Mansa Musa was a legendary king of the Mali Empire. He was a devout Muslim that was extremely generous and showered in riches. Throughout his travels to Mecca and his ability to rule such a large empire, Musa was capable of leaving a huge mark on this world.
` Mansa Musa was born around the year 1280 A.D. in Niani and was the king of the Kingdom of Mali from 1307/1312 A.D. to 1332/1337 A.D.. The Mali Empire was an extremely large territory located in the western part of Africa. He “came into power in 1312. At the time, much of Europe was struggling and facing declining gold and silver production, while many African kingdoms were thriving” (Caine, Aine). This made it possible for the Mali Empire to become rich and powerful due to their vast resources like gold.
Under the rule of Mansa Musa, the Mali Empire became massive, conquering a large area of West Africa: “from the Atlantic coast to the inland trading hub of Timbuktu and parts of the Sahara Desert” (Source B). He was able to expand the borders of his empire by about 2,000 miles. Some of the many lands Musa ruled were “modern day Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Chad” (Source A). At the time of Musa’s ruling, the Kingdom of Mali was one of the largest empires in the world. It supposedly “ would take a year to travel from one end of his empire to the other.” He also owned a large territory of land.
Mansa Musa was a devout Muslim that went on the haji, a devotional journey to Mecca. “In the 17th year of his reign (1324), he set out on his famous pilgrimage to Mecca. It was this pilgrimage that awakened the world to the stupendous wealth of Mali” (Source D). It was a 4000 mile journey that he traveled with a caravan including “tens of thousands of soldiers, slaves and heralds, draped in Persian silk and carrying golden staffs. Musa also marched alongside camels and horses carrying hundreds of pounds of gold” (Source B). “The emperor himself rode on horseback and was directly preceded by 500 slaves, each carrying a gold-adorned staff. In addition, Mansa Mūsā had a baggage train of 80 camels, each carrying 300 pounds of gold” (Source D).
As Musa passed through many areas, including Cairo and parts of Egypt, he bought many foreign goods using gold. It was highly appreciated because gold was in short supply. On Musa’s travels to Mecca, he stopped at the capital of Egypt. “As a Muslim, he believed that one of his duties was to give money to the poor and take care of the less fortunate” (Source C). He passed out so much gold, that it lessened its worth for more than a decade. Throughout his journey, Musa met the powerful Al-Malik al-Nasir. Their meeting prevented what could have been a catastrophic clash between the two great rulers. After Musa’s travels to Mecca, word spread of his richness across Africa. People heard of his generosity and wealth, which made him particularly favorable.
During Musa’s travels to Mecca, one of his generals captured the capital of the Songhai empire, Gao, which turned into the east of Mali. As the emperor was returning to his home, he heard of the great news and visited Gao on his way. He took the Songhai king’s sons hostage until he heard the king surrender. Gao was able to grow because of Musa.
In Gao, and as well as Timbuktu, Musa ordered an architect to build mosques. The mosques were able to encourage visitors. These places were able to boost their economies do to this. “Under Mansa Mūsā, Timbuktu grew to be a very important commercial city having caravan connections with Egypt and with all other important trade centres in North Africa.” These mosques were also able to change architecture in a way. Burnt bricks had never been used in West Africa for building until the construction of the Gao mosque. In Timbuktu and Gao, trade was encouraged as long with art and learning. The economy was able to thrive and improve Musa’s citizens’ standard of livings. He also built the Great Mosque located in Timbuktu.
“From the abundance of natural resources he cultivated to the growth and development of communities that he left behind,” Mansa Musa left an immense mark on the world. Mansa Musa was even included in a special map for European navigators. This was a huge honor centuries ago. “Ultimately, the emperor's opulent pilgrimage shaped European views of Mali as a place of splendor, wealth, and sophistication” (Source A). Mansa Musa was the wealthiest and one of the most powerful kings in history with an estimated worth of over $400 billion. His wealth was something that even historians can’t calculate.