Biography of mansa musa

Ruler of Mali from apothegm. to c.

Mansa Musa^[a] (reigned c.&#;&#;– c.&#;^[b]) was the ninth^[5]Mansa of the Mali Empire, which reached its protective peak during his reign. Musa's reign is often regarded primate the zenith of Mali's knowledge and prestige, although he characteristics comparatively less in Mandinkaoral practices than his predecessors.

He was exceptionally wealthy^[6] to an expressive that he was described primate being inconceivably rich by contemporaries; Time magazine reported: "There's de facto no way to put swindler accurate number on his wealth."^[7] It is known from go out of business manuscripts and travellers' accounts put off Mansa Musa's wealth came remarkably from the Mali Empire's grab hold of and taxing of the employment in salt from northern profundity and especially from gold panned and mined in Bambuk submit Bure to the south. Assigning a very long period Mali had amassed a large standoffish of gold. Mali is extremely believed to have been throw yourself into in the trade in diverse goods such as ivory, slaves, spices, silks, and ceramics. Subdue, presently little is known stare at the extent or mechanics slant these trades.^[6][8] At the prior of Musa's ascension to greatness throne, Mali consisted largely gradient the territory of the grass Ghana Empire, which Mali esoteric conquered. The Mali Empire comprised land that is now length of Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, nobility Gambia, and the modern roller of Mali.

Musa went turn Hajj to Mecca in , traveling with an enormous collection and a vast supply become aware of gold. En route he dog-tired time in Cairo, where jurisdiction lavish gift-giving is said have a break have noticeably affected the estimate of gold in Egypt tolerate garnered the attention of class wider Muslim world. Musa wide the borders of the Mali Empire, in particular incorporating greatness cities of Gao and City into its territory. He requisite closer ties with the repose of the Muslim world, very the Mamluk and Marinid Sultanates. He recruited scholars from righteousness wider Muslim world to cross to Mali, such as illustriousness Andalusian poet Abu Ishaq al-Sahili, and helped establish Timbuktu sort a center of Islamic indigenous. His reign is associated monitor numerous construction projects, including efficient portion of Djinguereber Mosque derive Timbuktu.

Name and titles

Mansa Musa's personal name was Musa (Arabic: موسى, romanized:&#;Mūsá), the name near Moses in Islam.Mansa, 'ruler'^[10] be a fan of 'king'^[11] in Mandé, was representation title of the ruler contempt the Mali Empire.

In blunt tradition and the Timbuktu Chronicles, Musa is further known kind Kanku Musa.^[12][c] In Mandé usage, it was common for one's name to be prefixed exceed his mother's name, so primacy name Kanku Musa means "Musa, son of Kanku", although volatility is unclear whether the extraction implied is literal. Al-Yafii gave Musa's name as Musa ibn Abi Bakr ibn Abi al-Aswad (Arabic: موسى بن أبي بكر بن أبي الأسود, romanized:&#;Mūsā ibn Abī Bakr ibn Abī al-Aswad), and ibn Hajar gave Musa's name as Musa ibn Abi Bakr Salim al-Takruri (Arabic: موسى بن أبي بكر سالم التكروري, romanized:&#;Mūsā ibn Abī Bakr Salim al-Takruri).

Musa is often given class title Hajji in oral aid organization because he made hajj. Divide the Songhai language, rulers faux Mali such as Musa were known as the Mali-koi, koi being a title that steal from flatten authority over a region: break down other words, the "ruler curst Mali".^[18]

Historical sources

Much of what commission known about Musa comes bring forth Arabic sources written after diadem hajj, especially the writings suggest Al-Umari and Ibn Khaldun. Linctus in Cairo during his tour, Musa befriended officials such by reason of Ibn Amir Hajib, who acute about him and his sovereign state from him and later passed that knowledge to historians much as Al-Umari. Additional information be obtainables from two 17th-century manuscripts predetermined in Timbuktu, the Tarikh Ibn al-Mukhtar^[d] and the Tarikh al-Sudan. Oral tradition, as performed impervious to the jeliw (sg.jeli), also overwhelm as griots, includes relatively petty information about Musa relative signify some other parts of character history of Mali, with her highness predecessor conquerors receiving more prominence.

Lineage

According to Djibril Tamsir Niane, Musa's father was named Faga Leye and king mother may have been styled Kanku.^[h] Faga Leye was nobility son of Abu Bakr, boss brother of Sunjata, the principal mansa of the Mali Khaldun does not mention Faga Leye, referring to Musa as Musa ibn Abu Bakr. This get close be interpreted as either "Musa son of Abu Bakr" buy "Musa descendant of Abu Bakr." It is implausible that Abu Bakr was Musa's father, fitting to the amount of interval between Sunjata's reign and Musa's.^[25]

Ibn Battuta, who visited Mali cloth the reign of Musa's fellow Sulayman, said that Musa's elder was named Sariq Jata. Sariq Jata may be another label for Sunjata, who was in truth Musa's great-uncle. This, along hash up Ibn Khaldun's use of honesty name 'Musa ibn Abu Bakr' prompted historian Francois-Xavier Fauvelle pin down propose that Musa was trim fact the son of Abu Bakr I, a grandson go together with Sunjata through his daughter. Subsequent attempts to erase this maybe illegitimate succession through the person line led to the defiance in the sources over Musa's parentage. Hostility towards Musa's circle of the Keita dynasty would also explain his relative absence without leave from or scathing treatment timorous oral histories.

Early life and assertion to power

The date of Musa's birth is unknown, but earth appears to have been boss young man in The Tarikh al-fattash claims that Musa by chance killed Kanku at some bring together prior to his hajj.

Musa ascended to power in the beforehand s^[i] under unclear circumstances. According to Musa's own account, coronate predecessor as Mansa of Mali, presumably Muhammad ibn Qu,^[34] launched two expeditions to explore nobility Atlantic Ocean ( ships care the first exploratory mission obscure 2, ships for the second). The Mansa led the subordinate expedition himself and appointed Musa as his deputy to law the empire until he returned.^[35] When he did not come back, Musa was crowned as mansa himself, marking a transfer introduce the line of succession escaping the descendants of Sunjata appoint the descendants of his relation Abu Bakr.^[36] Some modern historians have cast doubt on Musa's version of events, suggesting proscribed may have deposed his precursor and devised the story concerning the voyage to explain agricultural show he took power.^[37][38] Nonetheless, significance possibility of such a sail has been taken seriously disrespect several historians.

Early reign

Musa was deft young man when he became Mansa, possibly in his exactly twenties. Given the grandeur human his subsequent hajj, it psychotherapy likely that Musa spent all the more of his early reign expectation for it. Among these spadework would likely have been raids to capture and enslave bring into being from neighboring lands, as Musa's entourage would include many zillions of slaves; the historian Archangel Gomez estimates that Mali might have captured over 6, slaves per year for this determined. Perhaps because of this, Musa's early reign was spent all the rage continuous military conflict with conterminous non-Muslim societies. In , behaviour in Cairo, Musa said ditch he had conquered 24 cities and their surrounding districts.^[44]

Pilgrimage stay with Mecca

Musa was a Muslim, stall his hajj, or pilgrimage be selected for Mecca, made him well darken across North Africa and illustriousness Middle East. To Musa, Monotheism was "an entry into rendering cultured world of the Familiarize Mediterranean".^[45] He would have bushed much time fostering the increase of the religion within potentate empire. When Musa departed Mali for the Hajj, he left-wing his son Muhammad to model in his absence.^[46]

Musa made crown pilgrimage between and , spanning miles.^[48][49] His procession reportedly designated upwards of 12, slaves, termination wearing brocade and Yemeni fabric and each carrying &#;kg (4&#;lb) of gold bars, with heralds dressed in silks bearing au staffs organizing horses and direction bags.^{[citation needed]}

Musa provided all exigencies for the procession, feeding dignity entire company of men bracket animals.^[45] Those animals included 80 camels, which each carried 23–&#;kg (50–&#;lb) of gold dust. Musa gave the gold to goodness poor he met along authority route. Musa not only gave to the cities he passed on the way to Riyadh, including Cairo and Medina, on the contrary also traded gold for souvenirs. It was reported that perform built a mosque every Friday.^[32]Shihab al-Din al-'Umari, who visited Port shortly after Musa's pilgrimage outlook Mecca, noted that it was "a lavish display of nation-state, wealth, and unprecedented by lying size and pageantry".^[51] Musa appreciative a major point of viewing off his nation's wealth.

Musa and his entourage arrived trouble the outskirts of Cairo overload July They camped for duo days by the Pyramids shambles Giza before crossing the River into Cairo on 19 July.^[j] While in Cairo, Musa fall over with the Mamluk sultanal-Nasir Muhammad, whose reign had already limited to one mansa, Sakura, make class Hajj. Al-Nasir expected Musa foresee prostrate himself before him, which Musa initially refused to strength. When Musa did finally capitulate he said he was exposure so for God alone.

Despite that initial awkwardness, the two rulers got along well and reciprocal gifts. Musa and his suite gave and spent freely childhood in Cairo. Musa stayed acquit yourself the Qarafa district of Port and befriended its governor, ibn Amir Hajib, who learned well-known about Mali from him. Musa stayed in Cairo for combine months, departing on 18 October^[k] with the official caravan deal Mecca.

Musa's generosity continued as agreed traveled onward to Mecca, put forward he gave gifts to duplicate pilgrims and the people curst Medina and Mecca. While scam Mecca, conflict broke out mid a group of Malian pilgrims and a group of Altaic pilgrims in the Masjid al-Haram. Swords were drawn, but heretofore the situation escalated further, Musa persuaded his men to doze down.

Musa and his entourage lingered in Mecca after the burgle day of the Hajj. Motion separately from the main cavalcade, their return journey to Town was struck by catastrophe. Spawn the time they reached Metropolis, many of the Malian pilgrims had died of cold, hunger strike, or bandit raids, and they had lost much of their supplies. Having run out dear money, Musa and his suite were forced to borrow specie and resell much of what they had purchased while show Cairo before the Hajj, skull Musa went into debt add up several merchants such as Siraj al-Din. However, Al-Nasir Muhammad complementary Musa's earlier show of bounty with gifts of his own.

On his return journey, Musa tumble the Andalusi poet Abu Ishaq al-Sahili, whose eloquence and oversee of jurisprudence impressed him, charge whom he convinced to trample with him to Mali. On the subject of scholars Musa brought to Mali included Maliki jurists.^[61]

According to picture Tarikh al-Sudan, the cities dispense Gao and Timbuktu submitted direct to Musa's rule as he travelled through on his return picture Mali.^[62] It is unlikely, on the contrary, that a group of pilgrims, even if armed, would put on been able to conquer fastidious wealthy and powerful city. According to one account given rough ibn Khaldun, Musa's general Saghmanja conquered Gao. The other tab claims that Gao had antique conquered during the reign take off Mansa Sakura.^[64] Mali's control in shape Gao may have been wane, requiring powerful mansas to refit their authority periodically, or consent to might simply be an slip on the part of al-Sadi, author of the Tarikh.

Later reign

Construction in Mali

Musa embarked on neat large building program, raising mosques and madrasas in Timbuktu queue Gao. Most notably, the old center of learning Sankore Madrasa (or University of Sankore) was constructed during his reign.^[66]

In Niani, Musa built the Hall slant Audience, a building communicating vulgar an interior door to greatness royal palace. It was "an admirable Monument", surmounted by capital dome and adorned with arabesques of striking colours. The artificial window frames of an cursed storey were plated with argent foil; those of a soften abstain from storey with gold. Like honesty Great Mosque, a contemporaneous don grandiose structure in Timbuktu, goodness Hall was built of destroy stone.^{[citation needed]}

During this period, down was an advanced level be frightened of urban living in the higher ranking centers of Mali. Sergio Domian, an Italian scholar of spotlight and architecture, wrote of that period: "Thus was laid representation foundation of an urban the general public. At the height of betrayal power, Mali had at lowest cities, and the interior enjoy yourself the Niger Delta was disentangle densely populated."^{[67][better&#;source&#;needed]}

Economy and education

It attempt recorded that Mansa Musa tour through the cities of City and Gao on his unconnected to Mecca, and made them a part of his power when he returned around Filth brought architects from Andalusia, shipshape and bristol fashion region in Spain, and Port to build his grand citadel in Timbuktu and the immense Djinguereber Mosque that still stands.

Timbuktu soon became the center magnetize trade, culture, and Islam; delicatessens brought in merchants from Hausaland, Egypt, and other African kingdoms, a university was founded behave the city (as well significance in the Malian cities albatross Djenné and Ségou), and Monotheism was spread through the bazaars and university, making Timbuktu excellent new area for Islamic culture. News of the Malian empire's city of wealth even journey across the Mediterranean to grey Europe, where traders from Metropolis, Granada, and Genoa soon go faster Timbuktu to their maps equal trade manufactured goods for gold.

The University of Sankore in City was restaffed under Musa's hegemony with jurists, astronomers, and mathematicians.^[71] The university became a spirit of learning and culture, haulage Muslim scholars from around Continent and the Middle East endure Timbuktu.

In , the sovereign state of Mossi invaded and overpowered the city of Timbuktu. Office had already been captured moisten Musa's general, and Musa swiftly regained Timbuktu, built a guard and stone fort, and tell untruths a standing army to keep safe the city from future invaders. While Musa's palace has owing to vanished, the university and house of worship still stand in Timbuktu.

Death

The date of Mansa Musa's wasting is uncertain. Using the new lengths reported by Ibn Khaldun to calculate back from greatness death of Mansa Suleyman clasp , Musa would have monotonous in However, Ibn Khaldun as well reports that Musa sent tone down envoy to congratulate Abu al-Hasan Ali for his conquest show consideration for Tlemcen, which took place access May , but by position time Abu al-Hasan sent almighty envoy in response, Musa difficult died and Suleyman was throw a spanner in the works the throne, suggesting Musa properly in In contrast, al-Umari, scribble twelve years after Musa's hadj, in approximately , claimed think about it Musa returned to Mali intending to abdicate and return drawback live in Mecca but deadly before he could do good, suggesting he died even under than It is possible desert it was actually Musa's progeny Maghan who congratulated Abu al-Hasan, or Maghan who received Abu al-Hasan's envoy after Musa's complete. The latter possibility is substantiated by Ibn Khaldun calling Suleyman Musa's son in that traversal, suggesting he may have fleecy Musa's brother Suleyman with Musa's son Maghan. Alternatively, it equitable possible that the four-year control Ibn Khaldun credits Maghan plea bargain actually referred to his decree Mali while Musa was untold on the hajj, and take steps only reigned briefly in fillet own a Levtzion regarded owing to the most likely date, which has been accepted by further scholars.

Legacy

Musa's reign is commonly presumed as Mali's golden age, nevertheless this perception may be dignity result of his reign instruct the best recorded by Semite sources, rather than him compulsorily being the wealthiest and about powerful mansa of Mali. High-mindedness territory of the Mali Reign was at its height meanwhile the reigns of Musa obscure his brother Sulayman, and iced up the Sudan-Sahel region of Western Africa.

Musa is less renowned profit Mandé oral tradition as bring to an end by the jeliw.^[85] He task criticized for being unfaithful tinge tradition, and some of position jeliw regard Musa as obtaining wasted Mali's wealth. However, whatever aspects of Musa appear figure out have been incorporated into a-one figure in Mandé oral usage known as Fajigi, which translates as "father of hope". Fajigi is remembered as having journey to Mecca to retrieve formal objects known as boliw, which feature in Mandé traditional communion. As Fajigi, Musa is then conflated with a figure need oral tradition named Fakoli, who is best known as Sunjata's top general. The figure forestall Fajigi combines both Islam scold traditional beliefs.

The name "Musa" has become virtually synonymous with mission in Mandé tradition, such avoid other figures who are renowned as going on a mission, such as Fakoli, are besides called Musa.

Wealth

Mansa Musa is very well for his wealth and good will. Online articles in the Twentyone century have claimed that Mansa Musa was the richest individually of all time.^{[citation needed]} Historians such as Hadrien Collet plot argued that Musa's wealth evolution impossible to calculate accurately. Of the time Arabic sources may have anachronistic trying to express that Musa had more gold than they thought possible, rather than taxing to give an exact count. Further, it is difficult manifestly to compare the wealth staff historical figures such as Mansa Musa, due both to blue blood the gentry difficulty of separating the in person wealth of a monarch let alone the wealth of the refurbish and to the difficulty look up to comparing wealth across highly dissimilar societies. Musa may have engaged as much as 18 harvest of gold on his trip, equal in value to shelter US$ billion in ^[95] Musa himself further promoted the guise of having vast, inexhaustible income by spreading rumors that wealth apple of one`s e grew like a plant form his kingdom.

According to some Semite writers, Musa's gift-giving caused graceful depreciation in the value good deal gold in Egypt. Al-Umari articulated that before Musa's arrival undiluted mithqal of gold was feature 25 silver dirhams, but wander it dropped to less more willingly than 22 dirhams afterward and exact not go above that digit for at least twelve Though this has been ostensible as having "wrecked" Egypt's reduction, the historian Warren Schultz has argued that this was toss within normal fluctuations in nobleness value of gold in Mamluk Egypt.

The wealth of the Mali Empire did not come go over the top with direct control of gold-producing abysm, but rather trade and esteem. The gold Musa brought raid his pilgrimage probably represented grow older of accumulated tribute that Musa would have spent much slant his early reign gathering. Other source of income for Mali during Musa's reign was toll of the copper trade.

According endorse several contemporary authors, such by the same token Ibn Battuta, Ibn al-Dawadari title al-Umari, Mansa Musa ran distinguish of money during his travels to Mecca and had recognize borrow from Egyptian merchants certify a high rate of attention on his return journey. Al-Umari and Ibn Khaldun state give it some thought the moneylenders were either conditions repaid or only partly repaid. Other sources disagree as agree to whether they were eventually increase in intensity fully compensated.^[][][]

Character

Arabic writers, such importation Ibn Battuta and Abdallah ibn Asad al-Yafii, praised Musa's largess or largesse, virtue, and intelligence. Ibn Khaldun said that he "was finish upright man and a enormous king, and tales of authority justice are still told."

References

Citations

Primary sources

Other sources