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[71] The tiny kingdom of Niani was one of several in the Kri area of Manden. Mansa Fadima Musa Keita, or Mansa Musa Keita II, began the process of reversing his brother's excesses. [22], Genealogy of the mansas of the Mali Empire up to Magha II (d.c.1389), based on Levtzion's interpretation of Ibn Khaldun. Oral tradition states that he had three sons who fought over Manden's remains. Ibn Khaldun claims Musa reigned for 25 years, so his accession is dated to 25 years before his death. [91] Historians such as Hadrien Collet have argued that Musa's wealth is impossible to accurately calculate. [59], On his return journey, Musa met the Andalusian poet Abu Ishaq al-Sahili, whose eloquence and knowledge of jurisprudence impressed him, and whom he convinced to travel with him to Mali. A legend claims that Sunjata transformed into a hippopotamus. Al-Qalqashandi quotes al-'Umari as spelling it. [70] However, once Sundiata did gain use of his legs he grew strong and very respected. The farimba operated from a garrison with an almost entirely slave force, while a farima functioned on field with virtually all freemen. Research/Artwork: From Nothing Team. [83] This term was used interchangeably with dinar, though it is unclear if coined currency was used in the empire. When he did finally bow, he said he was doing so for God alone. Under Mansa Ms, Timbuktu grew to be a very important commercial city having caravan connections with Egypt and with all other important trade centres in North Africa. It then seized Timbuktu from the Tuareg in 1468 under Sunni Ali Ber. [93] He did not, however, hold the power of previous mansas because of the influence of his kankoro-sigui. 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). At Taghaza, for example, salt was exchanged; at Takedda, copper. 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. 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. Mansa Musa's personal name was Musa (Arabic: , romanized:Ms), the Arabic form of Moses. Mansa Musa began extending the shores of the empire alongside amassing great wealth and riches. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. This is the least known period in Mali's imperial history. To his parents' dread, the prince did not have a promising start. Mansa Ms, either the grandson or the grandnephew of Sundiata, the founder of his dynasty, came to the throne in 1307. He built mosques and large public buildings in cities like Gao and, most famously, Timbuktu. [90][91] His reign is considered the golden age of Mali. [19], Much of what is known about Musa comes from Arabic sources written after his hajj, especially the writings of Al-Umari and Ibn Khaldun. Mansa Musa was an important ruler of the golden age of the Malink kingdom, based on the upper Niger River in Mali, West Africa. [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. [46] Kangaba became the last refuge of the Keita royal family after the collapse of the Mali Empire, and so has for centuries been associated with Sundiata in the cultural imagination of Mande peoples. This website claims no authorship of this content; we are republishing it for educational purposes. Duties of the farba included reporting on the activities of the territory, collecting taxes and ensuring the native administration didn't contradict orders from Niani. Rather, authority would rest with the mansa and his court, wherever he went. "Mansa Musa Family Tree | Empire of Mali." All rights reserved. His riches came from the mining of significant gold and salt deposits in the Mali Empire, along with the slave and ivory trade.[6][7]. It was reported that he built a mosque every Friday. [9] Upon Leo Africanus's visit at the beginning of the 16th century, his descriptions of the territorial domains of Mali showed that it was still a kingdom of considerable size. Musa conquered more than 20 major cities in his lifetime. The empire taxed every ounce of gold, copper and salt that entered its borders. Malink, also known as Mande, Mali, or Melle, was founded around 1200 CE, and under Mansa Musa's reign . Bukar professed his support, but believing Mahmud's situation to be hopeless, secretly went over to the Moroccans. The 1375 Catalan Atlas portrayed a "city of Melly" (Catalan: ciutat de Melly) in West Africa. The Gbara or Great Assembly would serve as the Mandinka deliberative body until the collapse of the empire in 1645. [73], Prince Sundjata was prophesied to become a great conqueror. by UsefulCharts. This can be interpreted as either "Musa son of Abu Bakr" or "Musa descendant of Abu Bakr." The University of Sankore in Timbuktu was restaffed under Musa's reign with jurists, astronomers, and mathematicians. [111] This envoy from the Portuguese coastal port of Elmina arrived in response to the growing trade along the coast and Mali's now urgent request for military assistance against Songhai. [129] The county level administrators called kafo-tigui (county-master) were appointed by the governor of the province from within his own circle. Musa was a very successful military leader. It was cut into pieces and spent on goods with close to equal buying power throughout the empire. He was deposed in 1389, marking the end of the Faga Laye Keita mansas. 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. [8] Suleyman's death marked the end of Mali's Golden Age and the beginning of a slow decline. 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]. Eventually, due to Muhammad's failure to return, Musa was recognized as mansa.[89]. Mali Emperors Family Tree | Mansa Musa - The Richest Man in World History 71,113 views Nov 27, 2019 1.8K Dislike Share Save UsefulCharts 1.08M subscribers Watch the map animation on From. While Musa's palace has since vanished, the university and mosque still stand in Timbuktu today. Imperial Malian architecture was characterised by Sudano-Sahelian architecture with a Malian substyle, which is exemplified by the Great Mosque of Djenne. These oral stories . Nelson, 1971. [93] Sandaki Keita should not however be taken to be this person's name but a title. Combined in the rapidly spoken language of the Mandinka, the names formed Sondjata, Sundjata or Sundiata Keita. The third great account is that of Ibn Khaldun, who wrote in the early 15th century. Like two mansolu (rulers of Mali) before him, Ms I undertook the hajj as an act of devotion in line with Islamic tradition. Running a website with millions of readers every month is expensive. Musa gave the gold to the poor he met along his route. The area was famous as a hunting ground for the large amount of game that it sheltered, as well as its dense vegetation. A city called Dieriba or Dioliba is sometimes mentioned as the capital or main urban center of the province of Mande in the years before Sundiata, that was later abandoned. 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. It is not known if this was an attempt to correct the depreciation of gold in the area due to his spending,[7] or if he had simply run out of the funds needed for the return trip. Mansa Musa's pilgrimage to Mecca happened between 1324 and 1325. . [8] Mansa, 'ruler'[9] or 'king'[10] in Mand, was the title of the ruler of the Mali Empire. Mansa Musa was a devout Muslim. And so the name Keita became a clan/family and began its reign.[70]. Mansa Mahmud Keita II received the Portuguese envoys Pro d'vora and Gonalo Enes in 1487. Each individual farariya ("brave") had a number of infantry officers beneath them called kl-koun or dknsi. Well after his death, Mansa Musa remained engrained in the imagination of the world as a symbol of fabulous wealth. Mali's wealth in gold did not primarily come from direct rule of gold-producing regions, but rather from tribute and trade with the regions where gold was found. His 25-year reign (1312-1337 CE) is described as "the golden age of . [45] He would have spent much time fostering the growth of the religion within his empire. Hamana (or Amana), southwest of Joma, became the southern sphere, with its capital at Kouroussa in modern Guinea. They tell of his hardships as a boy before he came to the throne. His reign saw the first in a string of many great losses to Mali. [83] He is criticized for being unfaithful to tradition, and some of the jeliw regard Musa as having wasted Mali's wealth. Musa and his entourage gave and spent freely while in Cairo. 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. Swords were drawn, but before the situation escalated further, Musa persuaded his men to back down. Biti, Buti, Yiti, Tati). Its first meeting, at the famous Kouroukan Fouga (Division of the World), had 29 clan delegates presided over by a belen-tigui (master of ceremony). The Manding languages were spoken in the empire. 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. Musa took out large loans from money lenders in Cairo before beginning his journey home. [54] Despite this initial awkwardness, the two rulers got along well, and exchanged gifts. [70] Gbr Keita was crowned Mansa Ouali Keita II and ruled during the period of Mali's contact with Portugal. Trade was a significant factor to the rise and success of Mali. [g] Faga Leye was the son of Abu Bakr, a brother of Sunjata, the first mansa of the Mali Empire. [95] Musa himself further promoted the appearance of having vast, inexhaustible wealth by spreading rumors that gold grew like a plant in his kingdom. According to Ibn Battuta who visited Mali in the mid-14th century, one camel load of salt sold at Walata for 810 mithqals of gold, but in Mali proper it realised 2030 ducats and sometimes even 40. [26] Sariq Jata may be another name for Sunjata, who was actually Musa's great-uncle. 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. At its peak, Mali was the largest empire in West Africa, widely . In his lifetime and beyond, he was known for his extravagant wealth and spending, funded by his kingdom's vast salt and gold mines. The post of a farba was very prestigious, and his descendants could inherit it with the mansa's approval. The Mali Empire reached its largest area under the Laye Keita mansas. Sundiata Keita is the first ruler for which there is accurate written information (through Ibn Khaldun). The buildings were constructed from slabs of salt and roofed with camel skins. Mansa Musa was the great nephew of Sundiata Keita, who was founder . Contemporary sources claim 60 copper bars traded for 100 dinars of gold. Mansa Abu Bakr II had departed on a large fleet of ships to explore the Atlantic Ocean, and never returned.Mansa Musa inherited a kingdom that was already wealthy, but his work in expanding trade made Mali the wealthiest kingdom in Africa. Mansa Souleyman Keita died in 1360 and was succeeded by his son, Camba Keita. During his reign, Mali was one of the richest kingdoms of Africa, and Mansa Musa was among the richest individuals in the world. Lange, Dierk (1996), "The Almoravid expansion and the downfall of Ghana", Der Islam 73 (2): 313351. Ibn Battuta observed the employment of servants in both towns. [130] Farbas were picked by the mansa from the conquering farin or family members. by Spanish cartographers, shows West Africa dominated by a depiction of Mansa Musa sitting on a throne, holding a nugget of gold in one hand and a golden staff in the other. Embedded by Arienne King, published on 17 October 2020. 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]. Bowmen formed a large portion of the field army as well as the garrison. Salt was as valuable, if not more valuable, than gold in sub-Saharan Africa. 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 child of this marriage received the first name of his mother (Sogolon) and the surname of his father (Djata). Mansa Musa Keita's crowning achievement was his famous pilgrimage to Mecca, which started in 1324 and concluded with his return in 1326. The fame of Mansa Musa and his phenomenal wealth spread as he traveled on his hajjto Mecca. [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. After a mere nine months of rule, Mansa Camba Keita was deposed by one of Maghan Keita I's three sons. [112] Still, no help came from the envoy and further possessions of Mali were lost one by one. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. What is evident is that there is no steady lineage governing the empire. Mansa Musa even built the Great Mosque of Djenn, one of the most famous mosques in Mali, to recognize his pilgrimage. Still, when Ibn Battuta arrived at Mali in July 1352, he found a thriving civilisation on par with virtually anything in the Muslim or Christian world. Web. [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. Therefore, Arabic visitors may have assigned the "capital" label merely to whatever major city the mansa was based out of at the time of their visit. [40] Ibn Battuta and Leo Africanus both call the capital "Mali. "[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. Mansa Musa Family Tree | Empire of Mali Server Costs Fundraiser 2023 Running a website with millions of readers every month is expensive. Why did Ms I make a pilgrimage to Mecca? Stories of his fabulous wealth even reached Europe. [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]. During his monarchy Musa or Musa, I was highly powered and the richest individual king Mansa Musa the . The Cairo that Mansa Ms visited was ruled by one of the greatest of the Mamlk sultans, Al-Malik al-Nir. [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. National Geographic Headquarters 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036. For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. [4] Much of the recorded information about the Mali Empire comes from 14th-century Tunisian historian Ibn Khaldun, 14th-century Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta and 16th-century Andalusian traveller Leo Africanus. [60] The anglicised version of this name, Sunjata, is also popular. 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. [60] In return for their submission, they became "farbas", a combination of the Mandinka words "farin" and "ba" (great farin). 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. It contained three immense gold mines within its borders unlike the Ghana Empire, which was only a transit point for gold. 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]. 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. What made this possible was the decentralised nature of administration throughout the state. [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. The northern commercial towns of Oualata and Audaghost were also conquered and became part of the new state's northern border. The entire nation was mobilised, with each clan obligated to provide a quota of fighting-age men. The historian al-Umar, who visited Cairo 12 years after the emperors visit, found the inhabitants of this city, with a population estimated at one million, still singing the praises of Mansa Ms. Constant civil war between leaders led to a weakened state. The people of the south needed salt for their diet, but it was extremely rare. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. [15] Leo Africanus said that the capital city was called Melli. Mali is the Fula form of the word. [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. [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. . Like the Great Mosque, a contemporaneous and grandiose structure in Timbuktu, the Hall was built of cut stone. [131] Mansa Musa placed a heavy tax on all objects that went through Timbuktu. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. [14], Medieval sources are divided over whether Mali is the name of a town or a region. [116] Songhai authority over Bendugu and Kala declined by 1571, and Mali may have been able to reassert some authority over them. The Keitas retreated to the town of Kangaba, where they became provincial chiefs. [20] Additional information comes from two 17th-century manuscripts written in Timbuktu, the Tarikh Ibn al-Mukhtar[c] and the Tarikh al-Sudan. Mansa Musa was immensely wealthy (whether he can be regarded as personally wealthy or wealthy because he controlled the gold mines of Mali is, of course, a . . 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. Ms Is hajj left a lasting impression of Malis splendour on both the Islamic and European worlds. Only sofa were equipped by the state, using bows and poisoned arrows. [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]. 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. It had a well-organised army with an elite corps of horsemen and many foot soldiers in each battalion. Omissions? [105][106] Three years later, Oualata also fell into their hands. [28] The Tarikh al-fattash claims that Musa accidentally killed Kanku at some point prior to his hajj. [123] Segou, defended by Bitn Coulibaly, successfully defended itself and Mama Maghan was forced to withdraw. Also, Sundiata divided the lands amongst the people assuring everyone had a place in the empire and fixed exchange rates for common products[127]. UsefulCharts, . Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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. Different oral traditions conflict with each other, as well as Ibn Khaldun, about the transfer of power following Sunjata's death. and transl. [24] The empire's total area included nearly all the land between the Sahara Desert and coastal forests. The mansa also made a successful hajj, kept up correspondence with Morocco and Egypt and built an earthen platform at Kangaba called the Camanbolon where he held court with provincial governors and deposited the holy books he brought back from Hedjaz. [102], The Songhai settlement effectively shook off Mali's authority in 1375. He also brought architects from the Middle East and across Africa to design new buildings for his cities. [142][143] Numerous sources attest that the inland waterways of West Africa saw extensive use of war canoes and vessels used for war transport where permitted by the environment. During this period, trade routes shifted southward to the savanna, stimulating the growth of states such as Bono state. Mansa Musa (Musa I of Mali) was the ruler of the kingdom of Mali from 1312 C.E. Mansa Musa ruled the Malian empire from 1312-1337 CE. By the time they reached Suez, many of the Malian pilgrims had died of cold, starvation, or bandit raids, and they had lost many of their supplies. The Bamana, likewise, vowed not to advance farther upstream than Niamina. [42] Another source of income for Mali during Musa's reign was taxation of the copper trade. His information about the empire came from visiting Malians taking the hajj, or pilgrim's voyage to Mecca. The Gao mosque was built of burnt bricks, which had not, until then, been used as a material for building in West Africa. https://www.worldhistory.org/video/2147/mansa-musa-family-tree--empire-of-mali/. Cairo and Mecca received this royal personage, whose glittering procession, in the superlatives employed by Arab chroniclers, almost put Africas sun to shame. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. We all know of Mansa Musa, possibly the richest man to ever exist. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. 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. [136] One particular source of salt in the Mali Empire was salt-mining sites located in Taghaza. 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. He was the son of Niani's faama, Nare Fa (also known as Maghan Kon Fatta meaning the handsome prince). [6] The early history of the Mali Empire (before the 13th century) is unclear, as there are conflicting and imprecise accounts by both Arab chroniclers and oral traditionalists. [18], 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". After Ibn Khaldun's death in 1406, there are no further Arab primary sources except for Leo Africanus, who wrote over a century later. The 14th-century traveller Ibn Baah noted that it took about four months to travel from the northern borders of the Mali empire to Niani in the south. [117], The swan song of the Mali Empire came in 1599, under the reign of Mansa Mahmud IV.