Who was Mansa Musa?
Q: Who was Mansa Musa?
A: Mansa Musa was an emperor (manse) of the Mali Empire during the 14th century. He became emperor in 1312 and is famous for his Hajj (1324–5).
Q: How much would his wealth be worth today?
A: Today, his wealth would be worth about US$400 billion.
Q: Who started the Mali Empire?
A: Sundiata Keita started the Mali Empire, and Mansa Musa was his great nephew.
Q: What did he bring on his journey to Mecca?
A: On his journey, he brought supplies and bags, 500 slaves each carrying a gold staff, and 80 to 100 camels each carrying 300 pounds of gold dust.
Q: What did he do when he stopped at places on his way to Mecca?
A: When Mansa Musa stopped at places on his way to Mecca, such as Timbuktu and Gao, he left enough gold for a mosque to be built every Friday.
Q: How did Mansa Musa help spread Islam?
A: Mansa Musa helped spread Islam by being a devoted Muslim himself and building many schools based on the teachings of the Qur'an. He also sent students to Islamic universities in northern Africa.
Q: How were European cartographers influenced by him after his Hajj?
A: After Mansa Musas's Hajj, European cartographers began to draw him on maps as a noble king; however, as the empire of Mali fell apart so did this reputation - artists drew him as a parody of European royalty or just as a normal person with a crown.
