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VIDEOS OF MANSA
MUSA
Musa I (1280 – 1337), or Mansa Musa, was the
tenth Mansa of the Mali Empire, an Islamic West African state. He
has been described as the wealthiest individual of the Middle Ages.
At the time of Musa's ascension to the throne, Mali
in large part consisted of the territory of the former Ghana Empire, which Mali had conquered. The Mali
Empire consisted of land that is now part of Mauritania and the modern state of Mali.
During his reign, Musa held many titles, such as "Emir of Melle",
"Lord of the Mines of Wangara", and "Conqueror of Ghanata".
Musa conquered 24 cities, along with their
surrounding districts. During Musa's reign, Mali may have been
the largest producer of gold in the world, and Musa has
been considered one of
the wealthiest historical figures. However, modern commentators such as Time magazine have concluded that there is no
accurate way to quantify Musa's wealth.
Musa is generally referred to as "Mansa
Musa" in Western manuscripts and literature. His name also appears as
"Kankou Musa", "Kankan Musa", and "Kanku Musa".
Other names used for Musa include "Mali-Koy Kankan Musa", "Gonga
Musa", and "the Lion of Mali". He helped his empire reach tremendous
growth by encouraging the arts, literature and architecture.
Musa was a devout Muslim, and his pilgrimage to Mecca
made him well known across northern Africa and
the Middle East. To Musa, Islam was "an entry
into the cultured world of the Eastern Mediterranean". He would spend much time fostering the
growth of the religion within his empire.
Musa made his pilgrimage between 1324 and 1325. His procession reportedly included
60,000 men, all wearing brocade and Persian silk,
including 12,000 slaves, who each carried 1.8 kg
(4 lb) of gold bars, and heralds dressed in silks, who bore gold staffs,
organized horses, and handled bags.
Videos of Mansa
Musa
Video 1
Video 2
Video 3
Video 4
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