Taking A Trip Through Mansa Musa’s Life

Mansa’s name, when mentioned, is often anchored by his wealth. But that’s the means of his achievements rather than the end.

Summary: He was the most illustrious emperor of the Mali empire. During his reign, he built the empire till it became one of the greatest in the world.

Birth:1200s

Parents: Faga Laye [father]. His mother’s name is not verified.

Spouse: He had many, but their exact number is unknown

Children: Same as above

Nationality: Mali

Religion: Islam

Death: 1300s

Very little is known of his early years when he was a nobody but we’ve gathered that for you. Take the most comfortable position for you, lying or sitting, as we go on a trip of Mansa’s life.

Some scholars speculate that he was either a grandson or grand-nephew of Sundiata, the Lion of Mali. To give this more context, Sundiata built up Mali as an independent state after putting an end to Ghanaian rule in the early 1200s. Mansa was born Mansa Keita in the late 1200s to Faga Laye who was his father.

Under Sundiata’s rule, Mali had acquired a lot of wealth which was helped by its geographical location as a focal point of trade routes, the tributes it received and its resources.

He grew to become a high ranking official unlike his father who held no rank. Higher and higher he rose, until he got to be the deputy of Abu-Bakra-Keita II, the Mansa who was the ninth ruler of the Mali empire.

Abu Bakra was an explorer at heart, curious to know about things and places he was not familiar with. For years, he longed to know what was on the other end of the ocean. Then time came when he could no longer be satisfied with the reports of the explorations he had sent others to do. He decided to lead an expedition himself. Before he left he commanded Musa, who was then his deputy, to rule in his stead while he was gone.

Abu Bakra never returned.

When the long wait for his uncle did not end, Musa was appointed as the Mansa and this placed him officially as Mali’s emperor rather than the temporary leader he was. People loved Musa, he was kind and charitable and as a ruler he was highly competent. Mali had enough wealth to go around its people; food was plentiful, crops grew healthy and on time, life was good.

Traders from China, Persia, India and other far flung places came to trade with the people of Mali, boosting an already rich economy.

It was not so at the other end of the world with the Europeans. Life was a pot of spoilt beans for them at the time. There were wars, decline in trade and increase in poverty levels. While Musa was annexing regions and expanding his empire, the West was faced with a boiling economic crisis. Mali’s wealth would have been an obscure knowledge if Musa had not decided to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1312, leaving his son Maghan in charge of Mali.

To make this journey, he had about 60,000 people in his entourage which included warriors, servants, officials, members of the royal family and common people who wanted to visit Mecca too. But this was not all. Apart from the rich clothing of the group, Mansa had along with them huge amounts of gold he intended to give out to the poor and to rulers as gifts.

On this voyage which spanned over thousands of miles, Mansa gave out so much gold that he caused a decline in its value, especially in Egypt where he stayed long enough to pass the deadly heat of the dry season. As his gold reduced, his popularity grew. Many proclaimed love for him as they were wont and his reputation preceded him as he went.

When he got to Mecca and finished the Holy rituals for pilgrims he stayed for a while, meeting and discussing with scholars who had come for the Pilgrimage too. While there, he received news that his army was at war with Songhai. Torn between returning home and staying further to explore knowledge with the scholars, he took the decision to kill two birds with a stone by asking them to come with him to Mali. One of those who agreed was Abu Ishāq as-Sāhilī, a Moorish poet and architect.

Abu Ishāq as-Sāhilī helped Musa build a lot of stunning architecture for which Mali was reknowned.

By this time, word of Mansa Musa’s wealth had spread well beyond Africa and into Europe. Interest in Mali began to quicken and this eventually led to European cartographers creating a map of Mali for the first time. They saw the economic opportunities Mali presented and a map was the first step in exploring the empire.

When Musa reached Cairo on his way back, he got great news. His army had won the war with the Songhai. Excited at the prospects Songhai offered, he promptly deviated from the route to Mali and went to Gao in Songhai instead. While there, he toured the cities and noted opportunities for growth and expansion.

With the acquisition of Songhai which was the home of Timbuktu and Gao, Mali became the largest empire in the world. When he got back home at last, Mansa began working on projects which had economic, architectural, scientific and artistic impact. His mind had been opened to possibilities as a result of the scholarly discussions he had in Mecca.

Striking mosques and palaces were built with the help of Abu Ishaq, the architect who followed him from Mecca. These drew tourists from around, creating an influx of richies. Embassies, schools, and trading routes were built and expanded, leading to a high increase in foreign trade volume.

In a relatively short time, Mali grew to become a world power with her cities a melting pot of commerce and culture.

While Mali was rich before Mansa Musa came into power, it was his vision, openhandedness, strength and wisdom in administration that lifted it to the status of one of the most powerful empires in history. He died in the 1300s and his son Maghan, once tested, ruled after him.

For further reading:

Mansa Musa, Life and History | Wikipedia

A Brief History of Mansa Musa | Black Past

Who Was The Richest Man In History | History.com

Lifelines in History by Ase Berit and Rolf Strandskogen