Mansa Musa, one of the wealthiest people who ever lived - Jessica Smith

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Mansa Musa, the 14th century African king of the Mali Empire, is said to have amassed a fortune that possibly made him one of the wealthiest people who ever lived. Jessica Smith tells the story of how Mansa Musa literally put his empire – and himself – on the map.

Lesson by Jessica Smith, animation by Sandro Katamashvili.

If someone asked you
who the richest people in history were,

who would you name?

Perhaps a billionaire banker
or corporate mogul,

like Bill Gates or John D. Rockefeller.

How about African King Musa Keita I?

Ruling the Mali Empire
in the 14th century CE,

Mansa Musa, or the King of Kings,

amassed a fortune that possibly made him

one of the wealthiest
people who ever lived.

But his vast wealth was only
one piece of his rich legacy.

When Mansa Musa came to power in 1312,

much of Europe was racked
by famine and civil wars.

But many African kingdoms
and the Islamic world were flourishing,

and Mansa Musa played a great role
in bringing the fruits of this flourishing

to his own realm.

By strategically annexing
the city of Timbuktu,

and reestablishing power
over the city of Gao,

he gained control
over important trade routes

between the Mediterranean
and the West African Coast,

continuing a period of expansion,
which dramatically increased Mali's size.

The territory of the Mali Empire
was rich in natural resources,

such as gold and salt.

The world first witnessed the extent
of Mansa Musa's wealth in 1324

when he took his pilgrimage to Mecca.

Not one to travel on a budget,

he brought a caravan stretching
as far as the eye could see.

Accounts of this journey are mostly
based on an oral testimony

and differing written records,

so it's difficult to determine
the exact details.

But what most agree on is the extravagant
scale of the excursion.

Chroniclers describe an entourage
of tens of thousands of soldiers,

civilians,

and slaves,

500 heralds bearing gold staffs
and dressed in fine silks,

and many camels and horses
bearing an abundance of gold bars.

Stopping in cities such as Cairo,

Mansa Musa is said to have spent
massive quantities of gold,

giving to the poor, buying souvenirs,

and even having mosques
built along the way.

In fact, his spending may have
destabilized the regional economy,

causing mass inflation.

This journey reportedly took over a year,
and by the time Mansa Musa returned,

tales of his amazing wealth had spread
to the ports of the Mediterranean.

Mali and its king were elevated
to near legendary status,

cemented by their inclusion
on the 1375 Catalan Atlas.

One of the most important world maps
of Medieval Europe,

it depicted the King holding a scepter
and a gleaming gold nugget.

Mansa Musa had literally put his empire
and himself on the map.

But material riches weren't
the king's only concern.

As a devout Muslim,
he took a particular interest in Timbuktu,

already a center of religion
and learning prior to its annexation.

Upon returning from his pilgrimage,

he had the great
Djinguereber Mosque built there

with the help of
an Andalusian architect.

He also established a major university,
further elevating the city's reputation,

and attracting scholars and students
from all over the Islamic world.

Under Mansa Musa,
the Empire became urbanized,

with schools and mosques
in hundreds of densely populated towns.

The king's rich legacy
persisted for generations

and to this day, there are mausoleums,
libraries and mosques

that stand as a testament
to this golden age of Mali's history.