WEBVTT

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

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who would you name?

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Perhaps a billionaire banker
or corporate mogul,

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like Bill Gates or John D. Rockefeller.

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How about African King Musa Keita I?

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Ruling the Mali Empire 
in the 14th century CE,

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Mansa Musa, or the King of Kings,

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amassed a fortune that possibly made him

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one of the wealthiest 
people who ever lived.

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

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When Mansa Musa came to power in 1312,

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much of Europe was racked 
by famine and civil wars.

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But many African kingdoms
and the Islamic world were flourishing,

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

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to his own realm.

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By strategically annexing 
the city of Timbuktu,

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and reestablishing power 
over the city of Gao,

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he gained control 
over important trade routes

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between the Mediterranean 
and the West African Coast,

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

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

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such as gold and salt.

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

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when he took his pilgrimage to Mecca.

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Not one to travel on a budget,

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

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Accounts of this journey are mostly
based on an oral testimony

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and differing written records,

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so it's difficult to determine
the exact details.

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

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Chroniclers describe an entourage 
of tens of thousands of soldiers,

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civilians,

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and slaves,

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500 heralds bearing gold staffs
and dressed in fine silks,

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

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Stopping in cities such as Cairo,

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

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giving to the poor, buying souvenirs,

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and even having mosques 
built along the way.

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

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causing mass inflation.

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

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

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Mali and its king were elevated
to near legendary status,

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cemented by their inclusion 
on the 1375 Catalan Atlas.

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One of the most important world maps
of Medieval Europe,

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

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

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

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

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

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Upon returning from his pilgrimage,

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he had the great 
Djinguereber Mosque built there

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with the help of 
an Andalusian architect.

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

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

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Under Mansa Musa,
the Empire became urbanized,

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with schools and mosques
in hundreds of densely populated towns.

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The king's rich legacy 
persisted for generations

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

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