakr, a brother of Sunjata, the first mansa of the Mali Empire. It was "an admirable Monument", surmounted by a dome and adorned with arabesques of striking colours. He stopped in Cairo along the way, and his luxurious spending and gift giving was so extensive that he diluted the value of gold by 10 to 25 percent and impacted . Mansa Musa: The Richest African King. [d], Musa's father was named Faga Leye[9] and his mother may have been named Kanku. 2022 The African Dream | All Rights Reserved. Musa expanded the borders of the Mali Empire, in particular incorporating the cities of Gao and Timbuktu into its territory. By seizing control of key trade routes across the vast Sahara, Mediterranean ports and cities along major rivers, the empire of Mali was at the time, not only the wealthiest but the most expansive African Kingdom, spanning the regions of Burkina Faso, Guinea, Chad, Gambia, Mauritania, Senegal, Niger and Nigeria. During his reign, Mali was one of the richest kingdoms of Africa, and Mansa Musa was among the richest individuals in the world. [75] Nehemia Levtzion regarded 1337 as the most likely date,[69] which has been accepted by other scholars. His wealth was so vast that historians and economists struggle to put an official number on it. He was an extremely powerful leader and under his leadership Mali was able to conquer 24 cities. Dear Viewers, Mansa Musa was the ninth mansa of the Mali Empire, which reached its territorial peak during his reign. At the height of its power, Mali had at least 400 cities, and the interior of the Niger Delta was very densely populated. Mansa Musa was so rich that he was touted as the richest king on earth and he got the chance to make a show of his lavish wealth when, in 1324 A.D., he decided, as a devout Muslim, to make the Hajj to Mecca in fulfilment of one of the pillars of his Islamic faith. This all changed in 1324, when Mansa Musa, a devout Muslim, decided to undertake a Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca. Groomed to a royal guard for the king, Musa had a bigger dream.