Mansa Musa

c.1280–1337, ruler of the Mali empire (1312–37). A devout Muslim, he brought the Mali empire to its greatest height, encompassing what is now Niger and parts of Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, and Ivory Coast. He built schools, libraries, and mosques, and encouraged the development of the arts, architecture, and literature, and Timbuktu became a center of Muslim culture and scholarship. His empire included almost half of the Old World's supply of gold and also was wealthy from taxes on the caravan trade and from salt; he may have been the richest person of all time. His pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324–25 brought Mali fame throughout the world; he traveled with an immense entourage, preceded by 500 slaves carrying staffs decorated with gold. His gifts of gold in Cairo were so lavish that the metal was devalued in Egypt.
Work cited: Cartwright, Mark. “Mansa Musa I.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 9 Apr. 2021, www.ancient.eu/Mansa_Musa_I/.

The Mali empire was the largest gold producer in the world. The empire had a huge advantage of residing along the Nisha river. The river was one of the main reasons for the empire success. Food and trade, salt and gold, grew crops and sustained life. Because of Mansa Musa popularity more and more people heard about his kingdom. With a good location and opening up to the Atlantic ocean Mali became one of the biggest trading regions in the world. Selling gold and salt at a time when Europe was struggling to obtain and hold both.
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Mansa Kanku Musa took power in 1312 CE and inherited an already prosperous Mali kingdom; he would reign until 1337 CE. Mansa was the traditional Mali title meaning 'king' and Musa was the grand nephew of the founder Sundiata Keita. Mansa Musa gained the throne after his predecessor, Mansa Abu Bakr II, sailed out into the Atlantic with a large fleet of ships and was never seen again. Exploration's loss was Mali's gain, and Mansa Musa, nominated to rule while Abu Bakr II satisfied his curiosity as to what lay over the horizon, would become one of the greatest rulers in the entire history of Africa.
Work cited: Cartwright, Mark. “Mansa Musa I.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 9 Apr. 2021, www.ancient.eu/Mansa_Musa_I/.

Mansa Musa is the only man in history to single-handedly control the prices of gold in the Mediterranean. During the pilgrimage he gave gold to the poor that he met along his route, and he traded gold for souvenirs. Because of his nature of giving, his massive spending and generous donations created a massive 10-year gold recession in the cities of Cairo Medina and Mecca, the southern influx of gold divided the metals significantly. Prices of goods and waste became greatly inflated. This is the only time recorded in history that one man directly controlled the price of gold in the Mediterranean.
Work Cited: Google Search, Google, www.google.com/search?q=mansa%2Bmusa%2BPilgrimage%2Bto%2Bthe%2Bmecca&client=firefox-b-1-d&bih=826&biw=1440&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=oqsJlzW3F7OIOM%252Ch5v5vfa5oZEoDM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kST757ar659tIgDc5qiWHs5harvfA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiRyPPOgvLvAhX6GbkGHV2WAvwQ_h16BAgVEAE#imgrc=oqsJlzW3F7OIOM.

Mansa Musa Mali Empire consisted of nine modern African countries. Covering a 2,000 mile stretch from the Atlantic ocean to lake chart. The Mali empire flourished and expanded, it grew to its greatest height during Mansa Musa rule. H ruled over 400,000 miles of territory and his reign over the empire of Mali lasted for 25 years.
Work cited: National Geographic Society. “Mansa Musa (Musa I of Mali).” National Geographic Society, 4 Mar. 2020, www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/mansa-musa-musa-i-mali/.

After Cairo Mansa Musa traveled to Arabia where he purchased land and houses so the pilgrims from Mali who followed in his footsteps might have a place to stay. The king was inspired by the holy sites he saw there on his return to Mali. He built a audience chamber at Nani and Mosques at Gao and Timbuktu. The Mosque was completed by 1330 CE. Due to the lack of stone in the region, Mali buildings were typically constructed using beaten earth reinforced with wood which often sticks out in beams from the exterior surfaces.
Work Cited: https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Kankou+Moussa

Mansa Musa founded the first university in the region. He was not your typical emperor, he made sure the kingdom was prosperous, safe and large. He was an avid Islamic believer but at the same time a promoter for educationand learning. In his travels and battles he learned the importance of development and innovation, so he founded the first university in Timbuktu. He started huge building programs for raising Mosques and Madrasahs educational institutions, brought in Jurists astronomers and mathematicians as well as Islamic professors. The university became a center of learning and arts with Muslim students coming from around Africa and the middle east.
Work Cited: Google Search, Google, www.google.com/search?q=mansa%2Bmusa%2Bburial%2Bplace&client=firefox-b-1-d&sa=X&bih=826&biw=1440&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=Gs2nDl-pcKuTwM%252CmTS75kj8q7TAmM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kTEZ1K7vYXkBGQZzmxAZbs0ipxJbQ&ved=2ahUKEwjUpqHq0ffvAhVNHrkGHebBA9QQ9QF6BAgXEAE#imgrc=Gs2nDl-pcKuTwM&imgdii=LdmOJG_py_IG5M.

When Mansa Musa went on a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 C.E., his journey through Egypt caused quite a stir. The kingdom of Mali was relatively unknown outside of West Africa until this event. 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. While in Cairo, Mansa Musa met with the Sultan of Egypt, and his caravan spent and gave away so much gold that the overall value of gold decreased in Egypt for the next 12 years. Stories of his fabulous wealth even reached Europe. The Catalan Atlas, created in 1375 C.E. 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. After the publication of this atlas, Mansa Musa became cemented in the global imagination as a figure of stupendous wealth.
Work Cited: “Mūsā I of Mali.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/biography/Musa-I-of-Mali.

Mansa Musa died in 1337 after a 25 year reign. He was succeeded by his son, Maghan. Musa is generally reffered to as Mansa Musa in western manuscripts. His name also appears as Kankou Musa, Kankan Musa, and Kankan Musa. Other names used for Musa included "Mali-Koy Kankan Musa" Gonga Musa and "The Lion of Mali." He was estimated to have been in his mid 50s at the time of his death.
Work Cited: “Mansa Musa.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Apr. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansa_Musa.

After the death of Mansa Musa, his skillful administration left his empire well-off for a long time, but eventually the empire fell apart. Well after his death Mansa Musa remained ingrained in the imagination of the world as a symbol of fabulous wealth. He was remembered for his Islamic faith, promotion of scholarship, and patronage of culture.
Work Cited: Cartwright, Mark. “Mansa Musa I.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 9 Apr. 2021, www.ancient.eu/Mansa_Musa_I/.