mansa musa descendants mansa musa descendants

Mansa Musa ruled over the Mali empire in the 14th Century, and his incredible access to gold made him arguably . Cairo and Mecca received this royal personage, whose glittering procession, in the superlatives employed by Arab chroniclers, almost put Africas sun to shame. We care about our planet! [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. Eventually, due to Muhammad's failure to return, Musa was recognized as mansa.[89]. The Sahelian and Saharan towns of the Mali Empire were organised as both staging posts in the long-distance caravan trade and trading centres for the various West African products. The bow figured prominently in Mandinka warfare and was a symbol of military force throughout the culture. [20] Arab interest in the Mali Empire declined after the Songhai conquered the northern regions of the empire which formed the primary contact between Mali and the Arab world. Gold, copper, and salt were a major source of income in the 12th century and the empire happened to be blessed with it, even more as it expanded. With trade being disrupted by wars, there was no way for the economy to continue to prosper. When he did finally bow, he said he was doing so for God alone. [54] Despite this initial awkwardness, the two rulers got along well, and exchanged gifts. [20] Additional information comes from two 17th-century manuscripts written in Timbuktu, the Tarikh Ibn al-Mukhtar[c] and the Tarikh al-Sudan. [86] As Fajigi, Musa is sometimes conflated with a figure in oral tradition named Fakoli, who is best known as Sunjata's top general. Upon his return in 1324, Ms Is pious pilgrimage inspired him to commission two enormous mosques in Timbuktu and Gao. Sundiata Keita is the first ruler for which there is accurate written information (through Ibn Khaldun). The Manding languages were spoken in the empire. World History Encyclopedia, 17 Oct 2020. Al-Umari's list, which is quoted with slight differences by al-Qalqashandi, is as follows: Al-Umari also indicates that four Amazigh tribes were subjects of Mali: Gomez instead suggests that these tribes would have inhabited territory in the vicinity of Mema, Ghana, and Diafunu. [69] The university became a center of learning and culture, drawing Muslim scholars from around Africa and the Middle East to Timbuktu. Musa provided all necessities for the procession, feeding the entire company of men and animals. The entire nation was mobilised, with each clan obligated to provide a quota of fighting-age men. This region straddles the border between what is now southern Mali and northeastern Guinea. In his lifetime and beyond, he was known for his extravagant wealth and spending, funded by his kingdom's vast salt and gold mines. Only sofa were equipped by the state, using bows and poisoned arrows. Wagadou's control over Manden came to a halt after internal instability lead to its decline. Mansa Musa brought the architect back to Mali to beautify some of the cities. 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. A legend claims that Sunjata transformed into a hippopotamus. [78] Nehemia Levtzion regarded 1337 as the most likely date,[72] which has been accepted by other scholars. [90][91] His reign is considered the golden age of Mali. Jansen, Jan: "The Younger Brother and the Stranger. While Mansa Musa's grandfather, Abu-Bakr, was a nephew of Sundiata Keita, the founder of the Malian Empire, neither he nor his descendants had a strong claim to the throne. In 1542, the Songhai invaded the capital city but were unsuccessful in conquering the empire. At Taghaza, for example, salt was exchanged; at Takedda, copper. Mansa Ms, either the grandson or the grandnephew of Sundiata, the founder of his dynasty, came to the throne in 1307. [45] Those animals included 80 camels which each carried 23136kg (50300lb) of gold dust. Mansa Musa was very wealthy and religious man who went on his Hajj for religious reasons and to also help people from his empire make the holy trip to Mecca for the god Allah. Following the death of Sundiata Keita in c. 1255, the kings of Mali were referred to by the title mansa. 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". Mali was thriving for a long time, but like other west African kingdoms, Mali began to fall. 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. [70] Two noble brothers from Niani, of unknown lineage, went to Dioma with an army and drove out the Fula Wassoulounk. He has sometimes been called the wealthiest person in history. The "Qur'an" had a great importance to Mansa Musa as it states "God loves the charitable" (Document D). The third great account is that of Ibn Khaldun, who wrote in the early 15th century. [137], Copper was also a valued commodity in imperial Mali. Mansa Musa was a smart, powerful, competent Islamic autocrat who ruled over and expanded the Malian empire. In addition, the moral and religious principles he had taught his subjects endured after his death. The current King, Salman bin Abdulaziz, is the 25th son of King Abdulaziz and has continued to maintain the . [40], Musa was a young man when he became mansa, possibly in his early twenties. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. The salt was dug from the ground and cut into thick slabs, two of which were loaded onto each camel where they would be taken south across the desert to Oualata and sold. Malink, also known as Mande, Mali, or Melle, was founded around 1200 CE, and under Mansa Musa's reign . [72], According to Niane's version of the epic, during the rise of Kaniaga, Sundiata of the Keita clan was born in the early 13th century. The Catalan Atlas, created in 1375 C.E. Sakura was able to stabilize the political situation in Mali. 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. During this period only the Mongol Empire was larger. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. The Keitas retreated to the town of Kangaba, where they became provincial chiefs. Musa's reign is often regarded as the zenith of Mali's power and prestige. In the 1450s, Portugal began sending raiding parties along the Gambian coast. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. [8] Suleyman's death marked the end of Mali's Golden Age and the beginning of a slow decline. These oral stories . Gold dust had been weighed and bagged for use at least since the time of the Ghana Empire. This trend would continue into colonial times against Tukulor enemies from the west.[121]. Included in al-Qalqashandi's quotation of al-'Umari, but not in any manuscript of al-'Umari's text itself, which only list thirteen provinces despite saying there are fourteen. [j][52][53] While in Cairo, Musa met with the Mamluk sultan al-Nasir Muhammad, whose reign had already seen one mansa, Sakura, make the hajj. [36][37][38], According to the Tarikh al-Fattash, Musa had a wife named Inari Konte. Mansa Sandaki Keita, a descendant of kankoro-sigui Mari Djata Keita, deposed Maghan Keita II, becoming the first person without any Keita dynastic relation to officially rule Mali. 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. Your email address will not be published. [33] 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. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. Musa I (Arabic: , romanized:Mans Ms, N'Ko: ; r.c.1312c.1337[a]) was the ninth[4] mansa of the Mali Empire, which reached its territorial peak during his reign. We contribute a share of our revenue to remove carbon from the atmosphere and we offset our team's carbon footprint. The Mandinka went on to form the powerful and rich Mali Empire, which produced the richest Black man who ever lived, King Mansa Musa. harvnb error: no target: CITEREFKi-ZerboNiane (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFLevztionHopkins2000 (. [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. [43] Djibril Tamsir Niane, a Guinean historian, has been a forceful advocate of this position in recent decades. [43] Perhaps because of this, Musa's early reign was spent in continuous military conflict with neighboring non-Muslim societies. Musa was a very successful military leader. Between 1324 - 1325, Mansa Musa . The next great unit of exchange in the Mali Empire was salt. [122] This campaign gutted Manden and destroyed any hope of the three mansas cooperating to free their land. No single Keita ever ruled Manden after Mahmud Keita IV's death, resulting in the end of the Mali Empire. [100], Arabic writers, such as Ibn Battuta and Abdallah ibn Asad al-Yafii, praised Musa's generosity, virtue, and intelligence. One of the five pillars of Islam states that Muslims should embark on a pilgrimage known as Hajj, to the holy city of Mecca.. It is unknown from whom he descended; however, another emperor, Mansa Maghan Keita III, is sometimes cited as Mansa Mahmud Keita I. Longman, 1995. Muhummed's three wivesMarva Barfield, Laura Cowan, and Adrienne Easterwere also sexually assaulted, beaten, and imprisoned; Barfield participated in the children's abuse at Muhummed's instruction, and Cowan has also been accused of participating in the abuse. Ibn Khaldun in Levtzion and Hopkins, eds. 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. During this period, there was an advanced level of urban living in the major centers of Mali.