MYSTERY not HIS(s)TORY. The Mali Empire was basically like the Athens of Africa. The Mali Empire was one of Africas most wealthiest and powerful Empire during its time. It had an monopoly on gold, with some of Europes gold coming from there (Malian gold is what actually jump started the Italian Renaissance). Sundiata Keita was the founder of the Empire. Not only was it extremely wealthy, but almost all the population was educated. Education was a main factor in the Mali empire, at its time Timbuktu(one of its cities) was the center of learning in Africa and around the world. The prosperity of the city attracted African and Arabs who were both scholars and merchants. This unique combination of scholarship and business were the cornerstones that made Timbuktu a city of wealth and truth and therefore a booming desert port. Salt, books and gold were the main commodities that were traded in Timbuktu. Salt was extracted from the mines of Tegaza and Taoudenit in the north, gold from the immense gold mines of the Boure and Banbuk and books were the refined work of black and Arabs scholars. Timbuktu was a literally melting pot and hub of knowledge and commerce. The city welcomed everyone. The German explorer Henry Barth said that Timbuktu is the Rome of the Sudan, the Athena of Africa and the Mecca of the Sahara. Mansa Musa... the 400 billionaire!! Mansa Musa was Malis greatest emperor of all time. He was the wealthiest man during his time(recent findings are stating he was the richest of all time)....He had an monopoly on gold. Musa made his pilgrimage in 1324, his procession reported to include 60,000 men, 12,000 slaves who each carried 4-lb. gold bars, heralds dressed in silks who bore gold staffs, organized horses and handled bags. Musa provided all necessities for the procession, feeding the entire company of men and animals. Also in the train were 80 camels, which varying reports claim carried between 50 and 300 pounds of gold dust each. He gave away the gold to the poor he met along his route. Musa not only gave to the cities he passed on the way to Mecca, including Cairo and Medina, but also traded gold for souvenirs. Furthermore, it has been recorded that he built a mosque each and every Friday. Musas journey was documented by several eyewitnesses along his route, who were in awe of his wealth and extensive procession, and records exist in a variety of sources, including journals, oral accounts and histories. Musa is known to have visited with the Mamluk sultanAl-Nasir Muhammad of Egypt in July 1324. Musas generous actions, however, inadvertently devastated the economy of the region. In the cities of Cairo, Medina and Mecca, the sudden influx of gold devalued the metal for the next decade. Prices on goods and wares super inflated in an attempt to adjust to the newfound wealth that was spreading throughout local populations. To rectify the gold market, Musa borrowed all the gold he could carry from money-lenders in Cairo, at high interest. This is the only time recorded in history that one man directly controlled the price of gold in the Mediterranean. Source from Wikipedia. And so Mali Empire takes number 1 out of the top eight thriving known African empires that ever existed. It was a powerful African empire that was respected by even non-Africans. This empire valued education over war and expansion which makes it one of the best empires ever. Mali can be considered the Athens of Africa. The image below is of Mansa Musa, Mali, and Mali Manuscript. youtu.be/e8kYOphEpmQ
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 15:32:05 +0000
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