1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:04,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of I Heart Radio 2 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:08,480 Speaker 1: and Grim and Mild from Aaron Mankey listener discretion advised. 3 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 1: Hey guys, this is Danishwards, the host of the podcast 4 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:17,639 Speaker 1: Noble Blood. First, just thank you so much for listening. 5 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: Before the episode, just a few quick announcements. I have 6 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:24,920 Speaker 1: a book coming out in February called Immortality a Love Story. 7 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:28,480 Speaker 1: It's a sequel to my last book, Anatomy a Love Story, 8 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: which is about a young woman who's a surgeon in 9 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:33,559 Speaker 1: eighteen hundred Scotland. And if you like this podcast, I 10 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 1: really think you would like it, check it out, and please, 11 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:40,960 Speaker 1: if you're at all interested, pre order Immortality a Love Story. 12 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: All the links are in the episode description, along with 13 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 1: links to official Noble Blood merch and the Noble Blood Patreon, 14 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:51,839 Speaker 1: where I post episode scripts and have access to monthly 15 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: bonus episodes. But as always, the best support is just 16 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: listening to the show. I am so grateful we've officially 17 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: made a hundred episodes of the show and it just 18 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 1: feels so surreal. So thank you so much for your 19 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 1: interest in history and for joining me on this journey, 20 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 1: and let's do a hundred more. In July of the 21 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 1: year thirteen twenty four, the citizens of Cairo were waiting. 22 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: For weeks. Conversation in the city had been dominated by 23 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:37,559 Speaker 1: the imminent arrival of one man, though by this point 24 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:42,319 Speaker 1: man heartily seemed inadequate enough term to encompass a figure 25 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 1: as impressive as the fabled Melian Sultan Mansa Musa. Tales 26 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 1: of his exploits had started as simple rumor singular whispers 27 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: carried over desert roads by merchants and scholars, each story 28 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: eventually stitched together in ports of trade until their subject 29 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: became more myth than man. He was said to be 30 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: passing through Cairo on his way to complete Hajj, or 31 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: pilgrimage to Mecca, as required by the Islamic faith. This 32 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: typically would have been news enough, though oddly speculation surrounding 33 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:25,640 Speaker 1: his arrival had much less to do with his destination 34 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 1: and more to do with the methods in which he 35 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:33,799 Speaker 1: decided to travel. Had you been walking through Cairo's market 36 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:37,959 Speaker 1: place that summer, as you examined the countless wares from 37 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 1: all over the continent or even beyond, each vendor likely 38 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: would have regaled you with their own sliver of gossip 39 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: that they had gleaned from their time on the road. 40 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:53,799 Speaker 1: I hear he travels with ten thousand men, One of 41 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: the vendors might have said, only for another merchant across 42 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:00,040 Speaker 1: the way to cut in ten No. I heard it 43 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 1: was at least fifty, if not sixty thousand to others. 44 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: The size of his party likely mattered little compared to 45 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 1: the treasures said to have made the trip along with him. 46 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: Upwards of eighty camels were rumored to have been brought 47 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: for the sole purpose of transporting a combined total of 48 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: seventeen tons or over thirty four thousand pounds of gold. This, 49 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 1: of course, was in addition to the five hundred enslaved 50 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 1: workers who were each tasked with carrying a gold staff 51 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 1: for the duration of the over four thousand mile trek 52 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 1: from Molly on the western coast of Africa to Mecca 53 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 1: in what is today Saudi Arabia. Now, when considering the 54 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: vast distance Mansa Musa had to travel in order to 55 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 1: complete the Hajj, it makes sense that he and his 56 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 1: party would need ample resources and manpower to reach their destination. 57 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: But at the same time, you and hardly reason that 58 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 1: the transport of eighty camel loads of gold and sixty 59 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 1: thousand men were for the sole purpose of practicality, and 60 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: just as the resources Musa acquired for his journey were 61 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:19,039 Speaker 1: not necessarily essential to complete the journey. If the whispers 62 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 1: in the streets of Cairo were anything to go by, 63 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 1: his hajj was likely not the sole reason for his 64 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:32,360 Speaker 1: pilgrimage across the African continent. Religious piety may have been 65 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 1: the impetus for his travels, but it's clear through the 66 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 1: level of extravagance by which he chose to travel then 67 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 1: Mansa Musa's much anticipated stay in Cairo had one goal 68 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:50,279 Speaker 1: above all else. He wanted to make a statement, and 69 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 1: so as the iconic red silk banners of monts A 70 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: Musa's caravan finally crested the western horizon, the citizens of 71 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: Kai Eurow waited with bated breath and a gold hungry 72 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:07,600 Speaker 1: glint in their eyes to see exactly what type of 73 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 1: statement he would make. I'm Dani Schwartz and this is 74 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 1: noble blood. Now, before we get started, I want to 75 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 1: take a moment to speak to the importance of oral 76 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 1: histories in the African tradition. Today, when we tend to 77 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: think of history, our minds are often pulled toward images 78 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:36,719 Speaker 1: of dusty libraries filled top to bottom with heavy leather 79 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 1: bound tons. But the truth is this image is something we, 80 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 1: as a largely Eurocentric culture, have been conditioned to believe 81 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:50,040 Speaker 1: is the quote right way to record history. It's true 82 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 1: that there are not many written records of monts Amusa's reign, 83 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:57,919 Speaker 1: at least not from medieval West African sources, but that 84 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:01,480 Speaker 1: is largely because the history of West Africa was passed 85 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: down through oral tradition rather than written tradition. There's a 86 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:10,360 Speaker 1: harmful misconception that quite honestly, was likely perpetuated by many 87 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: of the institutions behind a fair number of the subjects 88 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:17,559 Speaker 1: of this podcast that histories passed down through spoken word 89 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 1: are quote inferior or less civilized than that of written record. 90 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 1: But it simply isn't true. In fact, in West Africa, 91 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 1: oral historians were often prized scholars also known as griots, 92 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 1: who were expressly forbidden from physically recording historical moments so 93 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: as to prove their intellect when recalling the moment back 94 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:46,280 Speaker 1: to be passed down for future generations. And if for 95 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 1: some reason you need further proof that oral traditions are 96 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 1: not some signifier of quote uncivilized culture. Just think of 97 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 1: the Odyssey or the Iliad, both of which were passed 98 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 1: down through oral tradition for hundreds of years before ever 99 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 1: being put to paper. Or if you want a more 100 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 1: relevant example, this very podcast and by extension, podcasting as 101 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 1: a whole, could be considered a certain kind of oral history. 102 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:15,720 Speaker 1: All this is to say, though these oral histories may 103 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 1: lack specificity in terms of dates and times the way 104 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 1: we might expect from written history, I think it's important 105 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 1: to analyze the lens by which we've traditionally been taught 106 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 1: to understand events from the past in the first place. 107 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: It's also important to recognize the benefits to oral histories 108 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 1: that written histories often lack. In the case of Mansa, Musa, 109 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:41,880 Speaker 1: the inherent mythos around the Hajjs you went on, as 110 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:46,240 Speaker 1: well as his empire's incredible riches, would, for better or worse, 111 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 1: go on to shape Molly for generations after Musa's passing. 112 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: Now back to our story. It's unclear exactly when Mussa 113 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 1: was born or the specific year he him into power, 114 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 1: but historian degree, he became Manta or sultan around thirteen twelve, 115 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:10,160 Speaker 1: likely when Musa was in his early to mid twenties. 116 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:15,000 Speaker 1: Though perhaps more interesting than his age was the circumstances 117 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 1: by which Musa was given the throne in the first place. 118 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 1: In an account recorded by the scholar al Umari, Musa 119 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: made it clear that he was never meant to have 120 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:28,080 Speaker 1: inherited the throne. When he did, his unlikely rise was 121 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:33,560 Speaker 1: thanks to a previous sultan's interest in exploration. Quote. The 122 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 1: king who was my predecessor did not believe that it 123 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:39,960 Speaker 1: was impossible to discover the furthest limits of the Atlantic Ocean. 124 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:42,840 Speaker 1: The sultan is quoted saying to the governor of Cairo, 125 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:47,959 Speaker 1: well before the couplet in Columbus sailed the ocean Blue, 126 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:52,199 Speaker 1: ever came into relevance leaders around the world, we're already 127 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:55,920 Speaker 1: looking to the horizons off their coastlines, ready to discover 128 00:08:56,080 --> 00:09:00,480 Speaker 1: possible worlds unknown. This is evidenced by the ex lauration 129 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 1: of figures like the Chinese mariner Janghay, who, under the 130 00:09:04,320 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 1: guidance of the Ming dynasty in the late fourteenth and 131 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:11,960 Speaker 1: early fifteenth centuries, would travel as far as East Africa. 132 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:17,320 Speaker 1: It's also evidenced by Arab, Indian and East African explorers. However, 133 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:22,760 Speaker 1: unlike Janghay, or Christopher Columbus for that matter. Montsa, Musa's predecessor, 134 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:27,359 Speaker 1: would never be highlighted in history for his maritime exploration. 135 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:32,360 Speaker 1: In his first attempt, Musa's predecessor sent out two hundred 136 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:35,800 Speaker 1: ships into the Atlantic with enough gold and provisions to 137 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 1: last years and directions quote not to return until they 138 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 1: reached the end of it or their provisions and water 139 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:46,800 Speaker 1: gave out end quote in the end. Out of the 140 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:51,199 Speaker 1: two hundred ships, only one returned, stating that the rest 141 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:53,960 Speaker 1: of the ships had gone on without them. But this 142 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:58,080 Speaker 1: answer did not satisfy the Sultan. In fact, the loan 143 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 1: surviving ship inspired Musa's predecessor to prepare an additional two 144 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 1: thousand ships, half of which were to be filled with 145 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 1: provisions for their travels and the other to carry the men, 146 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 1: this time with the Sultan himself among their ranks. Though 147 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:17,840 Speaker 1: before he was set to depart, the Sultan appointed Musa 148 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 1: to lead while he was out at sea. Quote, he 149 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:24,439 Speaker 1: left me to deputize for him, and embarked upon the 150 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:28,400 Speaker 1: Atlantic Ocean with his men Mantsa. Musa would eventually recount 151 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 1: to the Governor of Cairo quote that was the last 152 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 1: we saw of him and all those men who were 153 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:37,120 Speaker 1: with him, And so I became king in my own 154 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:41,640 Speaker 1: right end quote. To this day, no one knows for 155 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 1: sure exactly what happened to Musa's predecessor. Many historians assume 156 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:50,960 Speaker 1: he simply got lost at sea, though some revisionist historians 157 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:55,319 Speaker 1: believe he could have potentially made it to the America's Regardless, 158 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 1: the fact remained that Musa's predecessor never returned to Molly, 159 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:04,760 Speaker 1: therefore bestowing Musa himself with the title history would forever 160 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 1: remember him by Manza Musa. As a young ruler, Montsa 161 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:14,640 Speaker 1: Musa had inherited a similarly young empire. He was only 162 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:18,720 Speaker 1: the ninth Manza to take the throne, and as such 163 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 1: he was eager to establish not only himself but Molly 164 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:26,400 Speaker 1: as a nation on a global scale. And so, with 165 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:30,560 Speaker 1: a young empire under his command, and which surely must 166 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:33,480 Speaker 1: have felt like the eyes of the entire world watching 167 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:38,079 Speaker 1: his next move, Mantsa Musa chose to give those watching 168 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 1: him something to look at. If the eighty cameloads of 169 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 1: gold and sixty thousand person traveling party or any indicator, 170 00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:53,880 Speaker 1: it should come as no surprise that the Hajj of 171 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:57,920 Speaker 1: Montsa Musa was by far the defining moment of his reign, 172 00:11:58,679 --> 00:12:02,000 Speaker 1: though it should be noted an undertaking of this magnitude 173 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 1: wasn't accomplished overnight. In reality, most historians agree Musa likely 174 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:10,400 Speaker 1: began planning for the Hajj not long after he was 175 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:13,760 Speaker 1: put on the throne, meaning he would have been orchestrating 176 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:17,080 Speaker 1: this truck for at least a decade before ever setting 177 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:21,680 Speaker 1: foot on the road. Historian Michael A. Gomez estimates quote, 178 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:26,239 Speaker 1: if ten years are allowed for preparations, some six thousand 179 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 1: persons would have been captured per annum for this purpose 180 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 1: end quote, a statement that is supported by the scholar 181 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:37,280 Speaker 1: Alumari saying of Montsa Musa quote, the king of this 182 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:41,440 Speaker 1: country wages a permanently holy war on the pagans of 183 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:45,800 Speaker 1: the Sudan, who are his neighbors end quote. On top 184 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:50,080 Speaker 1: of the quote, slaving campaigns Musa orchestrated in order to 185 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:53,200 Speaker 1: create an infrastructure by which to support the Hajj she 186 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:57,000 Speaker 1: was determined to complete. The eighty camel's worth of gold 187 00:12:57,360 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 1: didn't appear overnight by the time Manta Musa reached Cairo. 188 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:06,320 Speaker 1: Rumors as to where exactly the gold came from had 189 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:09,840 Speaker 1: fully taken on lives of their own. The most common 190 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 1: fallacy was the rumored gold plant, which, separate from Musa, 191 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:18,920 Speaker 1: had been circulating as early as the tenth century during 192 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:23,560 Speaker 1: the reign of the Ghanaian Empire. The gold plant varied 193 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:27,200 Speaker 1: in description depending on the source, one source saying it 194 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:31,760 Speaker 1: quote grows in the sand as carrots do and quote well, 195 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:35,600 Speaker 1: Musa himself spread the notion it grew quote in the 196 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:42,840 Speaker 1: spring and blossomed after the rains in open country and quote. Unfortunately, 197 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:46,720 Speaker 1: as thrilling as the discovery of a medieval West African 198 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 1: gold plant would no doubt be for geologists and jewelers everywhere, 199 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 1: the reality of the gold's origin is likely a little 200 00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:59,080 Speaker 1: less exciting. Well, there's no way to tell for sure 201 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 1: where exactly gold came from. Most historians pose it the 202 00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 1: production and export of copper, as well as the trade 203 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:09,199 Speaker 1: of salt, could have been the source of the majority 204 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:13,560 Speaker 1: of Musa's fortune. And for those confused as to why 205 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:17,439 Speaker 1: anyone would trade copper or let alone salt for something 206 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:20,760 Speaker 1: as valuable as gold, I think it's important to remember 207 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:25,600 Speaker 1: gold as a metal has significantly less useful properties than copper, 208 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:29,600 Speaker 1: which could be made into a variety of tools or salt, 209 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 1: which is quite literally necessary for human survival. Meanwhile, gold's 210 00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: primary uses were either as a type of cosmetic adornment or, 211 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 1: more importantly, for Mansa Musa, a form of currency. And 212 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 1: even though Mussa did not shy away from the lower 213 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 1: that in Mali, gold basically grew on trees or in 214 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:54,480 Speaker 1: the ground like carrots. For him to amass as much 215 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:58,800 Speaker 1: wealth as he did was no small feet. Considering the 216 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:03,720 Speaker 1: substantial time and energy reserved solely for the preparations for 217 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:08,440 Speaker 1: the Hajj, it's worth asking why Mansa Musa chose to 218 00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 1: pursue a traveling caravan of this scale in the first place. 219 00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:15,520 Speaker 1: Had he purely been wanting to complete the pilgrimage for 220 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:18,680 Speaker 1: the sake of his own religious practice, he could have 221 00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 1: easily traveled with a much smaller party that required a 222 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:28,040 Speaker 1: fraction of the resources. But clearly Musa had ulterior motives 223 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 1: when preparing for his journey. The first motive might have 224 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:35,160 Speaker 1: had to do with Mansa Musa's claim to the throne. 225 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:39,800 Speaker 1: The line of succession for the early Malian Empire remains 226 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:44,000 Speaker 1: a point of contention with medieval West African historians. There 227 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:47,280 Speaker 1: was no clear path of inheritance the way we've become 228 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:52,440 Speaker 1: familiar with inheritance within the context of European monarchies. This 229 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:56,040 Speaker 1: could have been for a host of different reasons, though 230 00:15:56,080 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 1: I think one of the most important to consider would 231 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:01,760 Speaker 1: be the simple fact that the Malian Empire as a 232 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:05,720 Speaker 1: whole was, for lack of a better term, young, and 233 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:10,440 Speaker 1: considering the untraditional methods by which Musa himself was left 234 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:13,760 Speaker 1: with a kingdom in his charge, he likely chose to 235 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 1: use the Hajj as a way to exhibit his power 236 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:22,200 Speaker 1: and solidify his possibly precarious hold on the throne. In 237 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:26,720 Speaker 1: addition to securing his power as Molly's ruler, the Hajj 238 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 1: also offered Musa ample opportunity to expand Molly's borders and 239 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:36,280 Speaker 1: influence far beyond the reaches of West Africa. It's clear 240 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:39,760 Speaker 1: through the preparations made for his journey, Mussa meant to 241 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:42,880 Speaker 1: project a certain image as he made his way across 242 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 1: the African continent, though in all likelihood, the seventeen tons 243 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:52,280 Speaker 1: of gold eighteen tons of you include the gold staffs 244 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:55,600 Speaker 1: held by the enslaved workers in his caravan spoke for 245 00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:59,880 Speaker 1: themselves as citizens of the cities he passed through Gaul. 246 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:04,320 Speaker 1: At his overt displays of wealth, it should be noted 247 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:08,040 Speaker 1: that while the impressive caravan was no doubt used to 248 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:12,800 Speaker 1: bolster his reputation, it did serve a practical purpose as well. 249 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:18,200 Speaker 1: After over a decade spent acquiring enough manpower and gold 250 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 1: to make the impact he was seeking. When Montsa Musa 251 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:25,080 Speaker 1: finally began the Hajj in earnest, he used a fair 252 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:29,160 Speaker 1: amount of his gold and manpower to erect mosques as 253 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:33,359 Speaker 1: he went before all else. Monts A Musa was a 254 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:37,120 Speaker 1: devout Muslim and sought to spread the teachings of Islam 255 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:39,399 Speaker 1: as he set out to complete the Hajj he had 256 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:43,520 Speaker 1: so long prepared for. In this way, a good portion 257 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:46,919 Speaker 1: of the young Sultan's funds and slave labor went to 258 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 1: the construction of mosques, which is also why reports as 259 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:55,080 Speaker 1: to exactly how many people and how much gold he 260 00:17:55,119 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: brought on his journey very so wildly. It's likely that 261 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:03,280 Speaker 1: Musa began his pilgrimage with far more resources than he 262 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:06,320 Speaker 1: ended it with, but then again that was by design. 263 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:11,440 Speaker 1: The construction of mosques on Musa's truck across the African 264 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:15,520 Speaker 1: continent not only served as a way to parade his affluence, 265 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:20,040 Speaker 1: but more importantly, as a non violent expansion of his empire. 266 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:25,080 Speaker 1: Dissimilar to his slaving campaigns. Even for those who did 267 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 1: not practice Islam, the mosques were more than just a 268 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:32,760 Speaker 1: space for religion. As Montsa Musa continued his travels, word 269 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:36,439 Speaker 1: began to spread about the wealth and prosperity of the 270 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:42,119 Speaker 1: Malayan Empire. As such, the mosques attracted scholars and merchants 271 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:46,800 Speaker 1: from outside Molly's borders, making what began as villages and 272 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:53,520 Speaker 1: towns evolve into urban marketplaces, ultimately stimulating Molly's economic growth. 273 00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:57,280 Speaker 1: And as the chain of mosques left in the wake 274 00:18:57,359 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 1: of his pilgrimage grew, word about the wildly rich and 275 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 1: powerful Mansa Musa continued to spread east across the African 276 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:13,720 Speaker 1: continent until July thirteen, twenty four, when, finally, after weeks 277 00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:18,600 Speaker 1: of waiting, the fabled Malian Sultan approached the city of Cairo. 278 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:23,360 Speaker 1: Even after funding a trail of mosques behind him, Musa 279 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:26,720 Speaker 1: still had plenty of gold and men to make the 280 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 1: impact he wanted in Cairo. Upon his entrance in the city, 281 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:38,840 Speaker 1: monts AMusA immediately began spending exorbitant amounts of gold, resupplying 282 00:19:38,920 --> 00:19:43,200 Speaker 1: his provisions, but also undoubtedly trying to flex his abundance 283 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:47,720 Speaker 1: to the dazzled crowd. One scholar is quoted as saying, quote, 284 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:51,399 Speaker 1: when monts AMusA first arrived in Cairo, he and his 285 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:55,160 Speaker 1: followers bought all kinds of things. They thought their money 286 00:19:55,400 --> 00:20:00,240 Speaker 1: was inexhaustible, and quote so extravagant was his spend ending 287 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:04,520 Speaker 1: that in the end, Mansamusa would inevitably cause such mass 288 00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:08,720 Speaker 1: inflation within Cairo that their economy would need a decade 289 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:12,199 Speaker 1: before it could fully recover. As the city attempted to 290 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:16,960 Speaker 1: gain some control over Musa's runaway inflation, the Malaean Sultan 291 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:20,760 Speaker 1: would leave Cairo to continue on to Mecca to complete 292 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:25,320 Speaker 1: his Hajj. It wouldn't be until Monsa Musa eventually returned 293 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:28,720 Speaker 1: to Cairo on his way home that the Sultan would 294 00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:33,480 Speaker 1: be faced with a seemingly impossible truth. The money that 295 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:37,840 Speaker 1: he had once spent as if it were inexhaustible was gone, 296 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:42,040 Speaker 1: and he now had no means of funding his return home. 297 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:48,320 Speaker 1: When Mansa Musa met the city limits of Cairo for 298 00:20:48,359 --> 00:20:52,400 Speaker 1: the second time, his reception was far more subdued than 299 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:57,119 Speaker 1: the parade his initial arrival. Had been. One scholar reported 300 00:20:57,119 --> 00:21:00,840 Speaker 1: that after reaching Mecca and completing his pilgrimage, when he 301 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:04,639 Speaker 1: attempted to begin the journey back to Molly quote, many 302 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:08,359 Speaker 1: of his followers and camels perished from cold, so that 303 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:11,400 Speaker 1: only a third of them arrived in Cairo with him 304 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:16,160 Speaker 1: end quote. After a few wrong turns proved fatal for 305 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:20,679 Speaker 1: a significant portion of Musa's traveling party. The sultan was 306 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:26,879 Speaker 1: left not just shorthanded, but underfunded as well. In the 307 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:31,720 Speaker 1: wake of the Sultan's extreme spending that had essentially flooded 308 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:35,959 Speaker 1: Cairo's market with gold, Montsa Musa suddenly found himself with 309 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:39,720 Speaker 1: empty pockets, while the straits he had paraded down just 310 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:43,720 Speaker 1: months before glittered with the riches once carried by his 311 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:49,800 Speaker 1: now significantly smaller caravan. In order to return home, Mussa 312 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:52,399 Speaker 1: was forced to take out loans in the market that 313 00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:57,560 Speaker 1: he himself had caused to massively inflate. Despite the Sultan's 314 00:21:57,720 --> 00:22:01,600 Speaker 1: sudden hardships, Cairo's money unders were more than happy to 315 00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:05,520 Speaker 1: extend lines of credit to the now penniless monts AMusA 316 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:09,840 Speaker 1: with steep interest rates. Of course, now, due to the 317 00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 1: nature of the sources surrounding these stories, there are some 318 00:22:13,359 --> 00:22:18,440 Speaker 1: discrepancies as to if or when these loans were repaid. 319 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:22,439 Speaker 1: Some claim Montsa AMusA basically cheated the lenders in Cairo 320 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 1: out of the substantial interest his loan would have, no 321 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:28,920 Speaker 1: doubt accrued by paying back everything he owned in its 322 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:32,040 Speaker 1: entirety as soon as he stepped back on mille and soil, 323 00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:35,880 Speaker 1: while other sources claim that they never received any sort 324 00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:40,119 Speaker 1: of repayment at all. It's impossible to say exactly what 325 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:42,679 Speaker 1: happened to the money after he left Cairo for the 326 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:46,920 Speaker 1: second time, but the fate of his loans ultimately made 327 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:50,480 Speaker 1: a little difference to the whole of monts Amusa's legacy. 328 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:55,280 Speaker 1: Even though Mussa's reign would end just thirteen years after 329 00:22:55,359 --> 00:22:59,000 Speaker 1: his hajj and thirteen thirty seven, the ripple effects of 330 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:02,720 Speaker 1: his actions as Molly Sultan would be felt for countless 331 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:08,080 Speaker 1: generations to come. To this day, Montsa Musa is estimated 332 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 1: to be the richest person to have ever lived, with 333 00:23:12,119 --> 00:23:17,200 Speaker 1: a roughly estimated net worth of over four hundred billion dollars. 334 00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:21,800 Speaker 1: I should note that due to the discrepancies and exactly 335 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:24,720 Speaker 1: how much gold he had, as well as the not 336 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:29,000 Speaker 1: exactly linear methods used to translate his supply of gold 337 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: into inflation adjusted dollar amounts. This figure is far from 338 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:39,280 Speaker 1: what I would consider a solid number, but regardless, Montsa 339 00:23:39,359 --> 00:23:43,600 Speaker 1: Musa's wealth did not carry clout just because of whatever 340 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:47,400 Speaker 1: dollar amount we place on it. The mosques he erected 341 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:51,160 Speaker 1: across his pilgrimage spread the practice of Islam, but they 342 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:55,720 Speaker 1: also worked to attract scholars and merchants from beyond Molly's borders, 343 00:23:56,119 --> 00:24:01,320 Speaker 1: making urban centers of education and trade available in previously remote, 344 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:06,560 Speaker 1: isolated villages. Though Mousa may have ultimately lacked the funds 345 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:10,359 Speaker 1: for his return home, his initial display of power and 346 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 1: affluence not only achieved his initial goal to solidify his 347 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:18,880 Speaker 1: place on the Malian throne, but secured his legacy far 348 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:23,040 Speaker 1: beyond the borders of West Africa. This is perhaps best 349 00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:27,159 Speaker 1: exemplified in one of the prime examples of medieval map making, 350 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:32,879 Speaker 1: the Catalan Atlas, completed in thirteen seventy five. The Catalan 351 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:37,120 Speaker 1: Atlas was created by a Jewish map maker, Abraham Crescis, 352 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:40,080 Speaker 1: who had been commissioned by King John the First of 353 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:43,160 Speaker 1: Arragon to create the map as a gift for King 354 00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:46,600 Speaker 1: Charles the fifth of France. When looking at the Atlas 355 00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:50,439 Speaker 1: from Afar. One of the most striking elements about the 356 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:54,480 Speaker 1: piece is the amount of color used, and not just color, 357 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:59,640 Speaker 1: but the all too familiar warm sheen of gold from 358 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:04,000 Speaker 1: the MPUs on the first panel to flags denoting different nations. 359 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 1: Your eyes can't move a few inches before being caught 360 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:13,560 Speaker 1: by the rich metallic adornment. However, the map's most interesting 361 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:16,720 Speaker 1: use of gold is down at the bottom of the 362 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:20,439 Speaker 1: first panel, where the image of a dark skinned royal 363 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:25,359 Speaker 1: sits on a throne. A gold crown is painted atop 364 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:28,439 Speaker 1: his head, while the man is holding a scepter in 365 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:32,640 Speaker 1: one hand and a golden orb in the other. When 366 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:36,880 Speaker 1: Mansa Musa inherited the throne, Molly was a thriving empire 367 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:40,120 Speaker 1: in its own right, but its borders held itself back 368 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:43,879 Speaker 1: from the rest of the world. Musa's inclusion in the 369 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:47,920 Speaker 1: Catalan Atlas, a piece that was created over fifty years 370 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:53,280 Speaker 1: after his legendary Hajj on an entirely different continent, exemplifies 371 00:25:53,359 --> 00:25:57,679 Speaker 1: the reach his rain had on a global scale. Considering 372 00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:01,399 Speaker 1: the lengths Massa Musa went to wire, the materials and 373 00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:05,679 Speaker 1: manpower to complete his Hajj, it almost makes sense that 374 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:16,879 Speaker 1: Musa essentially put himself on the global map. That was 375 00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:20,000 Speaker 1: the story of Mansa Musa and his legendary hajj. But 376 00:26:20,119 --> 00:26:23,320 Speaker 1: stick around after a brief sponsor break to hear how 377 00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:37,919 Speaker 1: his legend continues to persist in popular culture today. In 378 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:41,840 Speaker 1: these seven hundred years since his pilgrimage. Outside of Sid 379 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:46,760 Speaker 1: Meier's Civilization video game franchise, Mansa Musa's name has largely 380 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:50,960 Speaker 1: been kept out of our public consciousness. That is, unless 381 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:54,600 Speaker 1: you know where to look. Now. There is no official 382 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:58,240 Speaker 1: confirmation citing the inspiration for the scene, but if you 383 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:02,359 Speaker 1: remember the beloved ninety ninety two Disney animated film Aladdin, 384 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:06,679 Speaker 1: you may remember a certain song called Prince Ali. In 385 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:10,240 Speaker 1: a bid to win the heart of Princess Jasmine, Aladdin 386 00:27:10,359 --> 00:27:13,400 Speaker 1: and the Genie concoct a plan to impress her by 387 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:17,320 Speaker 1: making Aladdin appear to be a rich and powerful Prince 388 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:20,560 Speaker 1: Ali a Babwa, a prince who proceeds to enter the 389 00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:24,840 Speaker 1: city of Agriba, a top an elephant led by perhaps 390 00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:28,639 Speaker 1: a familiar type of procession of men clearing the path 391 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:33,000 Speaker 1: for his arrival. If you haven't connected the dots already, 392 00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:35,359 Speaker 1: allow me to direct you to some of the more 393 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:40,280 Speaker 1: obvious comparisons such as Aladdin dressing as Prince Ali literally 394 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:43,399 Speaker 1: flinging handfuls of gold coins from where he sits to 395 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:46,960 Speaker 1: top his elephant from a seemingly endless pile of money, 396 00:27:47,119 --> 00:27:50,439 Speaker 1: or when Prince Ali's procession sings of all the riches 397 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:55,600 Speaker 1: he brings, including seventy five golden camels, to which, of 398 00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:58,680 Speaker 1: course we all know Robin Williams as the genie parody 399 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:01,880 Speaker 1: is being an announcer like get the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, 400 00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:08,120 Speaker 1: saying don't they look lovely? June. Of course, Aladdin's golden 401 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:11,960 Speaker 1: camels are camels made of gold, as opposed to Mansa 402 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:17,040 Speaker 1: Musa's eighty camels, which were real live camels with gold 403 00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:20,480 Speaker 1: on their backs. But the inclusion of this lyric is 404 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:25,200 Speaker 1: so specific that, at least in my opinion, it should 405 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:29,080 Speaker 1: be considered maybe a nod to the Malian king, whose 406 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:34,520 Speaker 1: legendary riches and affinity for showmanship continue to enthrall us 407 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 1: to this day. Noble Blood is a production of I 408 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:56,240 Speaker 1: Heart Radio and Grim and Mild from Aaron Manky. Noble 409 00:28:56,240 --> 00:29:00,160 Speaker 1: Blood is hosted by me Danish Worts. Additional writing and 410 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:05,320 Speaker 1: researching done by Hannah Johnston. Hannah's Wick, Mirra Hayward, Courtney Sunder, 411 00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:09,400 Speaker 1: and Laurie Goodman. The show is produced by rema Il Kali, 412 00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:14,560 Speaker 1: with supervising producer Josh Thaine and executive producers Aaron Manky, 413 00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:18,560 Speaker 1: Alex Williams, and Matt Frederick. For more podcasts from I 414 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:22,640 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 415 00:29:22,760 --> 00:29:24,640 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.