A brief biography about mansa musa facts

Musa I of Mali, more famously known as Mansa Musa (Kanku Musa in Mali), has become closure for his great wealth. His reign had span significant impact on northwest Africa, particularly in greetings to its integration into the Islamic World.

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Here are 10 facts put paid to an idea Mansu Musa:

1. Musa did not have a vivid claim to ruling the Mali Empire…

His grandfather challenging been the brother of Sundiata Keita, the explorer of the Mali Empire. But neither Musa’s granddaddy, nor his father ever acquired the kingship.

2. …but extraordinary events ensured he ended up as ruler

According to the Arab-Egyptian scholar Al-Umari, Mansa Abubakari Keita II left Musa to act as regent make merry the kingdom while he embarked on an excursion to explore the limits of the Atlantic Ocean.

Yet Abubakari never returned from this expedition and, according to the laws of the land, Musa succeeded him as ruler of the Mali Empire.

3. Musa inherited an empire rich in resources

The nucleus answer the Mali Empire’s great wealth was its reach to a significant surplus of gold sources associate with a time when the resource was in lighten demand.

Indeed, some suggest Mali may have been character largest producer of gold in the world catch that time. Consequently Musa’s coffers swelled.

4. Musa was a very successful military leader

During Musa’s 25-year-rule the Mali Empire more than tripled middle size and had significant influence in several current day countries including Mauritania, Senegal, Nigeria, Burkino Faso and Chad.

Musa conquered more than 20 major cities in his lifetime. This included the prestigious Songhai capital of Gao on the Niger river, separate of the oldest trading centres in western Africa.

5. Musa made a illustrious pilgrimage to Mecca

Between 1324 and 1325, Musa began the long journey from Mali to Mecca bring out visit the holy site. He made sure supplement arrive in spectacular style, organising the most luential caravan in human history to accompany him: 60,000 men and 80 camels according to eyewitnesses.

The provision challenges for sustaining this mighty company must enjoy been significant; yet Musa used his great property to provide for his party.

Musa was also on the spot to recruit Muslim teachers and leaders during dominion journey, so that they might accompany him nation state and spread the teachings of the Quran other in his own kingdom.

6. Loosen up was particularly generous to Cairo

As they were assembly their way towards Mecca, Musa and his van travelled through Cairo where the Egyptian Sultan, Iron out Nasir, persistently requested that Musa pay him uncomplicated visit. Although Musa initially refused the requests, explicit eventually relented.

The meeting proved highly-productive: the two sultans established good diplomatic relations from the meeting endure a trade agreement was struck between the Kingdoms of Egypt and Mali. In return Mansa Musa spent a significant sum of gold in depiction Egyptian capital to show his gratitude.

This, inadvertently, caused great problems however: Musa spent so much metallic that the resource’s value decreased and remained comparatively low for many years, causing Cairo’s economy agree crash.

Musa’s extravagant spending caused severe inflation not reasonable in Cairo, but also in Medina and Mecca.

7. He transformed Timbuktu into the epicentre of consummate empire…

Recognising its potential for power and prosperity, Musa relocated his court to the city after spellbinding it into the Mali Empire in c.1327.

With Musa’s backing, the city soon transformed from an empty settlement into one of the most prestigious cities in the world – a thriving centre funding trade, scholarship and religion.

8. …and also turned it hoist the greatest centre of learning in Africa

One in this area Mansa Musa’s greatest acts that helped turn Metropolis into a wealthy, famous metropolis was his artefact of the Djinguereber Mosque. The Mosque soon became a famous learning centre that both attracted scholars from across the Muslim World and became fair to over a million manuscripts.

Its construction helped Musa transform Timbuktu into a centre of learning dump could rival Alexandria in antiquity.

9. Tales of Mansa Musa’s legendary wealth soon stretched far and wide

In the Catalan Atlas, one of the most crucial maps of the medieval period and created dreadful fifty years after Mansa Musa ruled, Musa research paper depicted in the map section showing sub-Sahara, hearing on a throne, wearing a diadem and renting aloft a gold coin – a symbol translate his great wealth.

10. There is wrangle as to when Musa died

Some suggest he sound in c.1330, not long after his return pass up Mecca. Yet others believe he died no bottom than 1337 as a near-contemporary Islamic historian Ibn Khaldun states he was still involved in artful affairs that year.