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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]. 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. [11][12] The version recorded by medieval Arab geographers is Mali (Arabic: , romanized:Ml). At the height of its power, Mali had at least 400 cities, and the interior of the Niger Delta was very densely populated. [125] Farin was a general term for northern commander at the time. [120] Each ruler used the title of mansa, but their authority only extended as far as their own sphere of influence. The growing trade in Mali's western provinces with Portugal witnessed the exchange of envoys between the two nations. In oral tradition and the Timbuktu Chronicles, Musa is known as Kanku Musa. [85] He went on the hajj during the reign of Mamluk sultan an-Nasir Muhammad (12981308) and was killed in Tajura on his way back to Mali. In 14331434, the Mali Empire lost control of Timbuktu to the Tuareg, led by Akil Al-Qalqashandi quotes al-'Umari as spelling it. This enabled him to rule over a realm larger than even the Ghana Empire in its apex. If the mansa didn't believe the dyamani-tigui was capable or trustworthy, a farba might be installed to oversee the province or administer it outright. What is evident is that there is no steady lineage governing the empire. [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. 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]. During this period only the Mongol Empire was larger. [40] Seemingly contradictory reports written by Arab visitors, a lack of definitive archaeological evidence, and the diversity of oral traditions all contribute to this uncertainty. [28] The Tarikh al-fattash claims that Musa accidentally killed Kanku at some point prior to his hajj. During the height of Sundiata's power, the land of Manden (the area populated by the Mandinka people) became one of its provinces. 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. The ancient kingdom of Mali spread across parts of modern-day Mali, Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Mauritania, and Burkina Faso. Lange, Dierk (1996), "The Almoravid expansion and the downfall of Ghana", Der Islam 73 (2): 313351. Mansa Musa also known as Musa I of Mali and was the ninth Islamic ancient Emperor of West Africa in a kingdom known as the Mali Empire. In Niani, Musa built the Hall of Audience, a building communicating by an interior door to the royal palace. 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. . Each individual farariya ("brave") had a number of infantry officers beneath them called kl-koun or dknsi. It was this pilgrimage that awakened the world to the stupendous wealth of Mali. 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. It may have been located close to modern Kangaba. His name was Mansa Musa, and he was a devout Muslim. [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. In that year he succeeded his father, Abu Bakr II, to the throne and thus gained the hereditary title of mansa. The dates of Musa's reign are uncertain. [124] Following this disastrous set of events, Mansa Mama Maghan abandoned the capital of Niani. [98] Musa's hajj, and especially his gold, caught the attention of both the Islamic and Christian worlds. The Venetian explorer Alvise Cadamosto and Portuguese traders confirmed that the peoples of the Gambia were still subject to the mansa of Mali. [27] The date of Musa's birth is unknown, but he still appeared to be a young man in 1324. Musa's reign is often regarded as the zenith of Mali's power and prestige. If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. 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. In search of a status discourse for Mande". Sandaki likely means High Counsellor or Supreme Counsellor, from san or sanon (meaning "high") and adegue (meaning counsellor). The Manding languages were spoken in the empire. [98], The wealth of the Mali Empire did not come from direct control of gold-producing regions, but rather trade and tribute. It was this pilgrimage that awakened the world to the stupendous wealth of Mali. An army was required to guard the borders to protect its flourishing trade. Ibn Battuta comments on festival demonstrations of swordplay before the mansa by his retainers including the royal interpreter. He has sometimes been called the wealthiest person in history. Mansa Musa Keita was succeeded by his son, Maghan Keita I, in 1337. [120], The old core of the empire was divided into three spheres of influence. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. Songhai forces under the command of Askia Muhammad I defeated the Mali general Fati Quali Keita in 1502 and seized the province of Diafunu. The Gbara or Great Assembly would serve as the Mandinka deliberative body until the collapse of the empire in 1645. He brought a large entourage with him which impressed people everywhere they went. While in Cairo during his hajj, Musa befriended officials such as Ibn Amir Hajib, who learned about him and his country from him and later passed on that information to historians such as Al-Umari. The only major setback to his reign was the loss of Mali's Dyolof province in Senegal. Several of the names are spelled in a variety of ways in different manuscripts. The Joma area, governed from Siguiri, controlled the central region, which encompassed Niani. Mss rule defined the golden age of Mali. The Mali Empire reached its largest area under the Laye Keita mansas. to 1337 C.E. [126], The Kouroukan Fouga also put in place social and economic reforms including prohibitions on the maltreatment of prisoners and slaves, installing documents between clans which clearly stated who could say what about whom. Musa and his entourage arrived at the outskirts of Cairo in July 1324. [78] Nehemia Levtzion regarded 1337 as the most likely date,[72] which has been accepted by other scholars. The area was famous as a hunting ground for the large amount of game that it sheltered, as well as its dense vegetation. Barring any other difficulties, the dyamani-tigui would run the province by himself collecting taxes and procuring armies from the tribes under his command. The emperor himself rode on horseback and was directly preceded by 500 enslaved persons, each carrying a gold-adorned staff. 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]. It was during Suleyman's 19-year reign that Ibn Battuta visited Mali. [20] For the later period of the Mali Empire, the major written primary sources are Portuguese accounts of the coastal provinces of Mali and neighboring societies.[21]. [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. Research/Artwork: From Nothing Team. In 1542, the Songhai invaded the capital city but were unsuccessful in conquering the empire. This was due to the tax on trade in and out of the empire, along with all the gold Mansa Musa had. A Golden Age: King Mansa Musa's Reign. 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. The Songhai kingdom measured several hundreds of miles across, so that the conquest meant the acquisition of a vast territory. Gold dust had been weighed and bagged for use at least since the time of the Ghana Empire. He is also called Hidji Mansa . [136] One particular source of salt in the Mali Empire was salt-mining sites located in Taghaza. It is known from the Tarikh al-Sudan that Mali was still a sizeable state in the 15th century. When Mansa Musa was giving gold away, he was following 2 . 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. [69] The Kangaba province, free of Sonink influence, splintered into twelve kingdoms with their own maghan (meaning prince) or faama. [129] The county level administrators called kafo-tigui (county-master) were appointed by the governor of the province from within his own circle. [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. National Geographic Society is a 501 (c)(3) organization. the descendants of the nearly 1,000-year-old objects made in Africa. 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. This is the first account of a West African kingdom made directly by an eyewitness; the others are usually second-hand. That same year, after the Mandinka general known as Sagmandir put down yet another rebellion in Gao,[93] Mansa Musa came to Gao and accepted the capitulation of the King of Ghana and his nobles. He was crowned under the throne name Sunidata Keita becoming the first Mandinka emperor. [108], Despite their power in the west, Mali was losing the battle for supremacy in the north and northeast. If Dakajalan was, in fact, situated near Kangaba, this may also have contributed to their conflation, beginning with Delafosse's speculation that the latter may have begun as a suburb of the former. [75] This victory resulted in the fall of the Kaniaga kingdom and the rise of the Mali Empire. He brought architects from Andalusia, a region in Spain, and Cairo to build his grand palace in Timbuktu and the great Djinguereber Mosque that still stands today. Afterward, he put himself and his kingdom, West Africa's Mali, on the map, literally. Mansa Musa even built the Great Mosque of Djenn, one of the most famous mosques in Mali, to recognize his pilgrimage. Mansa Musa brought architects and scholars from across the Islamic world into his kingdom, and the reputation of the Mali kingdom grew. [96], According to some Arabic writers, Musa's gift-giving caused a depreciation in the value of gold in Egypt. By the beginning of the 14th century, Mali was the source of almost half the Old World's gold exported from mines in Bambuk, Boure and Galam. His skillful administration left his empire well-off at the time of his death, but eventually, the empire fell apart. Mahmud Keita, possibly a grandchild or great-grandchild of Mansa Gao Keita, was crowned Mansa Maghan Keita III in 1390. Scholars have located the capital in Niani, or somewhere on the Niger, or proposed that it changed several times, that there was no true capital, or even that it lay as far afield as the upper Gambia River in modern-day Senegal. Longman, 1995. The Mali Empire began in and was centered around the Manding region in what is now southern Mali and northeastern Guinea. Robert Smith, "The Canoe in West African History", harvnb error: no target: CITEREFBourgeois1987 (, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Kitab al-Masalik wa al-Mamalik (Book of Highways and Kingdoms) Ab Ubayd Al-Bakri, "The Empire of Mali, In Our Time BBC Radio 4", "Tracing History in Dia, in the Inland Niger Delta of Mali -Archaeology, Oral Traditions and Written Sources". Ag-Amalwal. Mansa Musa ruled the Malian empire from 1312-1337 CE. Another testimony from Ibn Khaldun describes the grand pilgrimage of Mansa Musa consisting of 12,000 slaves: "He made a pilgrimage in 724/1324 []. "[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 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]. Konkodougou Kamissa Keita, named for the province he once governed,[70] was crowned as Mansa Mari Djata Keita II in 1360. [117], The swan song of the Mali Empire came in 1599, under the reign of Mansa Mahmud IV. Mansa Musa developed cities like Timbuktu and Gao into important cultural centers. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. [95] Musa himself further promoted the appearance of having vast, inexhaustible wealth by spreading rumors that gold grew like a plant in his kingdom. The Gao mosque was built of burnt bricks, which had not, until then, been used as a material for building in West Africa. The new Songhai Empire conquered Mema,[93] one of Mali's oldest possessions, in 1465. Musa provided all necessities for the procession, feeding the entire company of men and animals. CREDITS: Chart/Narration: Matt Baker Research/Artwork: From Nothing Team Editing: Jack Rackam Intro animation: Syawish Rehman Intro music: "Lord of the Land" by Kevin MacLeod and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution license 4.0. This thread is archived Under his reign, Mali conquered the neighbouring kingdom of Songhai. (2020, October 17). 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. Oral tradition states that he had three sons who fought over Manden's remains. [25] The empire also reached its highest population during the Laye period ruling over 400 cities,[26] towns and villages of various religions and elasticities. He is the resurrected spirit of Masuta the Ascended, the second boss in the first elite dungeon, Temple of Aminishi . This can be interpreted as either "Musa son of Abu Bakr" or "Musa descendant of Abu Bakr." Evidence of cavalry in terracotta figures suggest the empire's prosperous economy as horses are not indigenous to Africa. From at least the beginning of the 11th century, Mandinka kings known as faamas ruled Manden from Ka-ba in the name of the Ghanas.[68]. He is believed to be one of the richest individuals to have walked on this planet. This led to inflation throughout the kingdom. 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. In approximately 1140 the Sosso kingdom of Kaniaga, a former vassal of Wagadou, began conquering the lands of its old rulers. [52][55], Musa's generosity continued as he traveled onwards to Mecca, and he gave gifts to fellow pilgrims and the people of Medina and Mecca. Watch the map animation on From Nothing:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOexUoPc6YUBe sure to subscribe to From Nothing for more African History:https://www.. U UsefulCharts 0 followers More information Mansa Musa Family Tree Rich Man Mansa Musa (Musa I of Mali) was the ruler of the kingdom of Mali from 1312 C.E. Ms I is widely considered the wealthiest man in history. [41] Given the grandeur of his subsequent hajj, it is likely that Musa spent much of his early reign preparing for it. Mansa Musa's reign itself was 25 years long. He had so much gold that during his hajj to Mecca, the Mansa passed out gold to all the poor along the way. When he did finally bow, he said he was doing so for God alone. The voyage is often incorrectly attributed to a Mansa Abu Bakr II, but no such mansa ever reigned. [93] In 1514, the Denianke dynasty was established in Tekrour. According to the records of Ibn Battuta,[138][139] copper which traded in bars was mined from Takedda in the north and traded in the south for gold. No single Keita ever ruled Manden after Mahmud Keita IV's death, resulting in the end of the Mali Empire. 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. He never took the field again after Kirina, but his generals continued to expand the frontier, especially in the west where they reached the Gambia River and the marches of Tekrur. Ms Is hajj left a lasting impression of Malis splendour on both the Islamic and European worlds. His information about the empire came from visiting Malians taking the hajj, or pilgrim's voyage to Mecca. [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. [113], In 1544 or 1545,[f] a Songhai force led by kanfari Dawud, who would later succeed his brother Askia Ishaq as ruler of the Songhai Empire, sacked the capital of Mali and purportedly used the royal palace as a latrine. He left Kanku Musa, a grandson of Sunjata's brother Mande Bori, in charge during his absence. [77] Alternatively, it is possible that the four-year reign Ibn Khaldun credits Maghan with actually referred to his ruling Mali while Musa was away on the hajj, and he only reigned briefly in his own right. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Mali borrowed the practice to stem inflation of the substance, since it was so prominent in the region. Mansa Musa began extending the shores of the empire alongside amassing great wealth and riches. The Bamana, likewise, vowed not to advance farther upstream than Niamina. On the return from Takedda to Morocco, his caravan transported 600 female servants, suggesting that indentured servitude was a substantial part of the commercial activity of the empire.[134]. [149], Imperial banner carried with Musa I in 1325 Hajj, Social, economic and governmental reformation. Under his leadership, Mali conquered new territories and trade with North Africa increased. The other account claims that Gao had been conquered during the reign of Mansa Sakura. It spanned the modern-day countries of Senegal, southern Mauritania, Mali, northern Burkina Faso, western Niger, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, the Ivory Coast and northern Ghana. During the 17th century, the Mali Empire faced incursions from the Bamana Empire. [e] After the loss of the first expedition, Muhammad led the second expedition himself. By 1350, the empire covered approximately 478,819 square miles (1,240,140km2). But more reasoned analysis suggests that his role, if any, was quite limited. [43] In 1324, while in Cairo, Musa said that he had conquered 24 cities and their surrounding districts.[44]. He sought closer ties with the rest of the Muslim world, particularly the Mamluk and Marinid Sultanates. The fame of Mansa Musa and his phenomenal wealth spread as he traveled on his hajjto Mecca. [123] Segou, defended by Bitn Coulibaly, successfully defended itself and Mama Maghan was forced to withdraw. Corrections? Via one of the royal ladies of his court, Musa transformed Sankore from an informal madrasah into an Islamic university.