Mansa Musa and the Mali Empire - ROBERT SEPEHR

Introduction to the Empire of Mali

This section provides an introduction to the Empire of Mali, one of the largest empires in West African history.

The Empire of Mali

• The empire was founded in 1235 and lasted until the early 1600s.

• All goods brought in and out of the empire were heavily taxed.

• All gold nuggets belonged to the king.

• The empire's most famous ruler was named Mansa Musa who underwent a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 accompanied by 60,000 individuals and large quantities of gold.

Mansa Musa and Timbuktu Mosque

This section discusses Mansa Musa, his pilgrimage to Mecca, and his contributions to Timbuktu Mosque.

Mansa Musa

• Chroniclers wrote that he distributed so much gold on his trip that he caused great inflation lasting a decade.

• He was credited with building the Great Mosque of Timbuktu in 1327 as well as the greatest library in Africa at the time estimated to have housed between 250,000 and 700,000 manuscripts making it the largest library in Africa since the Great Library of Alexandria.

Timbuktu Mosque

• The mosque was built in the 14th century under the reign of Emparakankan Musa rebuild and enlarge from 1570 to 1583 by Imam al-Qib.

• It can accommodate up to 12,000 worshipers.

• In 2012, it was partially destroyed by jihadist groups before being rehabilitated by UNESCO between the years of 2013 to 2017.

• The mosque benefits from a UNESCO project entitled safeguarding The Mosques of Timbuktu.

• Since its rehabilitation, the monument has regained its place in the social cohesion of the historic city.

Controversy over Mansa Musa's Ethnicity

This section discusses controversy over Mansa Musa's ethnicity and racial appearance.

Mansa Musa's Ethnicity

• There has been some controversy over the ethnicity and racial appearance of Mansa Musa.

• One depiction shows him as black while another shows him as white.

• Early Arab and Islamic images of Moors who are white Berbers have been blackwashed in an effort to appropriate history for seemingly political purposes.

Ancient Nubia

This section discusses ancient Nubia, one of Africa's earliest kingdoms.

Ancient Nubia

• Ancient Nubia was known for rich deposits of gold and hosted some of Africa's earliest kingdoms.

• Despite what is taught by politically motivated universities, their pharaohs were never of sub-Saharan African descent.

• In the 4th century BC, the manufacture and trade of iron led to the rise of another empire Kush which became a powerful trading center located near the modern-day border of Egypt and Sudan in Northeast Africa.

The Kingdom of Kush and the Importance of Iron

This section discusses the history of the Kingdom of Kush, which controlled significant territory along the banks of the Nile. The Phoenician rulers of this kingdom mined significant quantities of iron, copper, cypress, and tin in Great Britain.

The Fall of the Kush Empire

• In about AD 350, neighboring Kingdom of Oxim invaded Kush and caused its fall.

• Today, Cush is largely forgotten but the metal that helped build the Empire is still important in all our lives today.

Phoenician Rulers and Slave Labor

• From the 3rd Century BC to the 4th Century A.D., Phoenician rulers controlled significant territory along the banks of Nile.

• They ensured production of significant quantities of iron mined by slave labor.

• They also mined copper and Cypress as well as tin in Great Britain.

Ancient Ethiopia's Ruling Demographic

This section discusses ancient Ethiopia's ruling demographic and reveals extensive Eurasian admixture going back 4500 years.

Ancient Ethiopian Genome

• Even ancient Ethiopia had a different ruling demographic in antiquity that stretched back even before Christ.

• The ancient Ethiopian genome reveals extensive Eurasian admixture going back 4500 years including genetic contributions from present-day Sardinians.

Stone Carved Churches

• The famous stone carved churches of Lollibella Ethiopia were said by locals to be built by blonde angels.

• Inside these churches are swastikas Templar crosses inside Seal of Solomon as well as double-headed Eagles.

Decline and Conquest: Mali Empire

This section discusses Mansa Musa's death and the decline of the Mali Empire, leading to a period of decline with the throne changing hands several times.

Mansa Musa's Death

• Mansa Musa is estimated to have died in 1337 and would pass the title of Mansa to his son.

• This led to a period of decline with the throne changing hands several times mismanaged by people not from the original ruling family until 1433.

Conquest and Decline

• The Empire of Mali was conquered by nomads, and by the 17th century, Mali had broken into a number of minor independent chiefdoms.

Ancient Manuscripts of Mali

This section discusses ancient manuscripts that have been made available online, containing centuries of African knowledge and scholarship on top fixed region from math to astral astrological charts.

Virtual Gallery

• Many of the ancient manuscripts have been made available online preserved for anyone to see.

• A virtual gallery containing thousands of malice ancient documents has been launched.

• The gallery contains up to 40,000 documents written in ancient Arabic that have been digitized and made available online.

Preservation Efforts

• The manuscripts were smuggled to safety from Timbuktu after Islamist military control over Northern Mali in 2012.

• The collection also captured other aspects of Mali's rich cultural history and tradition.

Conclusion

This transcript provides insights into various historical events such as the fall of Kush empire, Phoenician rulers' mining activities, ancient Ethiopia's ruling demographic, decline and conquest of Mali empire. It also highlights preservation efforts through virtual galleries containing thousands of Malian ancient documents.