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One of the greatest African rulers of all time,Mansa Musa(1280–1337)led the Mali Empire at the height of its power and creativity.
He directly controlled the price of gold, and he has been comfortably described as the richest person in human history.
An emperor with an accumulation of wealth often described as “unimaginable” or “incalculable,” his fortune was conservatively estimated to be themodern day equivalentof $400 billion, according to USA Today.
Musa I of Mali was “richer than anyone could describe,”reported Time’s Jacob Davidson: “There’s really no way to put an accurate number on his wealth.”
While the exact figures are so enormous it’s difficult to comprehend, so too is a large part of the Mansa Musa story which remains clouded in mystery.
Now streaming on Netflix pic.twitter.com/zYwU6v4VMM
— SUN OF THE SOIL (@mansamusafilm) May 11, 2022
Musa ruled the Mali Empire beginning in 1312, at a time when gold and salt resources helped the empire expand and flourish.
Musa and the empire owned almost half of the Old World’s gold, BBC reports. Musa is largely credited forfunding and encouraging literature, education, architecture and the arts.
He first caught the world’s attention, and continues to be famous today, for his epic hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage toMecca, in 1324.
Mansa Musa: pilgrimage to Mecca
Musa made the pilgrimage of an estimated 4,000 miles (6437.38 km) with a caravan including tens of thousands of soldiers, heralds, civilians, and slaves carrying mass amounts of gold.
His 500 heralds were draped in Persiansilkand carried golden staffs. Camels and horses accompanied the people, carrying hundreds of pounds of gold bars.
University of Michigan associate history professor Rudolph Wareexplained inTime: “Imagine as much gold as you think a human being could possess and double it, that’s what all the accounts are trying to communicate,” he said. “This is the richest guy anyone has ever seen.”
Accompanied by thousands of richly dressed servants and supporters, Musa made generous donations to the poor and to charitable organizations as well as the rulers of the lands his entourage crossed.
#BlackHistoryMonth2023 salutes Mansa Musa, the 14th-century West African ruler whose wealth and power made him an iconic figure in history. #MansaMusa #BlackFutureMonth #aiartcommunity pic.twitter.com/ygiwy9naVZ
— RABBLE (@rabbleio) February 2, 2023
He left behind gifts of gold as he crossed through Egypt, a gift generous in thought but not in actuality.
On his stop in Cairo, Egypt, the Emperor gave out so much gold that he generated a brief decline in its value. Cairo’s gold market recovered over a decade later.
According to BlackPast, upon his return from Mecca, Mansa Musa brought Arab scholars, government bureaucrats, and architects.
Among those who returned with him was the architect Ishaq El Teudjin, who introduced advanced building techniques to Mali.
He designed numerous buildings for the Emperor, including a new palace named Madagou, the mosque atGao, the second largest city in Mali, and the still-standing great mosque atTimbuktu, the largest city in the empire.
That mosque was named the Djinguereber.
El Teudjin’s most famous design was the Emperor’s chamber at the Malian capital of Niani.
Tales of his enormous convoy and generosity continued to be passed on long after his death. Mansa Musa passed in 1337 during his return trip from Mecca. While the cause is unknown, it is speculated that he may have contracted an illness while on the epic journey.
— SUN OF THE SOIL (@mansamusafilm) April 24, 2022We are excited to announce that Sun of the Soil is now streaming on Netflix!
Written by @OsmanLadan and directed by @joepenney, the film follows artist Abdou Ouologuem on his journey to understand the legacy of the legendary 14th c Malian King Mansa Musa https://t.co/3O3I0PNVgJ
I'm an enthusiast with a deep knowledge of African history, particularly the era of Mansa Musa and the Mali Empire. Mansa Musa, born in 1280, stands out as one of the greatest African rulers, leading the Mali Empire to unprecedented heights of power and creativity during his reign from 1312. His profound impact on the region, coupled with his incredible wealth, positions him as a central figure in the historical narrative.
The evidence supporting Mansa Musa's unparalleled wealth is substantial. Described as the richest person in human history, his fortune is estimated to be around $400 billion in modern terms, a conservative figure according to USA Today. Time's Jacob Davidson emphasized the difficulty in accurately quantifying Musa's wealth, emphasizing its unimaginable and incalculable nature.
Mansa Musa's control over the price of gold is a testament to his economic influence. The Mali Empire, under his rule, dominated almost half of the Old World's gold resources. This economic strength played a crucial role in the empire's expansion and prosperity, with gold and salt resources serving as significant commodities.
Musa's legacy extends beyond wealth; he is credited for fostering literature, education, architecture, and the arts. The Mali Empire, during his reign, became a center of cultural and intellectual development. His famous hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324, further solidified his historical significance. The journey covered an estimated 4,000 miles, involving a massive caravan with tens of thousands of soldiers, civilians, and slaves carrying substantial amounts of gold.
The descriptions of Musa's wealth are almost mythical, with accounts comparing it to unimaginable quantities of gold. University of Michigan associate history professor Rudolph Ware captures the essence by suggesting one should imagine as much gold as a human being could possess and then double it.
Mansa Musa's generosity during his pilgrimage is another aspect of his legacy. He made generous donations to the poor, charitable organizations, and rulers of the lands he crossed. However, his largesse also had unintended consequences, such as causing a brief decline in the value of gold in Cairo's market due to the excessive gifts he distributed.
Upon his return, Musa brought back Arab scholars, government bureaucrats, and architects, contributing to the intellectual and architectural development of Mali. The architect Ishaq El Teudjin, one of those who returned with him, introduced advanced building techniques and designed significant structures, including the Djinguereber, the great mosque at Timbuktu.
Mansa Musa's legacy continued through tales of his enormous convoy and generosity long after his death in 1337 during his return trip from Mecca. While the cause of his death remains uncertain, it is speculated that he may have contracted an illness during his epic journey. The enduring impact of Mansa Musa is reflected in modern portrayals, such as the film "Sun of the Soil," which explores the legacy of this legendary 14th-century Malian king, now streaming on Netflix.
