His 25-year reign (1312-1337 CE) is described as "the golden age of . [46] [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]. [137], Copper was also a valued commodity in imperial Mali. The history of the Mandinka started in Manding region. [74] The combined forces of northern and southern Manden defeated the Sosso army at the Battle of Kirina (then known as Krina) in approximately 1235. These conflicts also interrupted trade. There is some ambiguity over the identity of the mansa responsible for the voyages. It is implausible that Abu Bakr was Musa's father, due to the amount of time between Sunjata's reign and Musa's. [125] Farin was a general term for northern commander at the time. As a result of steady tax revenue and stable government beginning in the last quarter of the 13th century, the Mali Empire was able to project its power throughout its own extensive domain and beyond. Through the oral tradition of griots, the Keita dynasty, from which nearly every Mali emperor came, claims to trace its lineage back to Lawalo, one of the sons of Bilal,[60] the faithful muezzin of Islam's prophet Muhammad, who was said to have migrated into Mali and his descendants established the ruling Keita dynasty through Maghan Kon Fatta, father of Sundiata Keita.[61]. Mansa Musa brought architects and scholars from across the Islamic world into his kingdom, and the reputation of the Mali kingdom grew. Provinces picked their own governors via their own custom (election, inheritance, etc.). He belonged to the Keita Dynasty and came to power after Abu-Bakra-Keita II left on an expedition to explore the Atlantic Ocean, leaving Musa as his deputy and never returned. Via one of the royal ladies of his court, Musa transformed Sankore from an informal madrasah into an Islamic university. Still, throne names do not usually indicate blood relations. In approximately 1140 the Sosso kingdom of Kaniaga, a former vassal of Wagadou, began conquering the lands of its old rulers. 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. 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. 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. 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. It is unknown from whom he descended; however, another emperor, Mansa Maghan Keita III, is sometimes cited as Mansa Mahmud Keita I. Well after his death, Mansa Musa remained engrained in the imagination of the world as a symbol of fabulous wealth. [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. At the local level (village, town and city), kun-tiguis elected a dougou-tigui (village-master) from a bloodline descended from that locality's semi-mythical founder. It had a well-organised army with an elite corps of horsemen and many foot soldiers in each battalion. Mansa Mahmud Keita II received the Portuguese envoys Pro d'vora and Gonalo Enes in 1487. In 14331434, the Mali Empire lost control of Timbuktu to the Tuareg, led by Akil Heusch, Luc de: "The Symbolic Mechanisms of Sacred Kingship: Rediscovering Frazer". They also used flaming arrows for siege warfare. [99] The gold Musa brought on his pilgrimage probably represented years of accumulated tribute that Musa would have spent much of his early reign gathering. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. The Twelve Doors of Mali were a coalition of conquered or allied territories, mostly within Manden, with sworn allegiance to Sundiata and his descendants. The ancient kingdom of Mali spread across parts of modern-day Mali, Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Mauritania, and Burkina Faso. Mali's Timbuktu was known for its schools and libraries. 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. Mansa Musa was a smart, powerful, competent Islamic autocrat who ruled over and expanded the Malian empire. [97] Though this has been described as having "wrecked" Egypt's economy,[85] the historian Warren Schultz has argued that this was well within normal fluctuations in the value of gold in Mamluk Egypt. 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. The date of Mahmud's death and identity of his immediate successor are not recorded, and there is a gap of 65 years before another mansa's identity is recorded. ), mansa (emperor) of the West African empire of Mali from 1307 (or 1312). However, many believe Mansa Musa's wealth outdoes that of all modern billionaires. Around 1550, Mali attacked Bighu in an effort to regain access to its gold. [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. [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. 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. Mansa Ms, either the grandson or the grandnephew of Sundiata, the founder of his dynasty, came to the throne in 1307. We all know of Mansa Musa, possibly the richest man to ever exist. He did however, maintain contacts with Morocco, sending a giraffe to King Abu Hassan. Mansa Musa: A Captivating Guide to the Emperor of the Islamic Mali 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. Original video by UsefulCharts. With trade being disrupted by wars, there was no way for the economy to continue to prosper. The Gbara or Great Assembly would serve as the Mandinka deliberative body until the collapse of the empire in 1645. The value of the salt was chiefly determined by the transport costs. Musa expanded the borders of the Mali Empire, in particular incorporating the cities of Gao and Timbuktu into its territory. [56] Musa and his entourage lingered in Mecca after the last day of the hajj. The latter told Ibn Khaldun about devastating struggle over Gao between Mali imperial forces against Berber Tuareg forces from Takedda. [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]. After many years in exile, first at the court of Wagadou and then at Mema, Sundiata was sought out by a Niani delegation and begged to combat the Sosso and free the kingdoms of Manden forever. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. World History Encyclopedia. Mansa Musa was a devout Muslim. When Mansa Musa was giving gold away, he was following 2 . [79] Some oral traditions agree with Ibn Khaldun in indicating that a son of Sunjata, named Yerelinkon in oral tradition and Wali in Arabic, took power as Sunjata's successor. 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. [147][148], The Sudano-Sahelian influence was particularly widely incorporated during the rule of Mansa Musa I, who constructed many architectural projects, including the Great Mosque of Gao and Royal Palace in Timbuktu, which was built with the assistance of Ishaak al-Tuedjin, an architect brought by Musa from his pilgrimage to Mecca. Mansa means (King or Emperor) and he was ruling the Mali kingdom from C.E 1312 to 1337 for around 25 years. The other account claims that Gao had been conquered during the reign of Mansa Sakura. Mali borrowed the practice to stem inflation of the substance, since it was so prominent in the region. [78] There was evidently a power struggle of some kind involving the gbara or great council and donson ton or hunter guilds. Ibn Khaldun claims Musa reigned for 25 years, so his accession is dated to 25 years before his death. Ibn Battuta comments on festival demonstrations of swordplay before the mansa by his retainers including the royal interpreter. 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. It contained three immense gold mines within its borders unlike the Ghana Empire, which was only a transit point for gold. [70] Little is known of him except that he only reigned two years. At its peak, Mali was the largest empire in West Africa, widely influencing the culture of the region through the spread of its language, laws and customs. All of them agree that he took a very large group of people; the mansa kept a personal guard of some 500 men,[94] and he gave out so many alms and bought so many things that the value of gold in Egypt and Arabia depreciated for twelve years. . 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. KAIRO NEWS - Are Mandinkas Descendants Of Bilal? Furthermore, his hajj in 1324 was in some ways an act of solidarity that showed his connection to other rulers and peoples throughout the Islamic world. and transl. 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. In 1324 Musa embarked on a hajj, a religious pilgrimage to Mecca, traveling with an entourage that included 8,000 courtiers, 12,000 servants and 100 camel loads of . [67] 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.[68]. As a result of this the empire fell. After unsuccessful attempts by Mansa Mama Maghan to conquer Bamana, the Bamana in 1670 sacked and burned the capital, and the Mali Empire rapidly disintegrated and ceased to exist, being replaced by independent chiefdoms. [23] Numbered individuals reigned as mansa; the numbers indicate the order in which they reigned. Al-Umari reported that Mali had fourteen provinces. The other characteristic of this era is the gradual loss of its northern and eastern possessions to the rising Songhai Empire and the movement of the Mali's economic focus from the trans-Saharan trade routes to the burgeoning commerce along the coast. [93] Dyamani-tiguis had to be approved by the mansa and were subject to his oversight. And so the name Keita became a clan/family and began its reign.[70]. Mansa Musa Family Tree - World History Encyclopedia After the victory, King Soumaoro disappeared, and the Mandinka stormed the last of the Sosso cities. The Songhai Empire had fallen to the Saadi Sultanate of Morocco eight years earlier, and Mahmud sought to take advantage of their defeat by trying to capture Jenne. 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. It was "an admirable Monument", surmounted by a dome and adorned with arabesques of striking colours. The earliest document mentioning the mosque is Abd al-Sadi's Tarikh al-Sudan, which gives the early history, presumably from the oral tradition as it existed in the mid seventeenth century. [70] These men had to be of the horon (freemen) caste and appear with their own arms. 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. That same year, Mahmud II sent another envoy to the Portuguese proposing alliance against the Fula. The Story Of Mansa Musa, The Real 'Black Panther' - VIBE.com Mansa Musa, one of the wealthiest people who ever lived - Jessica Smith TED-Ed 7.1M views 7 years ago The history of Nigeria explained in 6 minutes (3,000 Years of Nigerian history) Epimetheus. Mansa Musa: Great Leader of the Malink Kingdom - ThoughtCo Mansa Musa Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life & Achievements 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 Family Tree | Empire of Mali Server Costs Fundraiser 2023 Running a website with millions of readers every month is expensive. [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]. All rights reserved. What made this possible was the decentralised nature of administration throughout the state. 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. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. We would much rather spend this money on producing more free history content for the world. [48], Parallel to this debate, many scholars have argued that the Mali Empire may not have had a permanent "capital" in the sense that the word is used today, and historically was used in the Mediterranean world. The House of Saud is ruled by the descendants of King Abdulaziz, who founded and unified Saudi Arabia in 1932. He built mosques and large public buildings in cities like Gao and, most famously, Timbuktu. He was the son of Niani's faama, Nare Fa (also known as Maghan Kon Fatta meaning the handsome prince). They are descendants of. Mansa Musa - Originalpeople.org 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. 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. Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton. [84] Then an enslaved court official, Sakura, seized power. [89][85] Contemporary Arabic sources may have been trying to express that Musa had more gold than they thought possible, rather than trying to give an exact number. Stride, G. T., & C. Ifeka: "Peoples and Empires of West Africa: West Africa in History 10001800". Mansa Musa is potentially the richest person to ever live; as ruler of Mali from 1312 to 1337, he came into power after his brother, King Abu Bakr the Second, vanished on an oceanic voyage. [116] Songhai authority over Bendugu and Kala declined by 1571, and Mali may have been able to reassert some authority over them. "[65], It is recorded that Mansa Musa traveled through the cities of Timbuktu and Gao on his way to Mecca, and made them a part of his empire when he returned around 1325. [93], Following Musa Keita III's death, his brother Gbr Keita became emperor in the mid-15th century. [122] They targeted Moroccan pashas still in Timbuktu and the mansas of Manden.