Musa embarked on a large building program, raising mosques and madrasas in Timbuktu and Gao. [28] The Tarikh al-fattash claims that Musa accidentally killed Kanku at some point prior to his hajj. 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. The entire nation was mobilised, with each clan obligated to provide a quota of fighting-age men. The kingdom of Mali was relatively unknown outside of West Africa until this event. [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. 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. The Camara (or Kamara) are said to be the first family to have lived in Manding, after having left, due to the drought, Ouallata, a region of Wagadou, in the south-east of present-day Mauritania. [3] During the 11th and 12th centuries, an empire began to develop following the decline of the Ghana Empire, or Wagadu, to the north. [45] Those animals included 80 camels which each carried 23136kg (50300lb) of gold dust. The Mali Empire (Manding: Mand[3] or Manden; Arabic: , romanized:Ml) was an empire in West Africa from c. 1226 to 1670. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. Mansa Musa was a smart, powerful, competent Islamic autocrat who ruled over and expanded the Malian empire. The growing trade in Mali's western provinces with Portugal witnessed the exchange of envoys between the two nations. The new Songhai Empire conquered Mema,[93] one of Mali's oldest possessions, in 1465. . Ag-Amalwal. His reign came with huge physical, economic and intellectual development in the Mali Empire. 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). However, the legendary oral tradition that surrounds Keita suggests that he never turned away from his native religion. Lange, Dierk (1996), "The Almoravid expansion and the downfall of Ghana", Der Islam 73 (2): 313351. [62] According to one account given by Ibn Khaldun, Musa's general Saghmanja conquered Gao. [131] Mansa Musa placed a heavy tax on all objects that went through Timbuktu. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [70] However, once Sundiata did gain use of his legs he grew strong and very respected. Why did Ms I make a pilgrimage to Mecca? 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. In the early 15th century, Mali was still powerful enough to conquer and settle new areas. [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. Sergio Domian, an Italian scholar of art and architecture, wrote of this period: "Thus was laid the foundation of an urban civilization. However, it went through radical changes before reaching the legendary proportions proclaimed by its subjects. It is unknown from whom he descended; however, another emperor, Mansa Maghan Keita III, is sometimes cited as Mansa Mahmud Keita I. Different oral traditions conflict with each other, as well as Ibn Khaldun, about the transfer of power following Sunjata's death. [110] Meanwhile, Songhai seized the salt mines of Taghazza in 1493. Musa I ( Arabic: , romanized : Mans Ms, N'Ko: ; r. c. 1312 - c. 1337 [a]) was the ninth [4] mansa of the Mali Empire, which reached its territorial peak during his reign. This style is characterised by the use of mudbricks and an adobe plaster, with large wooden-log support beams that jut out from the wall face for large buildings such as mosques or palaces. Timbuktu was a place of trade, entertainment, and education. The second account is that of the traveller Ibn Battuta, who visited Mali in 1352. Mansa Musa came from his country with 80 loads of gold dust (tibr), each load weighing three qintars. [d], Musa's father was named Faga Leye[12] and his mother may have been named Kanku. Available from http://incompetech.com. 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]. The Mandinka went on to form the powerful and rich Mali Empire, which produced the richest Black man who ever lived, King Mansa Musa. The conquest of Sosso in c. 1235 gave the Mali Empire access to the trans-Saharan trade routes. Arabic sources omit Faga Leye, referring to Musa as Musa ibn Abi Bakr. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/video/2147/mansa-musa-family-tree--empire-of-mali/. 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. [71] However, Ibn Khaldun also reports that Musa sent an envoy to congratulate Abu al-Hasan Ali for his conquest of Tlemcen, which took place in May 1337, but by the time Abu al-Hasan sent an envoy in response, Musa had died and Suleyman was on the throne, suggesting Musa died in 1337. The Mansa led the second expedition himself, and appointed Musa as his deputy to rule the empire until he returned. 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. Editing: Jack Rackam. With trade being disrupted by wars, there was no way for the economy to continue to prosper. Like two mansolu (rulers of Mali) before him, Ms I undertook the hajj as an act of devotion in line with Islamic tradition. Still, by the time of Mansa Musa Keita II's death in 1387, Mali was financially solvent and in control of all of its previous conquests short of Gao and Dyolof. During his reign, the Mossi emperor Bonga of Yatenga raided into Mali and plundered Macina. Mansa Musa Keita was succeeded by his son, Maghan Keita I, in 1337. 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. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. Trade was a significant factor to the rise and success of Mali. Very little is known about the life of Mansa Musa before 1312. [75] 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. They tell of his hardships as a boy before he came to the throne. After the publication of this atlas, Mansa Musa became cemented in the global imagination as a figure of stupendous wealth.After his return from Mecca, Mansa Musa began to revitalize cities in his kingdom. In the 17th year of his reign (1324), he set out on his famous pilgrimage to Mecca. Salt was as valuable, if not more valuable, than gold in sub-Saharan Africa. [67] The Manden city-state of Ka-ba (present-day Kangaba) served as the capital and name of this province. 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]. The House of Saud is ruled by the descendants of King Abdulaziz, who founded and unified Saudi Arabia in 1932. . The city's water supply was a leading cause to its successes in trade. [86] Qu was succeeded by his son Muhammad, who launched two voyages to explore the Atlantic Ocean. [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. 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). Mahmud Keita, possibly a grandchild or great-grandchild of Mansa Gao Keita, was crowned Mansa Maghan Keita III in 1390. [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. Mali was thriving for a long time, but like other west African kingdoms, Mali began to fall. [43] Perhaps because of this, Musa's early reign was spent in continuous military conflict with neighboring non-Muslim societies. [130] Farbas were picked by the mansa from the conquering farin or family members. [124] Following this disastrous set of events, Mansa Mama Maghan abandoned the capital of Niani. Ibn Battuta had written that in Taghaza there were no trees and there is only sand and the salt mines. 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. At each halt, he would regale us [his entourage] rare foods and confectionery. Arab writers from the time said that he travelled with an entourage of tens of thousands of people and dozens of camels, each carrying 136 kilograms (300 pounds) of gold. He had first-hand information from several sources, and from a second-hand source, he learned of the visit of Mansa Musa. [69] The Kangaba province, free of Sonink influence, splintered into twelve kingdoms with their own maghan (meaning prince) or faama. Musa is reported to have reigned for 25 years, and different lines of evidence suggest he died either. The Cairo that Mansa Ms visited was ruled by one of the greatest of the Mamlk sultans, Al-Malik al-Nir. 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). The mansa could also replace a farba if he got out of control, as in the case of Diafunu. Musa was a very successful military leader. Still, throne names do not usually indicate blood relations. [132], The Mali Empire flourished because of its trade above all else. . 6. Mansa Fadima Musa Keita, or Mansa Musa Keita II, began the process of reversing his brother's excesses. The Malian and Moroccan armies fought at Jenne on 26 April, the last day of Ramadan, and the Moroccans were victorious thanks to their firearms and Bukar's support, but Mahmud was able to escape. At both Gao and Timbuktu, a Songhai city almost rivalling Gao in importance, Mansa Ms commissioned Ab Isq al-Sil, a Granada poet and architect who had travelled with him from Mecca, to build mosques. Biti, Buti, Yiti, Tati). They also used flaming arrows for siege warfare. published on 17 October 2020. [60] She was a hunchback from the land of Do, south of Mali. The University of Sankore in Timbuktu was restaffed under Musa's reign with jurists, astronomers, and mathematicians. [12][h] Ibn Battuta, who visited Mali during the reign of Musa's brother Sulayman, said that Musa's grandfather was named Sariq Jata. 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. [54] Despite this initial awkwardness, the two rulers got along well, and exchanged gifts. He brought a large entourage with him which impressed people everywhere they went. [60] Other scholars whom Musa brought to Mali included Maliki jurists. [15] He is also called Hidji Mansa Musa in oral tradition in reference to his hajj. [70] Gbr Keita was crowned Mansa Ouali Keita II and ruled during the period of Mali's contact with Portugal. 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. A manuscript page from Timbuktu showing a table of astronomical information. [123] Either as a counter-attack or simply the progression of pre-planned assaults against the remnants of Mali, the Bamana sacked and burned Niani in 1670. The current King, Salman bin Abdulaziz, is the 25th son of King Abdulaziz and has continued to maintain the . Mansa Musa developed cities like Timbuktu and Gao into important cultural centers. The only Mandinka power spared from the campaign was Kangaba. Mansa Musa began extending the shores of the empire alongside amassing great wealth and riches. "Mansa Musa Family Tree | Empire of Mali." Yet native sources seem to pay him little attention. Under his leadership, Mali conquered new territories and trade with North Africa increased. [5] In c. 1285 Sakoura, a former royal court slave, became emperor and was one of Mali's most powerful rulers, greatly expanding the empire's territory. In 1324, while staying in Cairo during his hajj, Mansa Musa, the ruler of the Mali Empire, told an Egyptian official whom he had befriended that he had come to rule when his predecessor led a fleet in an attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean and never returned. [83] This term was used interchangeably with dinar, though it is unclear if coined currency was used in the empire. [93] He did not, however, hold the power of previous mansas because of the influence of his kankoro-sigui. En route, he spent time in Cairo, where his lavish gift-giving is said to have noticeably affected the value of gold in Egypt and garnered the attention of the wider Muslim world. 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. Al-Qalqashandi quotes al-'Umari as spelling it. It had a well-organised army with an elite corps of horsemen and many foot soldiers in each battalion. "[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. Khalifa would shoot arrows at his subjects, so he was overthrown and killed. By the end of Mansa Musa's reign, the Sankor University had been converted into a fully staffed university with the largest collections of books in Africa since the Library of Alexandria. Maghan Sundiata was declared "faama of faamas" and received the title "mansa", which translates as "king". Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. Every year merchants entered Mali via Oualata with camel loads of salt to sell in Niani. This website claims no authorship of this content; we are republishing it for educational purposes. [14], Medieval sources are divided over whether Mali is the name of a town or a region. Imperial Mali is best known through three primary sources: the first is the account of Shihab al-'Umari, written in about 1340 by a geographer-administrator in Mamluk Egypt. By the 6th century AD, the lucrative trans-Saharan trade in gold, salt and slaves had begun, facilitating the rise of West Africa's great empires. Mansa Ms, either the grandson or the grandnephew of Sundiata, the founder of his dynasty, came to the throne in 1307. [16], Al-Yafii gave Musa's name as Musa ibn Abi Bakr ibn Abi al-Aswad (Arabic: , romanized:Ms ibn Ab Bakr ibn Ab al-Aswad),[17] and Ibn Hajar gave Musa's name as Musa ibn Abi Bakr Salim al-Takruri. Musa not only gave to the cities he passed on the way to Mecca, including Cairo and Medina, but also traded gold for souvenirs. Kangaba, the de facto capital of Manden since the time of the last emperor, became the capital of the northern sphere. His reign is associated with numerous construction projects, including part of Djinguereber Mosque in Timbuktu. The voyage is often incorrectly attributed to a Mansa Abu Bakr II, but no such mansa ever reigned. [26] Sariq Jata may be another name for Sunjata, who was actually Musa's great-uncle. He is believed to be one of the richest individuals to have walked on this planet. [100], Arabic writers, such as Ibn Battuta and Abdallah ibn Asad al-Yafii, praised Musa's generosity, virtue, and intelligence. One of the greatest caravans to ever cross the Sahara was led by Mansa Musa, the legendary ruler of the vast West African empire of Mali. [107] The Gambia was still firmly in Mali's control, and these raiding expeditions met with disastrous fates before Portugal's Diogo Gomes began formal relations with Mali via its remaining Wolof subjects. The family tree of Mansa Musa. An army was required to guard the borders to protect its flourishing trade. Musa took out large loans from money lenders in Cairo before beginning his journey home.