Mansa Musa

Main thing

Today, we're going to talk about a man named Mansa Musa. He was born in 1280 and lived until 1337, which means he lived for 57 years. Mansa Musa was a king, but not just any king. He was the ruler of the Mali Empire in West Africa, and he's known as one of the richest people in human history. Imagine having so much gold that you could single-handedly disrupt an entire country's economy! That's exactly what Mansa Musa did during his famous pilgrimage to Mecca.

He once said, "Gold is the most precious of all commodities; gold constitutes treasure, and he who possesses it has all he needs in the world."

Main achievements and benefits to the humanity

• Mansa Musa expanded the Mali Empire, making it one of the largest and wealthiest empires in Africa.

• He promoted education and Islam, building schools and mosques across his empire, including the famous University of Sankore in Timbuktu.

• His pilgrimage to Mecca put Mali on the map, literally. European mapmakers began to include Mali and Mansa Musa on their maps after hearing about his wealth and pilgrimage.

An analogy

Think of Mansa Musa as the Bill Gates of his time. Just like Gates, Mansa Musa used his wealth to invest in education and infrastructure, and both are known for their philanthropy and impact on their respective societies.

A biography

1. Early Life (20 years, 1280-1300): Mansa Musa was born into a royal family in the Mali Empire. He was appointed deputy of the empire by the king, who went on an expedition and never returned.

2. Reign as King (25 years, 1312-1337): Mansa Musa became king in 1312. He expanded the empire, promoted education and Islam, and embarked on a famous pilgrimage to Mecca.

3. Later Life (12 years, 1337-1342): After his pilgrimage, Mansa Musa continued to rule until his death in 1337. His son, Maghan, succeeded him.

Two true stories

1. The Cairo Gold Crash: During his pilgrimage to Mecca, Mansa Musa passed through Cairo. He gave away so much gold that he caused hyperinflation, and it took years for Cairo's economy to recover.

2. The Map of Mansa Musa: Mansa Musa's wealth and fame reached Europe, where he was depicted holding a gold nugget on the 1375 Catalan Atlas, one of the most important maps of Medieval Europe.

Cases how to use it right now

1. Inspiration for Investment in Education: Mansa Musa's investment in education led to Timbuktu becoming a center of knowledge. This can inspire us to invest in education in our communities.

2. Understanding Economic Impact: The story of the Cairo gold crash can be used to understand the effects of injecting large amounts of wealth into an economy.

Interesting facts

1. Mansa Musa's wealth is estimated to be around $400 billion, making him the richest person in history.

2. The University of Sankore, built under Mansa Musa, had a collection of around 25,000 manuscripts.

3. Mansa Musa's pilgrimage involved a procession of 60,000 men, including 12,000 slaves who each carried 4 pounds of gold bars.

4. It's said that Mansa Musa built a mosque every Friday during his journey to Mecca.

5. After Mansa Musa's death, his heirs were unable to maintain his wealth, leading to the decline of the Mali Empire.